The Santa Barbara County, Calif., farm named by the Food and Drug Administration as a source of E. coli in an outbreak linked to romaine has recalled red and green leaf lettuce and cauliflower.
The vegetables, harvested by Adam Bros. Farming Inc. Nov. 27-30, is being recalled “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the company, because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. None of the recalled items, however, have tested positive for the E. coli and no illnesses have been linked to the red and green lettuce or cauliflower.
The recall covers only produce grown in “certain fields.” Not all of the company’s products are being recalled, according to the release.
The farm has been cooperating with the FDA on the recall and the investigation into the romaine outbreak. Inspectors tested various areas of farms and lettuce cooling facilities at in Central and Northern California’s coastal region in recent weeks after the FDA reported the outbreak on Nov. 20. On Dec. 13, the FDA and Centers for Disease Control reported that sediment in an irrigation reservoir on the Adam Bros. Farm had tested positive for the same strain of E. coli that made people sick.
The reservoir is near where the lettuce and cauliflower was grown, and filtered and treated water from the reservoir may have come in contact with the recalled items after they were harvested, according to the news release. The filtered and treated water has not tested positive for E. coli, according to Adam Bros. Farm.
The FDA also reported that the scope of the outbreak could not be explained only by the positive tests at the Adam Bros. Farm, and that other growers are likely involved.
“Adam Bros. Farming Inc. feels a strong commitment to its customers and has worked for years to provide a safe and healthy food supply,” according to the news release.
Adam Bros. Farming contacted affected customers on Dec. 13, asking them to ensure the produce is not eaten, sold or transferred, according to the release.
Cauliflower was distributed to wholesalers in Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tijuana, Mexico, and Canada. The red and green leaf lettuce was shipped to wholesalers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, Washington and Canada, according to the news release. Red leaf lettuce went to a wholesaler in Minnesota, and to Tijuana.
