Skip to main content
          Skip to FDA Search
          Skip to in this section menu
          Skip to footer links


U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government

					Here’s how you know
          			Dot gov**The .gov means it’s official.**Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.
							      SSL**The site is secure.** The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 
			U.S. Food and Drug Administration
				
        Search
            Menu
							
						Search FDA
									
									Submit search 
		Featured
							Contact FDA
	                FDA Guidance Documents
	                Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
	                Press Announcements
	                Warning Letters
	                Advisory Committees
	                En Español

					Products
            Food
							Drugs
							Medical Devices
							Radiation-Emitting Products
							Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
							Animal and Veterinary
							Cosmetics
							Tobacco ProductsTopics
            About FDA
							Combination Products
							Regulatory Information
							Safety
							Emergency Preparedness
							International Programs
							News and Events
							Training and Continuing Education
							Inspections and Compliance
							Science and ResearchInformation For
            Consumers
	            Patients
	            Industry
	            Health Professionals
	            Federal, State and Local Officials 
 In this section:

                CFSAN Constituent Updates

CFSAN Constituent Updates Home
          Food
          News & Events from CFSAN
          CFSAN Constituent Updates
          FDA Releases Results of Romaine Lettuce Sampling Assignment in Yuma Growing RegionCFSAN Constituent Updates FDA Releases Results of Romaine Lettuce Sampling Assignment in Yuma Growing Region
  
  	
    Share
    Post
    Linkedin

    Email
    PrintConstituent Update

August 14, 2019

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released the results of a sampling assignment that tested romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, AZ agricultural region for pathogenic Shiga toxin-producing *Escherichia coli* (STEC) and *Salmonella spp*.

The assignment was conducted following the Spring 2018 outbreak of *E.coli*O157:H7 linked to romaine lettuce from the Yuma growing region. The outbreak involved 210 people in 36 states and resulted in 96 hospitalizations, 27 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (a type of kidney failure) and five deaths. In addition, there have been five suspected or confirmed multistate outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to produce harvested in the Yuma growing region since 2012.

Farms in the Yuma growing region provide the majority of leafy greens that reach consumers in the United States during the winter months (November to March). The FDA began sampling romaine lettuce on December 17, 2018, shortly after the season’s harvest began, to monitor the risk of contaminated romaine lettuce entering the market from this region.

The FDA chose to sample romaine lettuce at commercial coolers and cold storage facilities where field heat is removed from harvested romaine and product is cold-stored before shipment. This enabled the agency to collect samples from multiple farms at the same time from centralized locations, while also being able to easily identify the farms from which each sample originated. In all, FDA field staff visited 26 commercial coolers and cold storage facilities in the Yuma growing region with the assistance of the Arizona Department of Agriculture and the Arizona Department of Health Services.

During the assignment, the FDA collected and tested 118 samples for each pathogen. The FDA did not detect *Salmonella*in any of the samples. The agency detected Shiga toxin-producing*E.coli*(STEC) in a single sample, however, further analysis determined that the bacteria was not pathogenic.

The findings of this assignment suggest that there was no widespread STEC or *Salmonella spp*. contamination of romaine lettuce from the Yuma growing region during the period when the sampling occurred. The FDA is continuing to work with leafy greens stakeholders in the Yuma region to consider a longer-term environmental study to identify and control risks that will prevent future outbreaks, with the ultimate goal of protecting consumers.

**For More Information**

Summary Report: FY19 Sampling of Romaine Lettuce at Commercial Coolers in Yuma, Arizona
	Environmental Assessment of Factors Potentially Contributing to the Contamination of Romaine Lettuce Implicated in a Multi-State Outbreak of E.coli O157:H7
	Sampling to Protect the Food Supply

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      08/14/2019
              
              
Regulated Product(s)
		 Food & BeveragesCFSAN Constituent Updates
 
 Footer Links
    FDA Archive
          About FDA
          Accessibility
      Visitor Information
          Website Policies / Privacy
          No FEAR Act
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
      FOIA
          HHS.gov
          USA.gov
    Contact FDA
      Follow FDA on Facebook
      Follow FDA on X
      Follow FDA on Instagram
      Follow FDA on LinkedIn
      View FDA videos on YouTube
      Subscribe to FDA RSS feeds
    FDA Homepage
    Contact Number
      1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Back toTop