CDC lifts warning about E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is lifting its warning about E. coli in romaine lettuce, saying the outbreak seems to be over. 

Since November, the CDC has been warning people not to eat romaine lettuce from the Salinas Valley growing region in California because of the risk of E. coli infection. 

The CDC is now removing that warning, saying, “This outbreak appears to be over.”

The outbreak infected 167 people from 27 states, the CDC said, with 85 hospitalizations but no deaths. 

This was the second time there had been a warning about an E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce since 2018, when another risk of infection led to an advisory. 

Federal and state investigators visited fields in California thought to be at the root of the outbreak, but tests were negative for E. coli. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it is still investigating. 

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we are doing everything possible to find the source or sources of contamination,” the FDA said. “The investigation into how this contamination occurred is important, so romaine growers can implement measures that will prevent future contamination and illnesses.”

“The FDA is planning to conduct an additional, in-depth, root-cause investigation,” the agency added. “The investigation will further characterize how contamination might have occurred and will inform what preventive controls are needed to prevent future outbreaks.”