Lettuce Recalled Across the County after Many Sickened With E. Coli

A rare strain of E. Coli has been detected in romaine lettuce sold at retailers across the country.

Three people have almost lost their lives due to the food poisoning incident and many more have become seriously ill after eating the contaminated lettuce. In response to the outbreak of food-borne sickness, the Food & Drug Administration has announced a 23-state lettuce recall in order to stop the outbreak of illnesses. Although Texas has not been officially included in the lettuce recall, Texas residents should be aware of the ongoing dangers of E. Coli in food products and understand how food recalls work.
The recalled lettuce has been traced back to Freshway Foods, who said that they sold their product to wholesalers, food bars, salad bars, and other retailers. Those who have suffered from the food-borne illness ate the lettuce at college campuses, grocery stores, and local restaurants. The FDA believes that the contamination occurred at a processing plant, but they have not released more specific information as the investigation is ongoing.
For years now, many public health officials and food safety experts have been pressuring the FDA to make stricter rules and better and faster response times to food poisoning cases. Many believe that food processing plants would benefit from tighter government regulations. Currently there is a bill in the Senate that would give the government more power in making sure food production is safe.