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(May 7) -- Romaine lettuce being sold in 23 states and the District of Columbia is being recalled after at least 20 people have fallen ill with dangerous E. coli bacteria -- including three life-threatening cases.
People have been hospitalized in Michigan, Ohio and New York after eating shredded romaine lettuce sold by Ohio-based Freshway Foods. It announced a recall Thursday of lettuce with a use-by date of May 12 or earlier, sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brands.
It also applies to lettuce sold to food service companies, wholesalers and in-store salad bars and delis, including "grab-and-go" salads at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets and Marsh grocery stores. No other products are affected, it said.
Freshway is advising customers who believe they have the contaminated product to "cease use and distribution of it immediately."
At least 20 cases of E. coli sickness have been confirmed by lab results, and there are nine other probable cases, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Among the victims are college students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Ohio State in Columbus and Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y.
Federal investigators are looking for the source of the contamination. A spokesman for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Ira Allen, told the Dispatch on Thursday that investigations into previous E. coli outbreaks involving leafy greens "lead us to believe that the point of contamination is at the farm." But officials haven't named any specific farms.
Devon Beer, vice president of Freshway Foods, told the Dispatch that he believes investigators are focusing in on a growing region in Yuma, Ariz.
"It's gut-wrenching. We've been in business for 22 years, and we've never had a recall," he said.
Authorities in upstate New York had been investigating a possible E. coli outbreak there for weeks, after several cases of sickness were reported. The Erie County health department issued an alert last month after a Daemen College student was diagnosed with E. coli after eating in the school's dining hall.
But a public health spokeswoman in the University of Michigan's county told several news agencies the students there weren't sickened by campus food. Susan Cerniglia said they're believed to have become ill after eating at local restaurants.
On Wednesday, New York state's public health laboratory in Albany confirmed the presence of E. coli in an unopened bag of Freshway Foods lettuce that came from a processing facility also linked to illnesses, the FDA said.
Freshway says the recalled lettuce has been sold in Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
E. coli infection can manifest with a wide range of symptoms, from none or mild diarrhea to severe complications, including kidney damage. The three patients with life-threatening symptoms have been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause bleeding in the brain or kidneys.
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Lettuce Recalled in 23 States After E. Coli Outbreak - AOL News
Freshway Foods
People have been hospitalized in Michigan, Ohio and New York after eating shredded romaine lettuce sold by Ohio-based Freshway Foods. It announced a recall Thursday of lettuce with a use-by date of May 12 or earlier, sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brands.
It also applies to lettuce sold to food service companies, wholesalers and in-store salad bars and delis, including "grab-and-go" salads at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets and Marsh grocery stores. No other products are affected, it said.
Freshway is advising customers who believe they have the contaminated product to "cease use and distribution of it immediately."
At least 20 cases of E. coli sickness have been confirmed by lab results, and there are nine other probable cases, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Among the victims are college students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Ohio State in Columbus and Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y.
Federal investigators are looking for the source of the contamination. A spokesman for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Ira Allen, told the Dispatch on Thursday that investigations into previous E. coli outbreaks involving leafy greens "lead us to believe that the point of contamination is at the farm." But officials haven't named any specific farms.
Devon Beer, vice president of Freshway Foods, told the Dispatch that he believes investigators are focusing in on a growing region in Yuma, Ariz.
"It's gut-wrenching. We've been in business for 22 years, and we've never had a recall," he said.
Authorities in upstate New York had been investigating a possible E. coli outbreak there for weeks, after several cases of sickness were reported. The Erie County health department issued an alert last month after a Daemen College student was diagnosed with E. coli after eating in the school's dining hall.
But a public health spokeswoman in the University of Michigan's county told several news agencies the students there weren't sickened by campus food. Susan Cerniglia said they're believed to have become ill after eating at local restaurants.
On Wednesday, New York state's public health laboratory in Albany confirmed the presence of E. coli in an unopened bag of Freshway Foods lettuce that came from a processing facility also linked to illnesses, the FDA said.
Freshway says the recalled lettuce has been sold in Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
E. coli infection can manifest with a wide range of symptoms, from none or mild diarrhea to severe complications, including kidney damage. The three patients with life-threatening symptoms have been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause bleeding in the brain or kidneys.
Filed under: Nation, Money, Health, Top Stories
Lettuce Recalled in 23 States After E. Coli Outbreak - AOL News
Freshway Foods