E. coli in bagged lettuce raises food safety concerns
By Bobby Caina Calvan and Deia de Brito, Sacramento Bee
California’s salad bowl remains far from pristine, even as farmers attempt to do more to keep produce free of stomach-churning contaminants.
Four years after tainted spinach killed three and sickened hundreds, state health officials this week again told consumers the E. coli bacteria was lurking in their produce – this time in Fresh Express brand packaged lettuce in California and 18 other states.
The discovery again raised questions about how the nation’s fresh food is farmed and processed, and whether government should have a stronger enforcement role in policing farming practices.