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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have linked 18 more cases to the E. coli outbreak attributed to chopped romaine from Arizona, bringing the total to 53.

There are differences between the current E. coli outbreak and outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada in December, but there is a sense of déjà vu as product disappears from shelves despite the lack of an official recall.

Growers, marketers, buyers, researchers and others will be taking a comprehensive look at production practices as part of the new Leafy Greens Food Safety Task Force.

Four more deaths have been reported in connection with the E. coli outbreak linked to Arizona romaine.

Of course, it’s not just consumer groups that are frustrated with the lack of traceback success with the Yuma-E. coli-romaine lettuce connection.

The Food and Drug Administration is urging the produce industry and various organizations studying how E. coli came into contact with romaine grown in Yuma, Ariz., to continue working with the agency on the issue.

Investigators continue to search for the source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 172 people in 32 states, but a straightforward solution has not been forthcoming.

The FDA is still working to find answers to the fundamental questions about the outbreak tied to Arizona romaine, more than one month after the initial alert was issued by the CDC.

In the wake of an E. coli outbreak tied to romaine, numerous consumer groups are calling for the FDA to mandate more stringent traceability measures for companies that handle leafy greens and other “high-risk” food.

The CDC is no longer recommending that consumers avoid romaine lettuce from the Yuma growing region.