(Salt Lake City) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are recommending people not eat chopped and bagged romaine lettuce.
According a CDC statement, “Information collected to date indicates that chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region could be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and could make people sick.”
So far there have been 35 cases reported in 11 states, resulting in 22 hospitalizations. None of the reported cases to this point are in Utah. However eight of the cases are in Idaho.
According to CDC, no common grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified. No recall has been issued at this time.
“Consumers anywhere in the United States who have store-bought chopped romaine lettuce at home, including salads and salad mixes containing chopped romaine lettuce, should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it and throw it away,” advises the CDC.