Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
EGADS…another lettuce recall has been announced. According to the Food & Drug Administration, 23 states, including New York, have received bagged lettuce tainted with E-coli. Read the following report, and then let me know if you will ever eat bagged salad again:
WASHINGTON — Lettuce sold to retailers in 23 states and the District of Columbia has been recalled because of a possible link to 19 cases of E. coli.
Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, announced on Thursday a recall of romaine lettuce after illnesses were reported in Michigan, Ohio and New York. The Food and Drug Administration said the illnesses included 12 people who have been hospitalized and three with potentially life-threatening symptoms.
The New York state Public Health Laboratory in Albany discovered the contamination in a bag of Freshway Foods shredded romaine lettuce on Wednesday, according to the FDA.
That bag of lettuce came from a processing facility that was also linked to the illnesses, the FDA said. The agency would not release the name of that facility or its location but said an investigation was under way.
E. coli infection can cause mild diarrhea or more severe complications, including kidney damage. The three patients with life-threatening symptoms were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause bleeding in the brain or kidneys.
Freshway Foods said the lettuce was sold to wholesalers, food service outlets, in-store salad bars and delis in Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The affected lettuce has a “best if used by” date of May 12 or earlier. The recall also affects “grab and go” salads sold at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets and Marsh grocery stores.
What can we do to avoid contaminated lettuce? Well, we can eat only what we grow. Failing that, we can purchase our produce from a local greenhouse or food co-op. And when ordering salad at a restaurant or deli, we can ask where the lettuce came from. Personally, I’m going to do just that, even if the waiter gives me a funny look. For I suspect that most restaurants (and probably all delis) buy their lettuce bagged, and from a source located at least 1,500 miles away. Such produce I will not eat. What about you?
Yolanda says
Lettuce was the first thing I planted this spring. In winter, I buy lettuce and spinach
from a local greenhouse.
My supermarket carries bagged salad greens from Dole. I do not buy them. Dole lettuce (or was it spinach?) has been recalled in the past too, because it was E-coli-tainted.
Eric says
I have not bought bagged (“Triple Washed!”) lettuce or spinach since E-coli was found such spinach a few years ago.
I wonder if unbagged, whole heads of lettuce from the supermarket are ok? Since all the supermarkets around here are giant chains, who knows where the lettuce, spinach and other greens come from.
Phoebe says
Never buy it. The stuff looks funky to me. I buy whole heads from the store, and wash them really well.
Gregory says
From Huffington Post: The FDA is focusing its investigation on lettuce grown in Arizona as a possible source for the outbreak, according to two people who have been briefed by the agency.
Terry says
I have not bought bagged lettuce or tomatoes or spinach in a couple of years. I hesitate to buy any kind of fresh produce from the supermarket. 3 years ago when tomatoes were recalled and not found in restaurants for awhile was my wake-up call and was when I started my own vegetable garden. We eat what I grow or is grown locally and organic. If I had space, I would grow things all year in a greenhouse.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Terry – I'm with you. I started my kitchen garden for similar reasons 4 years ago, when bagged, contaminated spinach hit the market and sickened many. Now I store or freeze all of my home-grown produce, which keeps me out of the supermarket. In winter, my salad greens come from a local, commercial greenhouse.
Andrew Thompson says
There is an apple orchard within a mile of my supermarket. But where does my supermarket get their apples from? CANADA! The same with blueberries, although these too could be bought locally.
Trust me, if you store is part of a chain, the lettuce ain't local.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Andrew – Would you believe there is an orchard practically across the street from my local supermarket? The store, last time I checked, stocked apples from Washington State. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Washington State apples, if you happen to live in Washington State. I'm in New York, which means the apples were shipped 3,000 miles!
Erin says
and thats why I love the Berry Farm…..
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Erin – The Berry Farm, yes! We who live in Columbia County, NY are blessed to have it. One-stop shopping for local produce.
I wonder if other communities have something like it; that is, a large, commercial greenhouse for buying fresh greens, herbs, etc. in winter?
Gordy Swift says
Hi Kevin! We switched over to Whole Foods Organic bunch, leaf lettuce a few weeks ago. Should we buy any other greens, they will come from there as well. It's not much more expensive than the regular super market and I have noticed that the lettuce lasts longer, tastes better and has that nice snap when bent.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Gordy – thanks for stopping by! That snap you hear is the sound of fresh, locally-grown produce. You made a wise decision!