# Romaine recall



## Rocklobster (Dec 26, 2017)

Is there a romaine lettuce recall right now in the US? We've just had one start due to suspected e coli..it's gonna be a pain in the backside for the deli..all the other types of lettuce will be three to four times the price also...


----------



## powerplantop (Dec 26, 2017)

For now it looks like its just Canada.


----------



## Rocklobster (Dec 26, 2017)

powerplantop said:


> For now it looks like its just Canada.


Interesting because most of our lettuce this time of year comes from California..


----------



## tenspeed (Dec 26, 2017)

Additional info:

Canadians warned to avoid romaine lettuce until further notice | Food Safety News


----------



## Kayelle (Dec 26, 2017)

Rocklobster said:


> Interesting because most of our lettuce this time of year comes from California..



Ykies...since I'm in California I'd sure like to know the answer to this! We grow so much of North America's produce, it's urgent the source is tracked down and announced. I wonder why there seems to be no word on this?
Personally, I buy nothing but romaine lettuce.


----------



## GotGarlic (Dec 26, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Ykies...since I'm in California I'd sure like to know the answer to this! We grow so much of North America's produce, it's urgent the source is tracked down and announced. I wonder why there seems to be no word on this?
> Personally, I buy nothing but romaine lettuce.


Based on the article tenspeed posted, I'm guessing there hasn't been an alert in the United States because there have been no reports of e. Coli infection here. They haven't been able to track down the source yet. It could be from Mexico.


----------



## msmofet (Dec 26, 2017)

GotGarlic said:


> Based on the article tenspeed posted, I'm guessing there hasn't been an alert in the United States because there have been no reports of e. Coli infection here. They haven't been able to track down the source yet. It could be from Mexico.


 I sure hope that's the case and we are safe because we have had a lot of romaine in the last several days on the way of Caesar salad and Greek salad.


----------



## caseydog (Dec 27, 2017)

Kayelle said:


> Ykies...since I'm in California I'd sure like to know the answer to this! We grow so much of North America's produce, it's urgent the source is tracked down and announced. I wonder why there seems to be no word on this?
> Personally, I buy nothing but romaine lettuce.



If you wash your lettuce in city water that is chlorinated and regulated, you should be okay. That may change, as "regulations" seem to be a four-letter-word with the current powers that be, but a good wash in tap water in almost all municipalities should be enough to kill e-coli. 

CD


----------



## GotGarlic (Dec 27, 2017)

caseydog said:


> If you wash your lettuce in city water that is chlorinated and regulated, you should be okay. That may change, as "regulations" seem to be a four-letter-word with the current powers that be, but a good wash in tap water in almost all municipalities should be enough to kill e-coli.



It helps, but bacteria have a lot of places to hide in foods like lettuce.


----------



## Caslon (Dec 27, 2017)

I usually buy bagged salad. I like the "Mainly Romaine" type bagged salad mixes.  About bagged salads in general, I bought a bag and it tasted like dirt.  That brand didn't before.  I bought a salad spinner to wash it better.  Which leads me to thinking it tasted like dirt because they skipped one or more rinsing steps in their processing.  Not good if bad bacteria aren't thoroughly rinsed off.  I know I should salad spin every bagged salad regardless, but some bagged salads ARE well rinsed (don't have a dirt aftertaste). I'm too lazy to, at times, to rinse. It may cost me a sickness someday, not using my salad spinner on EVERY bagged salad I buy, I realize that.  P.S.  It took me 3 complete salad spinner washes to get rid of that dirt salad taste, one salad spinner rinse didn't remove the dirt taste. I believe that bagged salad brand was "Fresh Express" not sure (a big player in bagged salads). It was one of those major suppliers of bagged salads to supermarkets.


----------



## CarolPa (Dec 30, 2017)

I have a bag of Marketside Romaine and Spring Salad Mix from Walmart that I haven't opened yet.  Now I'm afraid to eat it.  Maybe I'll just spin it and hope for the best.  What are the symptoms of e-coli, just in case?

I stopped buying bagged salad after the last bacteria outbreak.  Now when I buy it again, it's starts all over.


----------



## Mad Cook (Dec 30, 2017)

caseydog said:


> If you wash your lettuce in city water that is chlorinated and regulated, you should be okay. That may change, as "regulations" seem to be a four-letter-word with the current powers that be, but a good wash in tap water in almost all municipalities should be enough to kill e-coli.
> 
> CD


Not if the E.Coli was in the water used to irrigate the plants. in which case they can be contaminated from the inside. Best to leave it alone for the time being.


----------



## powerplantop (Dec 30, 2017)

In Mexico they wash veggies in sanitizer. https://kathleeniscookinginmexico.w...nd-disinfect-fruits-and-vegetables-in-mexico/


----------



## Mad Cook (Dec 30, 2017)

Caslon said:


> I usually buy bagged salad. I like the "Mainly Romaine" type bagged salad mixes.  About bagged salads in general, I bought a bag and it tasted like dirt.  That brand didn't before.  I bought a salad spinner to wash it better.  Which leads me to thinking it tasted like dirt because they skipped one or more rinsing steps in their processing.  Not good if bad bacteria aren't thoroughly rinsed off.  I know I should salad spin every bagged salad regardless, but some bagged salads ARE well rinsed (don't have a dirt aftertaste). I'm too lazy to, at times, to rinse. It may cost me a sickness someday, not using my salad spinner on EVERY bagged salad I buy, I realize that.  P.S.  It took me 3 complete salad spinner washes to get rid of that dirt salad taste, one salad spinner rinse didn't remove the dirt taste. I believe that bagged salad brand was "Fresh Express" not sure (a big player in bagged salads). It was one of those major suppliers of bagged salads to supermarkets.


Regardless of what it says on the label I always wash salad leaves. Can't be too careful.


----------



## buckytom (Dec 30, 2017)

Mad Cook said:


> Not if the E.Coli was in the water used to irrigate the plants. in which case they can be contaminated from the inside. Best to leave it alone for the time being.


 
Just to be clear, besides being on the surface, e. Coli can be absorbed into the roots of some plants like lettuce and spinach, but so far research has shown that it does not travel up into the other edible structures of the plants. That also includes root veggies like carrots. 

So they really aren't contaminated internally per se.


----------



## Rocklobster (Dec 31, 2017)

We've been selling it at the deli and every food supplier, and grocery store we shop at is selling it. The price is still staying normal, also...


----------



## Mad Cook (Jan 2, 2018)

powerplantop said:


> In Mexico they wash veggies in sanitizer. https://kathleeniscookinginmexico.w...nd-disinfect-fruits-and-vegetables-in-mexico/



Euww! Which is worse for the consumer - bugs or poisonous sanitizer?

In my family (and probably others) we have always washed our veg in vinegar and water to clean the outside - even if it's labelled "Ready to eat". 

But no amount of washing and sanitizing will help if the veg have absorbed bugs through artificial irrigation with contaminated water.


----------



## Mad Cook (Jan 2, 2018)

buckytom said:


> Just to be clear, besides being on the surface, e. Coli can be absorbed into the roots of some plants like lettuce and spinach, but so far research has shown that it does not travel up into the other edible structures of the plants. That also includes root veggies like carrots.
> 
> So they really aren't contaminated internally per se.



"_Numerous reports have indicated that raw vegetables may harbor potential food borne pathogens (Beuchat, 1996). In particular, tomatoes, cantaloupes, and sprouts have been linked to outbreaks of salmonellosis (Guo, Chen, Brackett, & Beuchat, 2001), and outbreaks of illnesses caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7 have been associated with melon, apple eider, lettuce, and radish sprouts (Breuer el al., 2001)."

"Moreover, coleslaw, cabbage, potatoes, radishes, bean sprouts, and cucumbers contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes have been linked to disease outbreaks (Shearer, Strapp, & Joerger, 2001), and salad vegetables also may be contaminated with Campylobacter (Evans, Ribeiro,& Salmon, 2003)."

The vector of contamination of fruits and vegetables from septic effluent includes multiple paths. The authors point out that ... *vegetables can become contaminated with pathogenic organisms during growth*, harvest, post harvest handling, or distribution (McMahon Sr Wilson, 2001). Use of untreated wastewater in irrigation represents an important route for transmission of these pathogenic organisms."_

There's a lot to be said for "The Good Life", ie grow your own wherever possible. 
Even if you don't have a garden you can grow spuds in buckets or bags and salad stuff will hapily grow in window boxes and tomatoes in plant pots, hanging baskets, and Gro-bags.


----------



## buckytom (Jan 2, 2018)

Yes, fruits and veggies can be contaminated with many things, but it's external to the plant itself. Meaning that the bad stuff can be washed off, as you'd mentioned.


I just wanted to point out that more recent studies show that the plants don't actually absorb the bad stuff into their cells.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jan 5, 2018)

Saw this today and thought I'd share.

*Stay away from romaine lettuce, Consumer Reports advises*



> People should stay away from romaine lettuce until U.S. and Canadian health officials get to the bottom of an outbreak of E. coli infections, Consumer Reports says.
> 
> The consumer advocacy group called on the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do more to warn people about the outbreak, which at last count had made 58 people sick in the U.S. and Canada. One person has died.



http://flip.it/mqFQKR


----------

