Officials continue to warn against eating romaine grown in Salinas amid investigations into E. coli outbreaks that have sicked more than 130 people across half of the U.S.
The Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and California partners have identified a common grower and have deployed an investigative team to several ranches used by the grower to determine precisely where the outbreak originated, according a statement from the FDA Thursday. They did not name the grower.
The CDC reported 138 cases of this strain of E. coli poisoning in 25 states across the U.S. Thirteen people are suffering from kidney failure.
Romaine lettuce grown in Salinas: E. coli outbreak linked to California romaine lettuce expands with more than 100 sick
E. coli outbreak alert: Do not eat any romaine lettuce from Salinas, California, CDC says
CDC warns: More E. coli illnesses linked to romaine lettuce, 67 people in 19 states sick
Those sickened range in age from less than 1 to 89 years; 62% are female. The latest date one of these patients reported becoming ill was on Dec. 1.
Three concurrent outbreaks of the deadly bacteria have been traced back to Salinas.
Since 2017, at least 583 consumers have been sickened with E. coli linked to leafy greens in the US and Canada, according to the Food Poison Journal.
The FDA recommends consumers not eat romaine lettuce harvested from Salinas, or products identified in the Nov. 21 recall.
In early December, people were advised not to eat Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits with expiration dates of up to and including Dec. 7.
Retail stores and restaurants shouldn't sell or serve these kits.
California and Arizona are the top producers of leafy greens in the United States.
California alone produced about $1.8 billion in leafy greens in 2018 according to the 2018 State Agriculture Review; that was down from about $2.41 billion in 2017, likely due to the spring and fall 2018 E.coli outbreaks.
Monterey County growers declined to say how much revenue they lost at the time of the fall outbreak, but the county is the main suppliers of leaf lettuce, producing 56% of head lettuce grown in the U.S. annually. That translated to about $829.7 million in business for Monterey County leaf lettuce growers in 2017.
Residents should check their fridges for romaine from Salinas or with no place of origin indicated on the label.
If you find some:
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Don’t eat it. Throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.
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Even if some of the lettuce was eaten and no one got sick, throw the rest away.
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Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where the romaine was stored. Tips for cleaning are available at the CDC's website.
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Consumers ordering salad containing romaine at a restaurant or at a salad bar should ask the staff whether the romaine came from Salinas. If it did, or they do not know, do not eat it.