Irrigation water most likely source of E. coli in romaine lettuce, says FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that irrigation canal water was the likely source of a 2016 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections from eating romaine lettuce, which sickened 210 persons in 36 states, resulting in 96 hospitalizations, 27 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and five deaths.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that irrigation canal water was the likely source of a 2016 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections from eating romaine lettuce, which sickened 210 persons in 36 states, resulting in 96 hospitalizations, 27 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and five deaths. The outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 was found in water from three locations along a 3.5 mile stretch in an irrigation canal near Wellton in Yuma County, Arizona, according to an environmental assessment by FDA.
Irrigation canal water may have come in contact with the implicated romaine lettuce through direct application to the crop and/or use of irrigation canal water to dilute crop protection chemicals applied to the lettuce crop, either through aerial or ground-based spray applications. A large animal feeding operation is nearby the lettuce growing region but no obvious route for contamination from this facility to the irrigation canal was identified. FDA conducted an inspection of a fresh-cut produce manufacturing/processing facility identified in the traceback and found no significant deficiencies.
To prevent such outbreaks in the future, the FDA recommends that growers and processors of leafy greens assure that all agricultural water used by growers is safe and adequate for its intended use; assess and mitigate risks related to land uses near or adjacent to growing fields that may contaminate agricultural water or leafy greens crops directly; and verify that food safety procedures, policies and practices, including supplier controls for fresh-cut processors, are developed and consistently implemented on farms (both domestic and foreign) and in fresh-cut produce manufacturing/processing food facilities to minimize the potential for contamination and/or spread of human pathogens.