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US-HEALTH-FOOD-LETTUCE
E. coli lettuce outbreak traced to California
NEW YORK, Nov 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – An outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine
lettuce appears to have been traced to crops in California, the US food
authority said Monday.
American consumers were warned against eating the leafy salad by health
officials last week.
The outbreak has caused 43 people to become sick in the US and another 22
in Canada, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Our investigation at this point suggests that romaine lettuce associated
with the outbreak comes from areas of California that grow romaine lettuce
over the summer months,” the FDA said in a statement.
“The outbreak appears to be related to ‘end of season’ romaine lettuce
harvested from these areas,” it said.
The harvest has now shifted to other areas and it was “critically important
to have a ‘clean break’ in the romaine supply available to consumers in the
US in order to purge the market of potentially contaminated romaine lettuce,”
the FDA said.
It added that the break in supply appears to have been accomplished after
officials requested on November 20 that the produce be withdrawn from the
market and destroyed.
On the same day — two days before the Thanksgiving holiday when Americans
gather and feast together — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
advised consumers not to eat any romaine lettuce and to throw away any they
might have in their homes.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1108 hrs