In an update to its investigation into a serious outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 this summer, spread via packages of romaine lettuce, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlined several possible sources of the pathogen, including a nearby cattle feedlot.
TheMeatingPlacereports the contamination has been seen in several states, and has been linked to romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, AZ, region.
The FDA shared its preliminary hypotheses in a meeting of the Leafy Greens Food Safety Task Force.
One hypothesis discussed was the proximity of a large cattle feedlot to several romaine lettuce farms. The feedlot’s relationship to adjacent water sources would determine whether the feedlot is related to the contaminated lettuce products.
