Freshway Foods Recalls Romaine Lettuce

May 6, 2010:  Freshway Foods announced a voluntary recall of products containing romaine lettuce with a use-by date of May 12 or earlier because they may be contaminated with potentially deadly bacteria linked to an outbreak of E. coli 0145 in Michigan, Ohio and New York.

The FDA noted that 19 confirmed cases of the illness have been reported, including 12 people who have been hospitalized.  Three of those individuals may have the potentially life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).  HUS causes alterations in the body’s blood clotting mechanisms, resulting in blocked circulation or bleeding in the brain or kidneys. 

E. coli 0145 can cause abdominal cramps and diarrhea.  Most healthy adults should recover in a week, but young children and elderly are most at risk for developing HUS.  Federal health authorities advise that anyone with such symptoms should contact a healthcare provider immediately.

Freshway Foods (based in Ohio) issued a news release indicating that the recalled shredded romaine lettus was sold in Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Caroline, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

E. coli Poisoning Symptoms:

Symptoms typically begin about seven days after the bacteria is ingested.  Symptoms begin to appear in the following order:

  1. Abdominal Cramping
  2. Bloody Diarrhea
  3. Watery Diarrhea
  4. Fever, nausea and vomiting

If you believe that you have eaten contaminated Freshway Foods romaine lettuce, you should immediately seek medical care and be sure to follow through with all treatment. 

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