Fast Casual: CDC Expands Warnings on E. coli, Yuma-Sourced Romaine Lettuce

In an announcement that is certain to impact much of the foodservice segment of the franchise industry, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded a warning regarding E. coli-infected romaine lettuce originating from Yuma, Arizona.

According to an article on fastcasual.com , the CDC expanded its original warning, which identified chopped romaine salads and salad mixes as potentially affected items, to include all types of romaine lettuce originating from the Yuma, Arizona growing region, including whole heads and hearts.

A major challenge in controlling the outbreak has been identifying the affected produce. Romaine lettuce originating from Yuma is not limited to one market or region, and product labels often do not identify growing regions. So far, 53 people from 16 states have been reported as infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli.

The CDC is investigating the outbreak. For now, they are asking all restaurants and retailers to ask their suppliers for information regarding the growing region of their romaine lettuce.