A Cornell study finds that overhead spray irrigation with untreated surface water often contaminates Romaine lettuce with pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7. This risk was mitigated through either drip or furrow irrigation. One of the study’s authors, Renata Ivanek, a professor in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences in the College … Read more
The FDA has updated its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table to include a new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. There are currently four active outbreak investigations on the Table; one is unsolved. Four investigation have ended; all of those were unsolved. The FDA and CDC are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157 infections … Read more
Canada issues temporary requirements for romaine lettuce imported from the United States after several E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks were linked to that food. The lettuce is imported from the California Salinas Valley counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey. Safe Food For Canadians (SFC) license conditions have been implemented for the romaine … Read more
Consumers Reports has issued advice telling consumers how to buy safer lettuce in the wake of serious E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks. Those outbreaks happen every year: earlier this year a Listeria outbreak was linked to Revolution Farms lettuce blends. And in fact, in 2018 Consumers Reports advised people to avoid romaine lettuce altogether … Read more
Romaine lettuce is being recalled because it may be contaminated with deer feces, according to a notice posted on the FDA’s Enforcement page. Deer fees can be contaminated with Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and other pathogens. Because this recall is not on the regular recall page, there is no mention whether there are any … Read more
In 2021, health departments in Washington and Minnesota did something that doesn’t happen very often. They solved an E. coli outbreak linked to leafy greens. “It is rare to be able to identify the outbreak vehicle for commercially distributed food like romaine lettuce (much less link back to a farm source) with only four laboratory-confirmed … Read more
Revolution Farms lettuces linked to Listeria outbreak, according to the FDA, and all of its lettuces and salad kits are recalled. There is no information from the CDC or FDA yet on this outbreak. The original recall was posted on April 5, 2023. The recalling firm is Revolution Farms of Caledonia, Michigan. The expansion now … Read more
Consumer Reports lists 10 risky recalled foods from 2017 to 2022 that you should know about. These foods were recalled because of bacterial contamination and many were linked to foodborne illness outbreaks. The 10 risky recalled foods that are listed in rank order include: Leafy Greens. These types of vegetables were linked to 50 outbreaks … Read more
The CDC says that there is a persistent strain of E. coli O157:H7 in the United States that has caused illnesses and outbreaks. Illnesses caused by this strain, REPEXH01, occur year round but are less common in the winter. This strain has sickened people through contaminated food and contaminated recreational water. Persistent is a term … Read more
The alleged Wendy’s E. coli outbreak was the number one outbreak of 2022, with at least 109 people sick in six states, and 52 patients hospitalized. The CDC says that they were unable to confirm a food source, but more than 80% of patients who were interviewed by public health officials said they ate at … Read more