FDA to Collect, Test Samples of Lettuce Grown in Salinas Valley, CA
Starting this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be collecting and testing lettuce samples grown in Salinas Valley, California from local commercial coolers. The testing will take place through November 2021. FDA will test the samples for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli(STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella, as part of ongoing surveillance efforts following reoccurring outbreaks linked to the region, including most recently in fall 2020.
The FDA assignment will direct sampling to be conducted at commercial cooling and cold storage facilities were field heat is removed from harvested lettuce and where product is cold-stored before processing. Sampling can include pre-cooled product (preferred sample) or post-cooled product. Sample collection at commercial coolers will help FDA efficiently obtain samples from various farms at centralized locations and facilitates prompt traceback and follow-up if contamination is detected.