Food Safety
search
Ask Food Safety AI
cart
facebook twitter linkedin instagram youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • eBooks
    • Sponsored Insights
    • Sponsored White Papers
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • MORE
    • BUYER'S GUIDE
    • NEWSLETTERS >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • ASK FSM AI
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • FSM FEATURES
    • FSM Features Collection
    • eMag Archives
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce

FSS news generic image
November 21, 2018

The CDC is advising that U.S. consumers not eat any romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants not serve or sell any, until more is learned about the outbreak. This investigation is ongoing and the advice will be updated as more information is available.

Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick.

This advice includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad.

If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.

Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in refrigerators where romaine was stored. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.

Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell any romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes containing romaine.

Latest outbreak information:

  • Thirty-two people infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coliO157:H7 have been reported from 11 states.
    • Illnesses started on dates ranging from October 8, 2018 to October 31, 2018.
    • Thirteen people were hospitalized, including one person who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada has identified 18 ill people infected with the same DNA fingerprint of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in two Canadian provinces: Ontario and Quebec.
  • Epidemiologic evidence from the United States and Canada indicates that romaine lettuce is a likely source of the outbreak.
  • Ill people in this outbreak were infected with E. coli bacteria with the same DNA fingerprint as the E. coli strain isolated from ill people in a 2017 outbreak linked to leafy greens in the United States and to romaine lettuce in Canada. The current outbreak is not related to a recent multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce.
  • CDC is advising that consumers do not eat any romaine lettuce because no common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand of romaine lettuce has been identified.
  • This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.

Looking for quick answers on food safety topics?
Try Ask FSM, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask FSM →

KEYWORDS: lettuce

Share This Story

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Food Type
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Management
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    International
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to Newsletters
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Top view portrait of two factory workers standing by conveyor belt during quality inspection at food production, copy space
    Sponsored byFlexXray

    Foreign Material By the Numbers: What the 2026 Benchmark Report Reveals

  • a conveyorized industrial metal detector system that appears to resemble a Loma Systems IQ4 Metal Detector setup with an integrated conveyor belt and control panel for food or package inspection.
    Sponsored byMettler Toledo

    Beyond Detection: How to Avoid Physical Contamination in Food Through a Smarter Inspection Strategy

  • The image displays a bottling plant production line, commonly used in the beverage industry for filling and packaging soft drinks.
    Sponsored byBIOIONIX

    Sustainability with ROI: A Beverage Producer Case Study in Water Savings

Popular Stories

rangpur lime

Pathogens Found on Brazilian Citrus Fruit Present Emerging Food Safety Concerns

lightbulb on a plate next to fork and knife representing food innovation ideas

EFSA Outlines Scientific Needs for Regulatory Preparedness, Risk Assessment

farmland

California Enacts Law to Track Use of PFAS Pesticides

allergens ebook

Events

October 6, 2026

Advances in Environmental Monitoring Science and Strategy

Live: October 6, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT: This webinar will cover how environmental monitoring science and EMP strategies support sanitation verification and the safe production of food.

October 15, 2026

How to Prevent Physical Contamination in Food Production and Strengthen Compliance

Live: October 15, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT: Attend this webinar to gain insight into how product inspection helps protect your brand, reduce recall risk, and support compliance.

October 29, 2026

FDA Proposes Major GRAS Reform: What It Could Mean for Your Business

Live: October 29, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT: Attend this webinar to examine potential implications for self-GRAS, Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) GRAS, and food-contact substances.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products

Related Articles

  • FSS recalls generic image

    Update: FDA investigating multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections likely linked to romaine lettuce grown in California

    See More
  • FSS recalls generic image

    Update: Investigation of E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from Salinas, CA

    See More
  • salad-pexels copy 3.png

    Cluster of E. coli Illnesses in Maryland Linked to Romaine Lettuce Salads

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781498721776.jpg

    Handbook of Food Processing: Food Safety, Quality, and Manufacturing Processes

  • 1444333348.jpg

    Handbook of Food Safety Engineering

  • 1119258073.jpg

    FSMA and Food Safety Systems: Understanding and Implementing the Rules

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • September 29, 2026

    How to Talk to Your Board of Directors About Food Safety

    On Demand: Attend this webinar to learn how to position food safety as a material enterprise risk with measurable financial, operational, and reputational impacts relevant to Board-level decision-making.
View AllSubmit An Event

Related Directories

  • PLM TrustLink®

    PLM TrustLink® is a comprehensive software platform for tracking & tracing food throughout the supply chain. From origin to destination, PLM TrustLink® utilizes unique product markers to provide transparency, traceability, and trust of key data elements through critical tracking events. The PLM TrustLink® solution delivers real-time actionable data to improve operational efficiency, food safety and regulatory compliance for customers.
  • BioSafe Systems

    BioSafe Systems is a leading U.S. manufacturer of peroxyacetic acid (PAA)-based solutions, delivering trusted food safety, water treatment, and processing solutions through clean chemistry and automated equipment. Our proven products help growers and processors control pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella, reduce microbial risk, and improve efficiency across the fresh produce supply chain.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

Newsletters | Website | FSM Features Collection

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing