Sobeys pulls romaine from stores across Canada

Canadian retailer Sobeys, which has about 1,500 stores under numerous banners, has pulled all romaine products from shelves after health officials linked one death and dozens of illnesses from E. coli to the lettuce.

The retailer announced the decision Dec. 22, and as of Dec. 27 is the only company to have announced such a move. According to the latest update from the Public Health Agency of Canada on Dec. 21, the investigation into the outbreak includes 40 illnesses and one death. No company or organization in the U.S. or Canada, including the Canadian Health Inspection Agency, has issued a recall, and no suppliers or production source has been named.

According to media reports, Sobeys pulled more than 300 romaine products from stores, including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, Price Chopper and Thrifty Foods.

The outbreak involves people in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, according to Canada’s public health agency. It suggests consumers buy other types of lettuce “until more is known about the outbreak and the cause of contamination,” according to the agency’s website.