E. Coli Infection Of 19 Students Sparks Recall Of Lettuce

Just when you think you are doing the right thing by putting more green down on your plate

, bam! Another produce recall.

It's been spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeo peppers, and this time it is lettuce (again). The FDA has announced a multistate recall of shredded romaine lettuce purchased by wholesale stores, restaurants, and "grab and go" packages after an uncommon strain of E. coli 0145 infected 19 people. This particular strain of E. coli is not always included in laboratory tests.

According to the associated press, recalled bags of shredded lettuce were sold to Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh grocery stores. The FDA said that consumers should check the "best if used by" dates on the bags, and discard all with the date of May 12 or earlier.

States that have been affected by this recall are Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Food poisoning is nothing new, however. In fact, produce contamination occurred so frequently that in September 2007, legislation introduced a bill, the Fresh Produce Safety Act, which would establish a national program whose task it is to guarantee produce safety.

The catalyst that sparked the ignition to file the bill, which is currently pending, is what very well may be the biggest recall of fresh produce in American history, when 205 people were sickened with E. coli 0157:H7, and more than 100 of which were hospitalized, resulting in at least three deaths.

Don't be afraid of lettuce now, and don't shun your salad because of this recall. You can take measures to protect yourself and your family from food poisoning by adhering to guidelines given by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Some of these guidelines include:

Don't cross-contaminate. Use different boards for meat and produce. Wash all counter tops, boards, and knives after preparing raw meat, and always wash your hands when you are finished handling raw meat.

Remember the three safe ways to defrost: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave.

If food has expired, toss it out!

Cook meat and eggs thoroughly.

Store foods properly. Keep hot foods hot (140 deg F or hotter) and cold foods cold (40 deg F or colder).

Discard leftovers that have been sitting on the counter longer than 2 hours, and anything that has been stored longer than 3-4 days.

And of course, don't forget keep on top of food safety alerts locally, nationally, and internationally with your high speed HughesNet satellite internet. Now go eat that salad!

by: Hugo Grosz

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