Buzz
The CDC is still identifying individuals affected by E. coli linked to romaine lettuce: 12 more cases this week, pushing the total to 149, with one fatality. However, it's likely that the romaine at your local store is now safe.
This issue has been isolated to lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona region, which provides 90% of the country’s leafy greens in the winter. But with spring here, the last batch of romaine from Yuma was shipped out on April 16, 2018, according to a representative of the Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.
Romaine can last up to 21 days, depending on how it's packaged, as noted by the FDA in a recent statement. This suggests that the tainted lettuce has already passed its expiration. If you check dates, you’re likely in the clear.
Still, exercise caution.
But there’s no guarantee you’re safe. A restaurant might be preparing a salad with lettuce that’s just two days past its expiration date because it still looks fine. There could also be E. coli present in regions beyond Yuma. You never really know.
The CDC continues to recommend discarding any lettuce unless you're certain it’s not romaine. (If you're unsure about the type of lettuce, it’s safest to dispose of it all. It’s important to know your leafy greens.) The CDC provides the following advice:
Advice for Consumers:
Do not consume or purchase romaine lettuce unless you can verify it didn’t come from the Yuma growing region. Romaine has a shelf life of several weeks, and contaminated lettuce could still be circulating in homes, stores, and restaurants.
Since product labels often don’t specify the growing region, avoid eating or purchasing romaine unless you're aware of where it was grown.
This advice applies to whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, baby romaine, organic romaine, as well as salads and salad mixes that contain romaine lettuce. If you're uncertain whether a salad mix includes romaine, it's better to avoid eating it.
So why does the CDC continue to report new cases? This doesn’t indicate that people are still falling ill. There is a delay between consuming the lettuce and becoming sick, followed by another delay until you visit a doctor and they report to the CDC. This process typically takes about two to three weeks. The most recent known illness began on April 25, which was two weeks ago. It’s expected that additional cases may emerge as the outbreak gradually subsides.
