Eight times since 2017, growers of leafy greens, especially those producing Romaine lettuce, have been rocked by outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7.  The pathogen associated with the intestines of cows rode in on the greens, causing sicknesses, sending people to hospitals for treatment of kidney ailment, and, oh yes

Continue Reading There’s a break in leafy green outbreaks, but work to eliminate them forever continues

The Food and Drug Administration announced today that it will be collecting and testing samples of lettuce grown in California’s Salinas Valley from local commercial coolers from May through November 2021. 

The agency will test the samples for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp.
Continue Reading New testing program seeks to shed light on leafy greens outbreaks

Opinion

 I was an active advocate for the Food Safety Modernization Act, landmark legislation which was signed into law Jan. 4, 2011, and is now being implemented throughout the nation. I don’t have a background in nutrition, microbiology, epidemiology or agriculture. My sole qualification as a food safety advocate, is
Continue Reading E. coli victim’s mother says leafy greens industry is working on safety measures

The Leafy Greens Greens Marketing Agreements in California and Arizona have been amended by their Advisory Boards to require additional safety practices for growing leafy greens such as romaine lettuce in the two states that grow the vast majority of it.

The additional safety measures follow costly and embarrassing outbreaks
Continue Reading Tougher safety provisions added to leafy greens agreements in key states

Outbreaks A, B, and C sickened at least 188 people in 2019 when they ate romaine lettuce contaminated with E Coli O157:H7. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 21 this year that the E. coli O157:H7 contamination responsible for all three romaine outbreaks likely came from fecal
Continue Reading Pew’s Eskin suggests ways to reduce romaine risk from surrounding threats

Opinion

The FDA’s newly released 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan offers a well-worn list of produce safety agenda items. Like previous agency action plans, this latest plan pledges support for efforts to encourage good agricultural practices (known as “GAPs”), make inspections more reliable, and enhance outbreak investigations.

Since the
Continue Reading The FDA’s latest leafy greens action plan is more of the same

It’s a rare day when two multistate and one single state outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 are declared over.

It’s likely even a first-time event, just another in the odyssey that’s played out since late 2017 when romaine lettuce began spreading the dangerous adulterant that originates in bovine intestines.

The
Continue Reading E. coli outbreaks may be over, but without a source or root cause for the romaine problem

Produce industry leaders say work to review and improve food safety measures for romaine lettuce and other leafy greens is on track and should mostly be wrapped up in March 2020, two years after a deadly outbreak.

Once the recommendations are in place, work toward implementation will begin, with the
Continue Reading Recommendations on romaine, leafy greens soon to move to implementation stage

For the second time this year, romaine lettuce growers are imposing measures they hope will end the recent string of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks that were associated with their products last year. This latest action to strengthen food safety practices that will be required by romaine lettuce farms came Friday
Continue Reading California growers say their new water rules mean safer romaine for everyone