The CDC has expanded its warning
about an E. coli outbreak connected
to romaine lettuce to cover all
forms of romaine, warning consumers
to throw out any in their homes and
avoid eating romaine at restaurants
unless it's confirmed it's not from
Yuma, AZ The contaminated produce
has now sickened dozens of people in
several states. (TIME Screenshoot)
FILE--This
Dec. 17,
1997,
file
photo,
lettuce
is
harvested
at a
farm in
Wellton,
Ariz.,
east of
Yuma.
The
Centers
for
Disease
Control
is
expanding
a
warning
about
contaminated
lettuce
from
Arizona
that has
now
sickened
dozens
of
people
in
several
states.
(Photo:
AJeff
Robbins,
AP)
Americans
told to
toss
romaine
lettuce
over E.
coli
fears
By
TERRY
TANG
APNews.com
PHOENIX
- U.S.
health
officials
on
Friday
told
consumers
to throw
away any
store-bought
romaine
lettuce
they
have in
their
kitchens
and
warned
restaurants
not to
serve it
amid an
E. coli
outbreak
that has
sickened
more
than 50
people
in
several
states.
The
U.S.
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
expanded
its
warning
about
tainted
romaine
from
Arizona,
saying
information
from new
illnesses
led it
to
caution
against
eating
any
forms of
the
lettuce
that may
have
come
from the
city of
Yuma.
Officials
have not
found
the
origin
of the
contaminated
vegetables.
Previously,
CDC
officials
had only
warned
against
chopped
romaine
by
itself
or as
part of
salads
and
salad
mixes.
But they
are now
extending
the risk
to heads
or
hearts
of
romaine
lettuce.
People
at an
Alaska
correctional
facility
recently
reported
feeling
ill
after
eating
from
whole
heads of
romaine
lettuce.
They
were
traced
to
lettuce
harvested
in the
Yuma
region,
according
to the
CDC.
So
far, the
outbreak
has
infected
53
people
in 16
states.
At least
31 have
been
hospitalized,
including
five
with
kidney
failure.
No
deaths
have
been
reported.
Symptoms
of E.
coli
infection
include
diarrhea,
severe
stomach
cramps
and
vomiting.
The
CDC’s
updated
advisory
said
consumers
nationwide
should
not buy
or eat
romaine
lettuce
from a
grocery
store or
restaurant
unless
they can
get
confirmation
it did
not come
from
Yuma.
People
also
should
toss any
romaine
they
already
have at
home
unless
it’s
known it
didn’t
come
from the
area,
the
agency
said.
Restaurants
and
retailers
were
warned
not to
serve or
sell
romaine
lettuce
from
Yuma.
Romaine
grown in
coastal
and
central
California,
Florida
and
central
Mexico
is not
at risk,
according
to the
Produce
Marketing
Association.
The
Yuma
region,
which is
roughly
185
miles
(298
kilometers)
southwest
of
Phoenix
and
close to
the
California
border,
is
referred
to as
the
country’s
“winter
vegetable
capital.”
It is
known
for its
agriculture
and
often
revels
in it
with
events
like a
lettuce
festival.
Steve
Alameda,
president
of the
Yuma
Fresh
Vegetable
Association,
which
represents
local
growers,
said the
outbreak
has
weighed
heavily
on him
and
other
farmers.
“We
want to
know
what
happened,”
Alameda
said.
“We
can’t
afford
to lose
consumer
confidence.
It’s
heartbreaking
to us.
We take
this
very
personally.”
Growers
in Yuma
typically
plant
romaine
lettuce
between
September
and
January.
During
the peak
of the
harvest
season,
which
runs
from
mid-November
until
the
beginning
of
April,
the Yuma
region
supplies
most of
the
romaine
sold in
the
U.S.,
Alameda
said.
The
outbreak
came as
the
harvest
of
romaine
was
already
near its
end.
While
Alameda
has not
met with
anyone
from the
CDC, he
is
reviewing
his own
business.
He is
going
over
food
safety
practices
and
auditing
operations
in the
farming
fields.