Because of possible E. coli contamination, the Nunes Company, Inc., based in Salinas, California, informed the FDA that it was recalling Foxy brand green leaf lettuce. The company discovered the presence of E. coli in water used to irrigate the lettuce plants.
Although it is not yet known if the strain of E. coli discovered is O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening foodborne illness, or the more common strains that generally do not lead to disease, the FDA commended the company for its cautious approach. At present, there are no reported cases of illness connected with this product.
The FDA has promised to inform the public about the results of ongoing tests on the water supply.
In August 2006, the FDA and the State of California established the Lettuce Safety Initiative designed to increase lettuce safety, improve industry practice and quickly alert consumers about outbreaks.
For more information about E. coli O157:H7, visit the Eschericia coli page on this website. For more information about the Foxy brand lettuce recall and the Lettuce Safety Initiative, read the FDA news release at:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01487.html
For information concerning recent food poisoning outbreaks, please see Salmonella Lawyer and Salmonella Lawsuit.
