The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Romaine lettuce pulled from market
Precaution taken despite no illnesses reported in Georgia.
Faced with a multistate outbreak of E. coli, federal officials have warned consumers to avoid eating romaine lettuce, throw away what they have and clean out places the lettuce was stored.
Although there have been no reported cases in Georgia, local shoppers will have to do without romaine until health officials give the all clear.
The food safety alert issued Tuesday covered all brands and varieties of romaine — including whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, bagged and boxed precut lettuce and salad mixes containing romaine — because officials have not yet determined a specific source for the prob- lem, said Peter Cassell, a spokesman for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“It has been difficult being able to tell (the source), so we want to be careful and to give a general warning,” he said.
Sometimes officials can peg an outbreak to one farm, one company or a single distributor and suggest that consumers avoid just the potentially tainted products, but the investigation takes time, Cassell said. “Over time, we’ll be able to narrow it down.”
The romaine alert, first issued Tuesday by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also advised retailers and restaurants that until health officials learn more about the outbreak, they should not sell or serve anyromaine and should simply toss out what they have.
Retailers and restaurants nationwide reacted quickly by removing items containing romaine from store shelves and menus.
As soon as they were informed of the outbreak, Publix employees began pulling grocery items from store shelves.
“Food safety is a number one priority for us at Publix,” said Brenda Reid, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Division. “We were notified of the recall Tuesday and immediately went into action to determine how many items we have in stock containing romaine lettuce.”
Publix stores disposed of more than 90 specific grocery items, Reid said. On Wednesday, store employees were in the process of filling empty shelves with other types of lettuce and greens. “We want to make sure that our customers have the options they want. Customers may return the recalled items and exchange them for other items or get a full refund,” Reid said.
Kroger stores have also been continuously monitoring the outbreak and pulling items from store shelves, said Felix Turner, spokesman for the Atlanta division. He said in-store signage would let customers know about the outbreak.
The CDC further advised consumers who are unsure if an item contains romaine to throw it away. Like grocery stores and restaurants, consumers are advised to wash and use a bleach solution to sanitize the areas where any romaine lettuce was stored so that the bacteria is not transfered to other stored foods.
Illnesses from the E. coli outbreak began between appearing on Oct. 8, according to the CDC. There have been 32 reported cases of illness in 11 states, the majority in California and others in the Northeast and Great Lakes area. While 13 individuals have been hospitalized, there are no reported deaths. There are also 18 reported cases in Canada.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there had been no “confirmed cases” of the illness caused by the lettuce in Georgia, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health.
The E. coli bacteria in this outbreak is similar to the strain found in a 2017 outbreak in the U.S. that was linked to leafy greens. It is a different strain than the one linked to romaine grown in the Yuma, Calif. area earlier this year. This particular strain may cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. While some infections are mild, other cases may cause severe illness including kidney failure.
With the CDC investigation ongoing, the outbreak falls during a particularly challenging time with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching. “It is that time of year when many people are dining out or having gatherings with lots of people with various foods,” said Karen Bremer, CEO of the Georgia Restaurant Association.
Late Wednesday morning, the association sent an advisory directing more than 6,700 restaurants across the state to stop serving romaine or salads premixed with romaine, Bremer said. Most restaurants will remove those items from the menu, she said, but she didn’t foresee the outbreak having a negative impact on restaurant business.
“I think that it has a positive impact when restaurants are being proactive about people’s health and removing products that are a danger to them,” she said. “No one in the restaurant business likes to get anybody sick.”