Is Romaine Lettuce The Cause Of E. coli Outbreak?
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If you love eating romaine lettuce, you’re being advised to avoid it until the source of the E. coli outbreak has been identified. U.S. health officials said 58 people in both the United States and Canada have become sick after eating the allegedly tainted lettuce.
The Food and Drug Administration and Center for Disease Control and Prevention have been urged to send a more powerful message to let people know about the outbreak. According to the CDC, the outbreak began sometime between Nov. 15 and Dec. 8. The CDC said there were 41 cases in Canada, which resulted in one death. Another five in the U.S. were hospitalized and resulted in one death.
The following states have been identified in the problem – California, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire and Michigan.
The Canadian Public Health Agency linked the romaine lettuce as the culprit, but the CDC is trying to determine if that’s really the case.
Since there is no identifiable source for the infections, the CDC cannot recommend citizens for not eating a particular food. The agency is still investigating and will release more information when available. In the meantime, it said, there are other greens people can consume.
Consumer Reports’ Director of Food Safety and Research Dr. James Rodgers said considering that romaine lettuce is always consumed raw, it’s important for people to be extra cautious.
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