An E. coli Lettuce Trace

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating and updating the reports on the latest E. coli outbreak. The CDC’s November 18, 2018 report shows the United States recorded 43 cases involving 12 states in the warning. The most recent findings show the states with the highest number of reported cases are California with eleven people infected and New Jersey with nine people infected. According to the CDC, “when two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak.” Every year, estimates of over 38 million unspecified agents cause episodes of foodborne illnesses in the United States. E.coli has been the number one foodborne disease since 2006.

The people who are most likely to be infected are “pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems from disease like diabetes, HIV/AIDS or from receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The CDC advises U.S. consumers not to eat romaine lettuce and retailers and restaurants not to serve or sell the lettuce until more information about the outbreak is known.

The FDA has identified mid April as the traceback date for investigating the harvesting of romaine lettuce in the Yuma growing region. Yuma, Arizona is part of the Fresh Express Growing Region. “Fresh Express salad products are not directly implicated in this outbreak event and to-date we have not been contacted by either FDA or CDC as part of their investigations. However, due to the seriousness and impact this industrywide event may have, Fresh Express has temporarily stopped production and shipment of all romaine-containing products, including baby romaine” is the statement posted on the Fresh Express website.

Oklahoma is not on the list of states infected. Over the past five years the state has increased the number of healthy choice restaurants that are using locally grown produce. One of the primary producers is Upward Harvest. The Upward Harvest company uses a vertical grow filter system to produce organic produce. “We are on a mission. With each new day we are proving that Vertical Farming and Sustainable Agriculture can have a significant impact on how we get our food” is stated on the about page of the Upward Harvest website. Advanced technology systems for locally grown foods have joined the process of food production in the United States.

The CDC and FDA will have updates on the romaine lettuce investigation as more information comes available.