FDA identifies farm as one source of romaine lettuce e. coli
Reports of illnesses related to romaine lettuce contaminated with e. coli continue to increase. The outbreak has now affected 98 people in 22 states across the US. At the outset, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified the Yuma, Arizona, growing region as the source of the food poisoning but could not pinpoint the exact farm(s) responsible for the contaminated romaine lettuce.
The FDA has now identified one farm as the source of whole-head romaine lettuce that caused illnesses in several people in an Alaska correctional facility. Harrison Farms of Yuma, Arizona, provided the romaine lettuce to the facility, but the FDA cannot yet determine where in the supply chain the contamination occurred. The FDA has stated that contamination may have occurred at any point along the growing, harvesting, packaging, and distribution chain before reaching the Alaska correctional facility where it was served.
All romaine lettuce served at the correctional facility during the time in which the illnesses occurred was from Harrison Farm. The lettuce was harvested during March 5-16 and is now past its 21-day shelf life. In addition, the growing season in the Yuma region is at its end, so the farm is not growing any lettuce at this time. No other cases of illnesses reported during this outbreak have been linked to romaine lettuce from Harrison Farms.
The FDA traceback does not indicate that Harrison Farms is the source of the chopped romaine that sickened people who became ill after eating the romaine lettuce in salads at restaurants. The FDA is continuing to investigate the source of the chopped romaine lettuce that caused these illnesses and has identified dozens of other fields as possible sources. To date, the FDA also has no evidence that other types of lettuce, or romaine lettuce grown outside of the Yuma growing region, are involved in this outbreak.
If you are a victim of the romaine lettuce e. coli outbreak, contact the food poisoning lawyers at 1-888-335-4901 to discuss your legal options, including filing a Romaine Lettuce E. coli lawsuit.
