Lite n' Easy has warned its customers not to eat the salad component of meals delivered this week because it may be contaminated with salmonella.
The diet meal delivery service said it used the same lettuce supplier - Victorian company Tripod Farmers - linked with a salmonella outbreak that has so far infected 54 people, with two admitted to hospital.
Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services said on Friday it had received reports of 54 cases, almost doubling the number reported as of late Thursday.
Lite n' Easy has advised that customers who received salad lunches from this week's menu (Week A) are affected by the recall.
"Whilst we have had no related reports of illness to date, we recommend that, if you have already consumed the lunch and have any concerns regarding your health, you should consult with your doctor or medical practitioner," the notice reads.
Affected customers can contact Lite n' Easy with their full name and delivery address to received a refund.
"We would like to assure all of our customers that we have taken immediate steps to replace the lettuce supplier in question with a new supplier and that any salad meals in next week's menu (Week C) will not be affected by the current recall," it said.
On Friday, the company was fielding complaints on Facebook from customers upset they were not notified until several hours after the recall was announced.
"Why did i get an email saying not to eat my ceaser [sic] salad at 7.29pm when i ate it 7 hours earlier at lunch??" one customer asked. "This recall was on the news this morning.. why the 12 hour delay in letting your customers know?"
Lite n' Easy said it had taken some time to determine which salad batches may have been affected, and to contact individual customers, once it was notified of the recall.
Coles and Woolworths issued a national recall of pre-packaged lettuce and salad on Thursday evening, with use-by dates leading up to and including February 14. All states and territories are affected, except Tasmania and Western Australia.
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said it had identified a number of cases of the infection linked to lettuce grown and packaged by Tripod Farmers.
Its senior medical adviser, Dr Finn Romanes, said the department became aware of the link between the outbreak and the bacteria at Tripod Farmers in Bacchus Marsh, in Melbourne's outer-west, on Wednesday.
Since then, the department has been working with the company on a recall of affected products.
The recall is not limited to Coles and Woolworths and will affect other grocers and businesses.
Angus Harris of the Harris Farm chain said: "This is a very serious matter. Our salads are not part of the recall, we buy nothing from this supplier. Despite this, we think it's worth washing all salad items with water before use."
Processing and distribution has resumed at Tripod Farmers after a site inspection and further product testing by health authorities at its Bacchus Marsh plant.
Managing director Frank Ruffo said no issues had been detected with products beyond a use-by date of February 14, and further testing of the recalled product had not detected salmonella.
"We apologise to our customers and anyone affected by this recall, and are doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of consumers and the integrity of our products," Mr Ruffo said on Friday.
The family-run business is working with the Victorian Health Department to determine the cause of salmonella detected in three samples of product.
"Our complete production area, including floor and equipment, is sanitised daily and we conduct regular microbiological testing on our facility and product samples, in full compliance with Australian standards," Mr Ruffo said.
Consumers are advised not to eat the recalled product, and to return it to the place of purchase for a full cash refund.
A list of the recalled salad and lettuce products notified to Food Standards Australia New Zealand can be found here.
- With Kim Arlington and Julia Medew
