Another year, another romaine salad outbreak: the CDC is warning people to avoid the leafy green this Thanksgiving after dozens have become sickened around the country due to another E. Coli outbreak. This comes almost exactly a year after the last major romaine E. Coli outbreak, as if someone really doesn't want Americans eating greens for the holidays.
The Times reports that 67 people have been affected by the outbreak so far, with 39 people being hospitalized across 19 states, including New Jersey, Wisconsin, Ohio, California and Maryland. The majority of people have gotten sick between Sept. 24th and Nov. 14th. There have been no fatalities so far, but at least six people have experienced a form of kidney failure.
Just like with last year's outbreak, the tainted romaine comes from the west coast, so the CDC recommends that you avoid any romaine products from Salinas, California. On the plus side, the FDA adds, "romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of the Salinas region has not been implicated in this outbreak investigation. Hydroponically- and greenhouse-grown romaine, which is voluntarily labeled as 'indoor grown,' from any region does not appear to be related to the current outbreak. There is no recommendation for consumers or retailers to avoid using romaine harvested from these other sources."
If you're still too nervous to touch any leafy green, we suggest you supplement your Thanksgiving feast with one of these unconventional dishes.
