E. Coli Recall Now Includes Cauliflower And Other Leafy Greens

Romaine lettuce isn’t the only veggie affected by an E. coli outbreak — now, a farm is recalling cauliflower, red, and green leaf lettuce too

Bad news if you’re super into vegetables — the E. coli breakout that took romaine lettuce away from us briefly now includes cauliflower and other leafy greens. We’ll give you a moment to process your grief. Take your time. We’ll be over here eating chocolate cake because that’s never betrayed us.

The recall is being initiated by Adams Bros. Farming “out of an abundance of caution” and includes red and green leaf lettuce along with cauliflower. Adams Bros. are at least partly responsible for the recent romaine lettuce recall. “Adam Bros. Farming, Inc. feels a strong commitment to its customers and has worked for years to provide a safe and healthy food supply. Out of an abundance of caution, Adam Bros. Farming, Inc. is initiating this voluntary recall in cooperation with the FDA,” they said in a statement.

The recall includes the affected vegetables grown on the farm and harvested between November 27th and 30th. It was the discovery of “…sediment from a reservoir near where the produce was grown tested positive for E. coli” that got the recall to include the greens and cauliflower. “Filtered and treated water from the reservoir may have come in contact with the produce after it was harvested,” they explain.

Adams Bros. asks that the three products not be eaten or sold and they’re recommending that it be pulled from shelves. The cauliflower was sold to distributors in Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tijuana, Mexico, and Canada. The red and green leaf lettuce was sold to distributors in California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Canada. Red leaf lettuce was also sold to wholesalers in Minnesota, and Tijuana, Mexico.

Since it’s pretty tough to tell where the veggies you bought in a grocery store may have come from, it’s probably best to just pitch all of your affected produce if you’re in a state where the possibly contaminated foods were sold.

Romaine lettuce is now deemed safe to eat, but with a few extra checks in place. “Romaine lettuce entering the market will now be voluntarily labeled with a harvest location and a harvest date or labeled as being hydroponically — or greenhouse-grown. If it does not have this information, you should not eat or use it,” an FDA statement reads.

E. coli symptoms include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, but some people might develop a low-grade fever as well. A small percentage (5-10 percent) of those infected can end up with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is potentially life-threatening.

Bottom line? A bunch of lettuce might make you sick. Christmas cookies are not lettuce. Stay safe, everyone.