Officials Blame Lettuce in E. Coli Outbreak

Contaminated lettuce apparently caused an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least 29 people in Washington state, federal health officials said in warning consumers nationwide to avoid romaine lettuce packed by Spokane Produce.

The problem: The lettuce was sold under several different brand names, and the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t have a complete list and isn’t sure whether other states received shipments, said FDA acting commissioner Lester Crawford.

The FDA urged all consumers to throw away 5-pound bags of “Romaine Toss” sold by Spokane Produce, and to ask grocery store produce managers whether smaller packages of romaine came from that company.

The unusual consumer warning followed an episode at a Washington cheerleading camp in which 29 people became sick with E. coli, including a teenager whose kidneys were so damaged that she is on dialysis, the FDA said.

Doctors are investigating 16 more people who didn’t attend the camp but may have E. coli linked to the lettuce, Crawford said.