Romaine Lettuce Recall Issued Over E. Coli Concerns

Tanimura & Antle Inc. is recalling heads of romaine lettuce sold nationwide due to possible contamination with E. coli bacteria, the company says.

The romaine lettuce recall pertains to single-head packages of romaine sold under the Tanimura & Antle brand and labeled with a “packed on” date of Oct. 15 or Oct. 16, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

It was issued Nov. 6 because a random sample of lettuce collected during routine practices tested by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found possible E. coli contamination.

The company determined that as many as 3,396 cartons of lettuce might have been affected. The recalled lettuce was distributed to sellers in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, California, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, New Mexico, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois and Puerto Rico.

All of the packages are marked with the UPC number 0-27918-20314-9, according to the FDA.

“No other products or pack dates are being recalled,” the FDA said. “There have been no reported illnesses associated with the recalled product.”

Retailers and distributors can identify the recalled lettuce via the “Produce Traceability Initiative” sticker on the outside of the shipped cases, but the company said it is “unlikely that this product remains at retail establishments due to the shelf life of lettuce and the number of days that have passed,” USA Today reported.

The FDA tweeted about the romaine lettuce recall and said it is “actively investigating.” The individual heads of lettuce are sold in stores in a clear, zip top plastic bag with blue and white lettering and logo on it.

The state of Michigan also issued an advisory about the lettuce and the strain detected during the routine testing is “highly related genetically to E. coli causing two recent illnesses in Michigan.”

People who are affected by E. coli usually begin to have symptoms three to four days after exposure. Those symptoms typically include abdominal cramps, nausea, fatigue and diarrhea, though some people develop serious conditions, including kidney failure. In most cases, the symptoms subside within a week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Tanimura & Antle is advising anyone in possession of the recalled lettuce to throw the product away.

Earlier this year, Country Fresh recalled fresh cut fruit due to potential Listeria contamination. Country Fresh, which supplies Walmart stores across the country, announced the recall Oct. 1, and expanded it shortly thereafter to include “cut or sliced apples, grapes, mangoes, pineapples, and cantaloupe.” The recall came after FDA inspectors found Listeria monocytogenes on equipment in an area near where the fruit products are packaged.

The fruit was shipped to Walmart stores in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, the FDA reported.

And in October. two companies – The Spice Hunter and Red Monkey Foods – that manufacture dried spices issued voluntary recalls of several products for fear of salmonella contamination. In both cases, the risk came from organic fresh parsley, some of which tested positive for salmonella after it had been shipped to the companies to be processed.

Food recalls often result in litigation later by consumers who were harmed by contaminated produce or packaged foods. In August, for example, a man from California filed a lawsuit against  Thomson International, which voluntarily recalled  red, white, yellow, and sweet yellow onions sold under the brand names of Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions and Food Lion.

The plaintiff is arguing in state court that Thomson should be held legally responsible for distributing onions connected to a salmonella outbreak that sickened nearly 650 people in the U.S.

Have you purchased any Tanimura & Antle Inc. romaine lettuce recently? Does the UPC and other labeling indicate it is subject to the romaine lettuce recall? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

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