Romaine
Early coverage of the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the Yuma region is rolling in.
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.
In a trio of tweets Nov. 23, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb referred to plans to allow romaine to return to the market, and a possible new labeling standard to aid in tracing products in future outbreaks.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added to the number of cases of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce in that country.
“No report issued as all commerce is halted by an FDA and CDC advisory not to consume Romaine Lettuce.”
The FDA says romaine lettuce is now safe to eat following the “purge” of product on the market, and grower-shippers agreed to new labeling standards that will include where the lettuce is grown.
The Food and Drug Administration has released a list of the California Central Coast counties it has targeted as the potential origin of E. coli tainted romaine lettuce.
I visited 12 grocery stores in the Kansas City area the evening that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked another E. coli outbreak to romaine, and the Nov. 20 trip was far more revealing than I expected.
Indoor growers say their romaine should have been excluded from the FDA’s temporary blanket ban — although they agree consumer safety should always come first.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from coastal counties in California appears to be over.
The FDA has stopped routine inspections of fresh produce and other food facilities because of the partial government shutdown, but its commissioner says plans are underway to somewhat remedy that.
The Center for Produce Safety, Woodland, Calif., is sponsoring a $500,000 challenge, seeking answers to cross-contamination issues in growing areas.
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.
The Produce Traceability Initiative is a worthwhile investment, especially in the event of outbreaks, according to key industry stakeholders.
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.
National health authorities are telling consumers, retailers and restaurants to avoid romaine lettuce in yet another E. coli outbreak with cases in 11 states and Canada.
Federal agencies are asking romaine lettuce shippers to stop packing and selling their product as a second E. coli outbreak traced to the lettuce is under investigation.
Industry associations have responded to an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine, asking growers and shippers to “make a hard, convincing and clean break” until the outbreak is declared over.
Growers in the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement will soon be sanitizing “open-source” water used on their crops, which has been the focus of at least two recent E. coli outbreaks traced to leafy greens.
The FDA is ushering in what it calls a New Era of Smarter Food Safety, with a focus on technology to trace the origin of fresh produce.
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.
FDA officials looking into the source of the cyclospora in McDonald’s salads found two samples of U.S.-grown romaine with the parasites, although they weren’t connected to the outbreak attributed to the salads.
Canada’s Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp. has received numerous calls from companies importing U.S. romaine regarding who’s responsible for losses in the E. coli outbreak in both countries.
Government agencies are still investigating a California e.coli outbreak. Nearly 60 people became ill across the country after eating romaine lettuce.