After New Food Poisoning Outbreak, U.S. Officials Warn Consumers Not to Eat Romaine Lettuce Grown in Salinas, California

(NEW YORK) — U.S. health officials on Friday told people to avoid romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, California, because of another food poisoning outbreak. The notice comes almost exactly one year after a similar outbreak led to a blanket warning about romaine. Officials urged Americans not to eat the leafy green if the label doesn’t say where it was grown. They also urged supermarkets and restaurants not to serve or sell the lettuce, unless they’re sure it was grown elsewhere. The warning applies to all types of romaine from the Salinas region, including whole heads, hearts and pre-cut salad mixes. “We’re concerned this romaine could be in other products,” said Laura Gieraltowski, lead investigator of the outbreak at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more: Here’s Why the CDC Wants You to Throw Away All Your Romaine Lettuce Officials said their investigation led to farms in Salinas and that they are looking for the source of E. coli tied to the illnesses. Salinas is a major growing region for romaine from around April to this time of year, when growing shifts south to Yuma, Arizona. After last year’s pre-Thanksgiving outbreak tied to romaine, the produce industry agreed to voluntarily label the lettuce with harvest regions. Health officials said that would make it easier to trace romaine and issue more specific public health warnings when outbreaks happen. Officials never identified exactly how romaine m...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized California Food health onetime Source Type: news