Lettuce recall- e. coli

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E. COLI O157, LETTUCE - USA: ALERT

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International Society for Infectious Diseases

<http://www.isid.org>

 

Mon, 29 Jul 2002 19:40:02 -0400

  ProMED-mail <promed

Source: Reuters News, 29 Jul 2002  [edited]

 

 

FDA warns about lettuce after illness

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US health officials Monday warned Americans not to eat Spokane

roduce brand romaine lettuce after the product was associated

with an _E. coli__ O157:H7 outbreak at a cheerleading camp in

Washington state.

 

In mid-July [2002], 29 people at the camp had confirmed cases of

the_E. coli_ strain, the Food and Drug Administration said. A salad

made with the lettuce is considered a " primary source " of

the _E. coli_, FDA spokeswoman Ruth Welch said.

 

" Consumers should ask at the place of purchase in order to assure that

they do not consume Spokane Produce brand romaine lettuce until this

health emergency is resolved, " the FDA said in a statement.

 

The lettuce, which is sold under several brand names, was packaged

in 5-pound bags and distributed by Food Services of America, the FDA

said.  It also may be sold at stores in various-sized packages, the

agency said.  " FDA urges consumers to throw out this product, " an

agency statement said.

 

Welch said investigations were ongoing and officials were unsure where

the lettuce had been distributed. In the past, Food Services of America

had distributed the product to restaurants and institutions in Idaho,

Montana and Oregon, the FDA said.

 

Gary Odegard, a spokesman for Food Services of America, said the

company had stopped distributing the lettuce while the investigation

continued. " We are not distributing any more, but we don't know yet if

the product is tainted at all, " he said.