Romaine recalls: Why our salads can make us sick

[NurseJackie]

Canada has been hit by a number of romaine lettuce recalls. We set out to the U.S., where the majority of our leafy greens come from, to dig up why E. coli outbreaks continue to plague our food supply. We meet one B.C. family whose lives have been forever changed by a contaminated salad.

[hlthe2b]

1. Romaine is my favorite, but I am so wary. I soak the leaves in lemon juice or vinegar, rinse well

(including pre-rinsed BAGGED greens) and hope that does it (and generally speaking, it SHOULD). But, it is still a roll of the dice.

I am firmly in favor of a requirement by FDA to irradiate greens. The term is what is scary to people, but it should not. It does not produce radiation byproducts, but only kills bacteria and does not reduce nutritional value. I have long been a proponent of renaming the procedure COLD STERILIZATION, which is really what it is.

[twodogsbarking]

2. I have read that many times the contamination

occurs at the cleaning facilities. Not yours, but theirs. Cold sterilization sounds like something a Rep would want to do to millions of people.

[hlthe2b]

7. "Cold Pasteurization," then.

[catbyte]

3. OMG. I think I need to go back to bed. Or wait for the caffeine to fully kick in to read DU.

I stared at that title for a good 20 seconds, wondering who Romaine was and why she was recalling that salads can make us sick. Then it dawned on me.

[VWolf]

5. Believe me, you're not the only one!!!! n/t

[gab13by13]

4. I eat organic food,

it doesn't guarantee I won't be eating E-coli or eating pesticides but it is supposed to guarantee that I won't be eating Rounndup.

E-coli is a serious problem but obesity is a bigger problem. I am 73, live in Pa. so I rode my indoor bike this past winter every day for 1 hr and 15 minutes. I kept my weight within 3 pounds all winter. I now got my vaccine shots and can go out and exercise more. When you get older your metabolism slows down and you need to keep active. High fructose corn syrup is a bigger danger than E-coli. Also, those frozen pizzas are the worst food one can eat.

Eat healthy, folks. If it tastes good, spit it out. (just kidding)

[Paper Roses]

6. Do I have to add another no-no to my list?

As an old timer with gastro problems, Romaine was the only lettuce I felt safe to eat. I wash the leaves --in fact my kids used to tell me I was a fanatic about washing veggies. Now we have to worry about this? Yes, I'm upset. With a restricted diet, it is hard to find 'green-leafy' veggies that don't do a job on your internal workings. Phooey!

[Martin68]

8. This is a bit sensationalized, and quite a bit out of date. I remember those romaine lettuce

outbreaks, and we were all a little careful abut romaine for a while. But since then I've been eating romaine and iceberg without any issues. I take issue with the language used where sickness due to E. coli is termed being "poisoned." Wrong. "Infected" is the correct term. My take is that if your immune system is compromised, it is wise to avoid lettuce (and a lot of other foods). Otherwise, the odds are largely in your favor.