E. coli outbreak public forum to be held Friday

UA Cooperative Extension holding event to answer questions about illness, food safety

The University of Arizona’s Yuma County Cooperative Extension is hosting a community forum Friday about the E. coli outbreak that has been linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma area, where residents can ask questions about the illness and food safety measures taken by the local agriculture industry.

Dr. Paula Rivadeneira, an assistant professor and food safety specialist for the extension, said the program is intended for everyone who would like to know more about the sometimes-toxic bacteria and the daily efforts made to eradicate it from the food supply.

“Community members have been calling to ask about how E. coli is transmitted and what farmers are doing to keep our fresh produce safe. We are going to share information about food safety regulations and consumer responsibilities, and then we will do a question and answer period like a town hall,” Rivadeneira said.

The meeting will be held 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in the Schoening Conference Center at Arizona Western College, 2020 South Avenue 8E, Building 3C

Besides Rivadeneira, the panel will include Dr. Channah Rock, extension specialist in water quality, and Vicki Scott, a representative from the Yuma Safe Produce Council.

Lunch will be provided and registration is free. Space is limited, so attendees are urged to reserve a seat online early at tinyurl. com/yb56yrwh.

For more information, contact Rivadeneira at pkrivadeneira@email.arizona.edu or (928) 9192611.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control first announced on April 13 that Yuma-grown romaine had been tied to a nationwide outbreak of E. coli-caused illnesses, but it was not known where in the supply chain the contamination occurred.

As of the CDC’s last update Friday 98 cases had been reported from 22 states, with 46 people hospitalized but no deaths reported.

Also on Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that eight cases from the same correctional facility in Alaska had been traced to whole-head romaine lettuce grown in a field in the Yuma area operated by local grower Harrison Farms, but the actual source of the E. coli contamination still wasn’t known.