Another E. coli Outbreak and Leafy Greens

16 people have fallen ill with E. coli O157:H7in New York after eating Wegmans brand spinach, the New York State Department of Health has confirmed with Food Safety News. Four patients have been hospitalized, with three of the four now discharged  Wegmans issued a voluntary recall of their ‘Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Spinach & Spring Mix’ on Thursday due to possible E. coli contamination.  The two recalled products are:

Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Spinach & Spring Mix, 11oz – UPC: 77890-16411 – ONLY product sold between 10/14/12 and 11/1/12 and Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Spinach & Spring Mix, 5oz – UPC: 77890-16437 – ONLY product sold between 10/14/12 and 11/1/12.

Sound Familiar?

E. coli outbreaks associated with lettuce or spinach, specifically the “pre-washed” and “ready-to-eat” varieties, are by no means a new phenomenon.  In fact, the frequency with which this country’s fresh produce consuming public has been hit by outbreaks of pathogenic bacteria is astonishing.  By way of illustration, in October 2003, thirteen (13) residents of a California retirement home were sickened, and two (2) people died, after eating E. coli-contaminated, pre-washed spinach; in September 2003, nearly forty (40) patrons of a California restaurant chain fell ill after eating salads prepared with bagged, pre-washed lettuce; and in July 2002, over fifty (50) young women fell ill with E. coli O157:H7 at a dance camp after eating “pre-washed” lettuce, leaving several hospitalized and one (1) with life-long kidney damage.  And this is just a small sampling of the twenty (20) or more E. coli outbreaks since 1995 in which spinach or lettuce was the source.  Several more, including the September 2005 Dole lettuce outbreak, and the infamous September 2006 Dole baby spinach outbreak, appear in the chart below, which is based on information gathered by the Center for Science in the Public Interest: