FDA & CDC issue advisory on E. coli 0157:H7 linked to Romaine lettuce

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control issued an update regarding expanding illnesses in the E. coli 0157:H7 foodborne illness outbreak associated with Romaine lettuce.

According to FDA and CDC, consumers are advised not to eat any of the specific products included in recent salad mix recalls and to avoid romaine lettuce from Salinas. At this time, romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of the Salinas region has not been implicated in this outbreak investigation. Romaine producers will be working closely with their customers to make sure all product from Salinas is removed from marketing channels, but romaine from any other growing area is safe for consumption.

The root cause of this and other recent outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce remain a mystery despite a concentrated focus on safety by leafy greens producers and government regulators.

See the official LGMA media statement here