The FDA announced that it is safe to begin eating romaine lettuce again. The agency said the deadly E. coli outbreak that sparked the government to warn people to refrain from eating any romaine lettuce likely originated in California's Central Coast Region.
The government warned that not all romaine is safe to eat and that consumers should check the labels to ensure that it did not come from the Central Coast region of California.
"Romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of the Central Coast growing regions of northern and central California does not appear to be related to the current outbreak," the FDA said in a statement. "Hydroponically- and greenhouse-grown romaine also 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 sources."
The harvest season for lettuce in California's Central Coast Region has ended, and the FDA said that any lettuce that is grown in Arizona, Florida, and the Imperial Valley region of California is safe to eat because that lettuce was not part of the harvest linked to the outbreak.
If you are unsure where the lettuce was grown, the FDA advises that you throw it out in case it is contaminated.
43 people became sick in 12 states due to the E. coli outbreak.
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