Why does romaine lettuce keep getting recalled?

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Romaine keeps making recall news because of how it is grown, eaten, and sold. It is a leafy green eaten raw, so there is no cooking step to kill bacteria; it grows low to the ground in open fields, exposed to contaminated irrigation water, wildlife, and nearby livestock operations; and it is one of America's most-consumed lettuces, so any contamination touches millions of salads. The FDA's investigation of a 2018 multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak traced problems to the water itself: romaine was irrigated with water from an on-farm reservoir that was found to be contaminated. Leafy greens have been a repeated suspect or confirmed vehicle in multiple E. coli outbreaks over the years, per the FDA, which is why you see the pattern in headlines. What you can do: washing helps a little but does not reliably remove E. coli from leafy greens, which is why recalls say throw the lettuce out, not wash it; pay attention to outbreak notices and bin affected products; buy whole heads over bagged chopped mixes when you can, since cutting creates more surface for bacteria; and refrigerate greens promptly. The risk in perspective: millions eat romaine safely daily, but immunocompromised people, pregnant women, young children, and older adults should take outbreak notices seriously.

Why does romaine lettuce keep getting recalled?

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