Romaine Outbreak: What Restaurants Need to Know

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 likely linked to romaine lettuce.At this time, the FDA recommends that consumers do not eat romaine lettuce and discard any product until we know more. Retailers, restaurants and other food service operators should not serve romaine lettuce until more is known about this outbreak. If consumers are experiencing symptoms of an E. coli O157:H7 infection, they should immediately seek the care of a health care professional.

Federal health officials are working on gathering information and tracing back romaine lettuce reportedly consumed by people located in various parts of the country who became ill with E. coliO157:H7 to determine the source of contamination. U.S. agencies are also coordinating with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), which is also investigating a similar…