California Agriculture Officials Worry Stigma From E. Coli Outbreak Will Linger For Years To Come
The Food and Drug Administration has warned people not to eat romaine coming from California's Central Coast region, which is one of the nation's major production areas of the lettuce.
KQED:
Ag Official: E. Coli Outbreak Could Hurt Salinas Valley Lettuce Growers For Years
The E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that has sickened dozens of people in the United States and Canada could hurt the Central Coast's farming industry for years, according to one of the region's top agricultural officials. The Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday that the romaine tied to the outbreak appears to be from the Central Coast, and that romaine produced outside that region is safe to eat as long as it's labeled correctly. (Goldberg, 11/27)
San Jose Mercury News:
Tainted Romaine Link To Salinas Valley Frustrates Farmers
Lettuce is king on California’s Central Coast, where row crops and produce stands line the roadways in a region that boasts of being the Salad Bowl of the World. So it struck deep when federal authorities this week linked a rash of severe bacterial infections to romaine lettuce from California’s Central Coast. Now farmers who adopted a host of safety measures after local spinach was tied to a deadly 2006 outbreak fear another battle to win back consumers’ trust. (Woolfolk and Hagemann, 11/27)