FDA: Don’t eat romaine lettuce

Health officials are warning Americans and Canadians to stop eating romaine lettuce after an E. coli outbreak this week sickened at least 32 people in 11 states and 18 people in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Tuesday he did not have enough information about the source of the contamination to issue a recall but suggested supermarkets and restaurants withdraw all romaine lettuce until the source can be identified. He also recommended people throw away any romaine they have at home—simply washing contaminated lettuce won’t ensure harmful germs are killed. Infections from E. coli can cause severe stomach cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting.

An E. coli outbreak caused by romaine lettuce earlier this year originated in Yuma, Ariz., and was the result of tainted irrigation water. It sickened about 200 people and killed five. No deaths have been reported from the current outbreak.