Iceberg Lettuce and E. Coli Contamination: Risks From Farm to Fork

“Contamination of lettuce with E. coli can happen anywhere from farm to fork,” comments attorney Fred Pritzker. "Ready-to-eat crops must be handled with particular care and should be subject to higher regulatory standards."

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) August 9, 2006 -- E. coli poisoning is usually associated with ground beef, but lettuce and other leafy greens have increasingly been linked to the pathogen. On July 31, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of baby spinach and spring salad mix. Two recent unrelated outbreaks have also involved leafy greens. One E. coli outbreak took place in September of 2005 and was linked to pre-packaged Dole lettuce salad. The most recent outbreak occurred in Utah. As of August 6, four (4) confirmed cases of E. coli O121:H19 poisoning have been linked to iceberg lettuce that was prepared by a Wendy’s Restaurant in Ogden, Utah. Three of the people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious illness that can result in kidney failure. The Weber-Morgan Health Department believes that consumers were exposed to the contaminated lettuce between June 27th and June 30th, 2006.

Once lettuce has been contaminated with E. coli, the pathogen is extremely difficult to kill or remove. High temperatures would kill the E. coli, but lettuce is almost always eaten raw. Washing lettuce with water does not guarantee the removal of the bacteria. Preventing contamination is the best way to protect consumers from E. coli.

“Contamination of lettuce with E. coli can happen anywhere from farm to fork,” said attorney Fred Pritzker, who represented E. coli victims in the 2005 outbreak linked to Dole lettuce. “Local health departments can often tell what product caused an outbreak, but it is more challenging to tell when and where E. coli contaminated the product.”

With lettuce, the most likely sources of contamination are human hands, water, soil and contact with raw meat products. At every point before lettuce reaches the consumer, the lettuce industry, restaurants and other eating establishments need to prevent contamination.

The FDA has expressed its concern about potential contamination of lettuce and other leafy greens with E. coli and other foodborne pathogens yet despite these concerns, cases of contaminated products continue to surface. In a letter to the California lettuce industry dated November 4, 2005, the FDA recounted 19 foodborne illness outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh and fresh-cut lettuce and other leafy greens. These outbreaks had sickened over 400 people between 1995 and 2005.

The FDA letter provided guidelines to the industry to enhance product safety and cited one case where a farm had been identified in three separate outbreaks. In that case, the farm’s location on a drained lake rendered it particularly susceptible to localized flooding. Although the farm had not been confirmed as the source of any outbreak, the FDA noted the dangers inherent in bringing ready-to-eat crops (such as lettuce) to market after exposure to floodwaters. Because floodwaters can carry sewage, animal waste, heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, or other contaminants, the FDA recommended that lettuce that has been in contact with floodwaters be excluded from the human food supply. Such FDA guidelines and recommendations are not law.

“Ready-to-eat crops must be handled with particular care and should be subject to higher regulatory standards,” remarked Pritzker. “Warnings and guidelines simply are not enough. I think people would be shocked if they knew lettuce considered adulterated by the FDA still makes it to market.”

Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A. is one of the few law firms in the United States that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. The firm has collected millions of dollars on behalf of victims of E. coli poisoning and other foodborne illnesses. For more information, visit http://www.pritzkerlaw.com or contact Fred Pritzker at (612) 338-0202. The firm's offices are located at Plaza VII, Suite 2950, 45 South Seventh Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.

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