CDC: Throw Out Your Romaine Lettuce Immediately. Nationwide Recall

The Centers for Disease Control warns consumers to throw out chopped romaine lettuce following E. coli outbreak this month.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention is telling consumers to not eat any romaine lettuce.  Retailers and restaurants are advised not to sell it.

The warning comes after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections linked to the lettuce.

According to the FDA, it is “conducting a traceback investigation to determine the source of the romaine lettuce eaten by people who became sick.  Additionally, FDA and states are conducting laboratory analysis of romaine lettuce samples potentially linked to the current outbreak”.

The most recent illness onset in the U.S. in the current outbreak was October 31, 2018.  For this outbreak investigation, the average interval between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to CDC is 20 days: https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm626330.htm

The nationwide warning advised consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce in their refrigerator. All items which contain romaine lettuce including pre-packaged meals are also affected.

Reports are that 32 people from 11 states have been infected, including Illinois and Ohio are among the 11. 13 people have been hospitalized.

The illnesses range from Oct. 8 – Oct. 31. 18 people in Canada have also fallen ill.

This outbreak is not related to the previous 2018 E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce.

Read the FDA report here: https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm626330.htm