Whole heads of Tanimura & Antle brand romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, CA, and sold at Walmart, Food Lion and other stores are being recalled for E. coli O157:H7 risk. Consumers who have purchased this product should not eat it as E. coli can cause serious illness and death. The romaine E. coli recall was issued after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services determined that the strain of E. coli found in a sample of the product was is highly related genetically to E. coli causing two recent illnesses in Michigan.
The problem was discovered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development during random product testing. The sample tested was purchased from a Walmart store in Comstock Park, MI. The recall includes Tanimura & Antle brand single head romaine lettuce packed in cases of 12, 15, 18 or 24 heads per case with:
- “Packed On” date of 10/15/2020 or 10/16/2020,
- UPC number 0-27918-20314-9
- Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) codes, 571280289SRS1 and 571280290SRS1 (sticker attached to the exterior the case)
The romaine E. coli recall includes 3,396 cartons of product initially distributed to: Alaska, Oregon, California, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin, New Mexico, South Carolina, Washington, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, Illinois and Puerto Rico.
In a recall on its website, Walmart published a 19-page list of stores that received the romaine lettuce. The states where the stores are located are: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
In a recall posted on its website, Food Lion posted a list of dozens of affected stores in Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Other stores may publish recalls in the coming days.
Romaine E. coli Outbreaks
The recall comes in the wake of an announcement last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks suspected to be linked to leafy greens. The outbreaks have sickened a total of 44 people. One person has died. Both outbreaks have been linked to previous outbreaks E. coli outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can be bloody. Anyone who ate the recalled romaine and developed these symptoms should contact their doctor and mention exposure to E. coli.
If you developed an E. coli infection from contaminated romaine lettuce you purchased from a grocery store and would like a free consultation with an experienced E. coli lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman E. coli Legal Team. We have represented clients in every major E. coli outbreak in the U.S. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. The consultation is free and there is no obligation.