ONTARIO – Farm Boy has announced that it is pulling Romaine lettuce from it’s shelves in response to an E. coli outbreak.
“Farm Boy is responding to a notice from the Public Health Agency of Canada advising all Canadians to not consume Romaine lettuce products due to a risk of E. coli contamination,” reads a statement on Farm Boys’ website. “An investigation is underway. All items containing Romaine lettuce in Farm Boy’s 26 store network are being removed from shelves. Food safety is Farm Boy’s top priority. Farm Boy will continue to follow the situation closely and take appropriate action to protect the health of its customers.”
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 18 people in Ontario and Quebec have contracted E. coli between October and mid-November. The agency suspects that the outbreak is the result of tainted Romaine lettuce and advised Canadians on Nov. 20 to not consume any Romaine lettuce purchased in Ontario or Quebec.
Farm Boy is not alone, Loblaws and Sobeys both also announced on Nov. 21 that they too would be taking Romaine lettuce off their shelves.
In the United States, 11 states have been affected by the outbreak. At least 32 people contracted E. coli and 13 of those were hospitalized.
So far, no one has died from the outbreak.
