Organic food news

• Listeria, botulism risks trigger recalls of OC Raw Dog pet food

  21-04-2018 07:05 via Food Safety News
  OC Raw Dog LLC is recalling freeze-dried sardines because they were determined by the Food and Drug Administration to exceed the agency’s size restriction guideline for uneviscerated fish.
  Uneviscerated, salt-cured, dried or fermented fish larger than 5 inches in length were linked to outbreaks of botulism in the 1980s and again in 1991. Packages of OC Raw’s sardines examined by the Minnesota Department of Food and Agriculture were found to contain uneviscerated, or ungutted, fish me
  
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• Kentucky health officials respond aggressively to Hepatitis A

  21-04-2018 06:48 via Food Safety News
  Public health officials in Kentucky are responding agressively to a Hepatitis A outbreak, and Dr. Jeffrey Howard, acting director of the state health department issued a statement Friday saying it’s still safe to travel to Kentucky.
  Howard mentioned the May 5 Kentucky Derby and urged people to come on down to Churchill Downs.
  “As you probably know, a small number of counties in our state are dealing with a Hepatitis A outbreak,” Howard said.
  “At the Department for Pu
  
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• All get expanded romaine warnings because of Alaska findings

  21-04-2018 03:27 via Food Safety News
  The federal government today expanded its romaine lettuce warning to include all types of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, AZ, growing region, including whole heads and hearts of romaine in addition to chopped, because of an ongoing E. coli outbreak. No specific brands, growers or processors have been named.
  On April 13, the warning against romaine from the Yuma, AZ, only included pre-chopped romaine and salads containing pre-cut romaine. At that time 35 people from 11 states had been confirm
  
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• Bai Brands latest target in malic acid lawsuits; Dr Pepper blasts 'meritless' complaint

  20-04-2018 21:31 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Bai Brands is the latest high profile brand to be sued over claims that the malic acid in its beverages is produced from petrochemicals and serves as a flavoring agent that should trigger âartificially flavored' labeling on pack.
  
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• Ready to pig out (minus the bacon)? Outstanding Foods gears up for launch

  20-04-2018 17:34 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Vegan jerky is picking up steam, but hasnât set the world on fire, yet. And while bacon-flavored potato and corn chips are a staple in the salty snacks aisle, they donât pretend to replicate the taste and texture of a strip of bacon. But what if you could create a plant-based snack so bacon-like that even meat lovers struggle to distinguish it from the real thing?
  
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• Beneo: 'Prebiotics open a whole new door to the world of gut health that hasn’t been well explored in the US'

  20-04-2018 17:21 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Brands and consumers are getting more comfortable talking about digestive health, with the conversation shifting beyond getting enough fiber for regular bowel movements, to the gut microbiome, says Beneo, which says growing interest in probiotics is helping Americans get their heads about the concept of prebiotics.
  
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• Good Catch Foods readies for entry into plant-based alternative animal protein space

  20-04-2018 17:08 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Plant-based meat alternatives mimicking beef and chicken may be getting all the attention right now, but Good Catch Foods, a company aiming to bring a suite of plant-based seafood products to stores within six months, could change the tide of conversation.
  
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• Class actions move past 'natural' to attacking processing steps, other weaknesses, expert says

  20-04-2018 16:57 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Firms filing class action lawsuits have used actions aimed at companies making ânaturalâ claims to springboard into a host of other vulnerable areas of labeling and packaging, according to an expert.
  
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• Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging design and packaging trends to meet changing consumer values

  20-04-2018 13:26 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  With only one shot to make a first impression, it is essential that image and messages on product packaging clearly communicate companiesâ principles and meet their consumersâ evolving values.
  
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• McDonald’s has a big chicken problem

  20-04-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof wrote a powerful piece on the chicken industry in December 2014. It detailed a whistleblower chicken farmer named Craig Watts who risked everything to call attention to the inherent inhumane practices within his own industry. Kristof concluded: “Torture a single chicken and you risk arrest. Abuse hundreds of thousands of chickens for their entire lives? That’s agribusiness.”
  Since then, the changes within the food corporations and produc
  
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• Going for the gold in the sink at the 2018 Food Safety Summit

  20-04-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles leading up to the 20th annual Food Safety Summit. The event, from May 7-10 at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in suburban Chicago, includes certification courses; a trade show with exhibitors from industry, academia and government; an extensive list of seminars and panel discussions; and a Town Hall meeting with top officials from the FDA, USDA and CDC. Visit www.foodsafetysummit.com for more details and to register.F
  
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• Wegmans recalls detox tea because of Salmonella risk

  20-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is recalling Traditional Medicinals brand tea due to the risk of Salmonella contamination, according to an April 17 recall notice posted on Wegmans’ website. The recalled “EveryDay Detox Lemon Tea” and “Organic Throat Coat Lemon Echinacea Caffeine Free Tea” is labeled with an expiration date of Jan. 2021, according to the recall.
  According to Tradition
  
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• Almost 6 dozen outbreaks traced to leafy greens since 1995

  20-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  Editor’s note: Thanks to Doug Powell and Ben Chapman at barfblog.com for compiling the below list of outbreaks linked to leafy greens.The current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak traced to chopped romaine lettuce is the latest in a string of almost 80 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to leafy greens in the past 23 years.
  As of April 18, there were 53 people across 16 states confirmed to be infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Those states and the number of ca
  
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• CoAqua targets premium-seeking audience relying on direct-to-consumer online channel

  19-04-2018 17:57 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  CoAqua doesnât want to be in traditional retail with all the other coconut water brands and is instead going after an ultra-premium space of luxury resorts and restaurants in its home market of Southeast Asia and pursuing the direct-to-consumer online channel in the US.
  
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• Datassential: Plant-based only works if its crave-worthy

  19-04-2018 17:39 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Plant-based is a hot trend in food marketing right now, but how is it playing out in foodservice, which ingredients are trending on menus, and what marketing resonates the best with diners?
  
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• ‘Plant-based’ plays way better than ‘vegan’ with most consumers, says Mattson

  19-04-2018 17:08 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  On the face of it, the terms âveganâ and âplant-basedâ might appear to be interchangeable (they both involve avoiding animal products), but consumers do not view them in the same way, reveals new research from food development specialist Mattson.
  
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• Transparency & including end-users in 2020 dietary guideline review is key to successful implementation

  19-04-2018 15:05 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  For all the effort that goes into crafting the US dietary guidelines, including the multi-year process of reviewing the science and sifting through stakeholdersâ conflicting opinions and wishes, the final product will all be for naught if it is not trusted and cannot easily be implemented, according to an officer of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
  
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• GAO says some USDA food safety standards are outdated

  19-04-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  should carry on with its work to reduce pathogens in meat and poultry, but first, the agency needs to improve documentation, add some timelines to its tasks and check on the effectiveness of on-farm practices.
  Those three new recommendations by the Government Accountability Office (GAO),  the auditing, evaluation, and investigative service of Congress, were released on Wednesday in a study that again reviewed USDA’s work
  
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• Unusually high percentage of E. coli victims hospitalized

  19-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  An E. coli outbreak traced to chopped romaine lettuce has spread to another five states and public health officials are reporting a hospitalization rate of almost 60 percent, which is twice the usual rate.
  There are 53 confirmed cases spread across 16 states, as of Wednesday’s update from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the 31 victims who have required hospitalization, five have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.
  To view a larger
  
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• Officials in Michigan, Utah warn about new hepatitis A cases

  19-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  Public health officials in Utah and Michigan are alerting people to possible exposure to the hepatitis A virus after confirmation of infected foodservice workers.
  The illnesses are part of a multi-state outbreak that has sickened about 1,200 people and killed almost 50. Infected people are usually contagious before they develop symptoms. The highly contagious virus can be easily transmitted through foods or beverages. Unvaccinated people have only two weeks after potential exposure to seek post-
  
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• Another company recalls kratom after illness reported

  19-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  A company in Utah is recalling “NxtGen Botanicals Maeng Da Kratom” labeled bottles of kratom supplements because they has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. At least one illness has been reported in connection with this brand of kratom.
  The recall notice does not specify what strain of Salmonella federal inspectors found in the NxtGen kratom, but at least 132 people in 38 states have been infected in an ongoin
  
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• Plant-based Beyond Sausage rolls out to Whole Foods stores nationwide

  19-04-2018 03:25 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Beyond Sausage - the latest innovation from plant-based brand Beyond Meat â is rolling out to Whole Foods stores nationwide.
  
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• What’s the real reason behind Halo Top’s success? Mintel explains

  18-04-2018 17:10 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  âDietingâ and âreduced fatâ have become passà phrases in the world of packaged food replaced with terms like âclean labelâ and âlocally-sourcedâ, so what can explain low-calorie ice cream alternative Halo Topâs dramatic takeover of the frozen dessert case, outselling veteran brands such as Nestlà Dreyers and Unileverâs Ben & Jerryâs?
  
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• How are US consumers thinking about digestive health? Hartman Group weighs in

  18-04-2018 17:02 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  For some consumers, digestive health is about avoiding foods that make them feel bloated or lethargic, for some, itâs about âroughageâ and âregularity,â while for others itâs about keeping their guts happy with prebiotics and probiotics, says Hartman Group.
  
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• Blackeye Roasting Co. founder: ‘We’re going after the gas station buyer in rural areas’

  18-04-2018 16:48 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  With a growing Midwest footprint, ready-to-drink (RTD) cold brew coffee brand Blackeye Roasting Co. said it has âaggressiveâ plans to triple its distribution to 30 states by the end of 2018 and sees c-stores as its secret weapon to reaching a new base of consumers.
  
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• Blackeye Roasting Co. co-founder: ‘We’re going after the gas station buyer in rural areas’

  18-04-2018 16:48 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  With a growing Midwest footprint, ready-to-drink (RTD) cold brew coffee brand Blackeye Roasting Co. said it has âaggressiveâ plans to triple its distribution to 30 states by the end of 2018 and sees c-stores as its secret weapon to reaching a new base of consumers.
  
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• That’s It founder blasts meritless and “reckless” lawsuit

  18-04-2018 16:43 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Thatâs It Nutrition has vowed to vigorously defend itself against a lawsuit taking issue with its minimalist ingredients statements.
  
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• Root exudates affect soil stability, water repellency

  18-04-2018 15:20 via Organic News -- ScienceDaily
  We might think of roots as necessary, but uninteresting, parts of the crop production process. New research, however, focuses on what's going on in the soil with the plant's roots and the chemicals they produce.
  
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• Nature Nate’s teams with Cornell to research bee health at a time with honey production is falling

  18-04-2018 13:24 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  At a time when honey production in the US is falling and colony collapse disorder continues to threaten beesâ health, honey manufacturer Nature Nateâs is investing in Cornell Universityâs department of entomology to advance bee health research and honey testing capabilities for adulterants.
  
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• Nature Nate’s teams with Cornell to research bee health at a time when honey production is falling

  18-04-2018 13:24 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  At a time when honey production in the US is falling and colony collapse disorder continues to threaten beesâ health, honey manufacturer Nature Nateâs is investing in Cornell Universityâs department of entomology to advance bee health research and honey testing capabilities for adulterants.
  
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• Outbreaks in Japan likely from contaminated seaweed facility

  18-04-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  Outbreak investigators in Japan have identified contamination in a seaweed production plant as the cause of seven foodborne illness outbreaks that sickened almost 2,100 people in 2017.
  The seven foodborne norovirus outbreaks were all attributable to dried, shredded seaweed called nori, according to a report from researchers in Japan and published in recent days by the U.S. Centers for Disease control and Prevention.
  The outbreaks hit four remote areas as well as Tokyo. Norovirus GII.P17-GII.17 d
  
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• More Explorateur soft cheese recalled for Listeria risk

  18-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  World’s Best Cheeses based in Armonk, NY, is recalling Formagerie de la Brie brand l’Explorateur soft ripened cheese After a French supplier warned it could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially deadly foodborne pathogen.
  “The cheese was manufactured by Fromagerie de la Brie of St. Simeon, France. World’s Best Cheeses was one of several importers notified by their French Consolidator of a suspicion for Listeria monocytoge
  
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• FDA Salmonella finding prompts recall of three raw dog foods

  18-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  To view a larger version of this photo, please click on the image.
  Carnivore Meat Co. LLC has recalled two Vital Essentials raw dog food products due to possible Salmonella contamination.
  In addition to the Vital Essentials recall, TruDog LLC has advised its customers by email that it has withdrawn a single batch of its Boost Me product, also due to possible Salmonella contamination.
  The recalled products and their label codes are:
  To view a larger version of this photo, please click on the imag
  
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• FDA confirms outbreak strain at Rose Acre’s egg facility

  18-04-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  Nothing causes more consumer confusion than the recall of a couple hundred million eggs by a significant producer. It brings out much befuddlement as retail egg buyers have to sort out Julian dates, brands, lot numbers, plant numbers and distribution channels.
  Worse than the confusion is that when people find eggs they have bad eggs on hand, they not only need to be tossed out, they also have to clean their refrigerators and kitchen surfaces.
  Federal food detectives, however, have solved th
  
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• Abbott launches Ensure Max Protein targeting consumers over 50 who still aren’t getting enough protein

  17-04-2018 17:18 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Abbott has launched Ensure Max Protein, a 150-calorie beverage with 30 grams of protein and all nine essential amino acids, the highest protein content in its Ensure line of nutrition drinks.
  
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• Healthy Height nutritional shake mixes targets kids short of stature, but should not be seen as a meal replacement

  17-04-2018 16:43 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Parents of children falling behind on the growth scale have few options to supplement their childâs nutrition that arenât a full blown meal replacement product, which is exactly the market void Healthy Height shake mixes is seeking to fill, founder Jason Zinn said.
  
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• Fear of competition – not consumer protection – is behind Cattlemen's petition, claim plant-based, clean meat brands

  17-04-2018 15:35 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  A desire to protect its members, not consumers, is the primary motivation behind the US Cattlemenâs Association (USCA) petition to restrict use of the terms âbeefâ and âmeatâ to products from animals âborn, raised, and harvested in the traditional mannerâ claim leading plant-based and cultured meat companies.
  
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• Sales of plant-based stevia skyrocket as consumers seek natural solutions to cut back sugar

  17-04-2018 15:18 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Consumer demand for natural, plant-based ingredients combined with their desire to cut back on sugar without sacrificing taste is creating a perfect storm for stevia sales to grow exponentially, according to the International Stevia Council.
  
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• Yowie chocolates expands across the US with plans for Australia, New Zealand & Asia

  17-04-2018 15:04 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Yowie Group will expand across the US next month after securing a deal to sell Yowie Chocolates and Animal Figurines across 7-Eleven and CVS Health Stores.
  
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• IRI pacesetters: What were the top 10 new food and beverage product launches in 2017?

  16-04-2018 23:29 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Of the 20 largest 2017 New Product Pacesetter brands tracked by Chicago-based market researcher IRI, 85% command a price premium versus their respective category averages.
  
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• Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network: ‘We’re bursting at the seams… and we still have so much more to do’

  16-04-2018 17:24 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  A year since launching the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network, executive director Alan Reed has said the message of connecting the Chicago food community, an area with more than 4,500 companies, has spread like wildfire with major industry players joining the cause.
  
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• Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network: ‘We’re bursting at the seams… and we have so much more to do’

  16-04-2018 17:24 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  A year since launching the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network, executive director Alan Reed has said the message of connecting the Chicago food community, an area with more than 4,500 companies, has spread like wildfire with major industry players joining the cause.
  
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• How are consumers thinking about digestive health? Hartman Group weighs in

  16-04-2018 16:53 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  For some consumers, digestive health is about avoiding foods that make them feel bloated or lethargic, for some, itâs about âroughageâ and âregularity,â while for others itâs about keeping their guts happy with prebiotics and probiotics, says Hartman Group.
  
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• Knead to know: Survey shows what Americans really think about bread

  16-04-2018 15:58 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Comax Flavors has revealed more US consumers prefer eating a closed sliced bread sandwich compared to the open-faced version.
  
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• ONHA lobbies legislators for new health claim linking vitamin D with reduced preterm birth

  16-04-2018 14:45 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  The Organic and Natural Health Association recently visited Capitol Hill to ask Congress for help reducing the more than 1,000 preterm births that occur daily in North America by supporting its FDA petition for a health claim declaring the link between higher vitamin D blood levels and a decreased risk of preterm birth.
  
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• Annie’s plans to source ingredients across its portfolio from farms practicing regenerative agriculture

  16-04-2018 14:33 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Annieâs recent launch for Earth month of two limited edition products that are made with ingredients sourced from regenerative agriculture farmers is only the beginning of how the brand plans to build on its iconic organic values to restore degraded soil and enhance farming communities.
  
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• Recalled salads might contain romaine lettuce tainted with E. coli O157:H7

  15-04-2018 06:02 via Food Safety News
  Freedom, PA-based Fresh Foods Manufacturing Co. Saturday recalled approximately 8,757 pounds of ready-to-eat salad products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157: H7 from romaine lettuce, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
  The ready-to-eat salad products were produced from April 9, 2018, to April 12, 2018, and have a shelf life of four days. The following products are subject to the recall:11.5 oz., clear plastic containers of
  
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• K9 Natural recalls frozen raw dog food due to Listeria monocytogenes

  14-04-2018 07:09 via Food Safety News
  K9 Natural Ltd. (K9) has recalled four batches of its Frozen Chicken Feast Raw Pet Food that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
  The recalled products were imported into the USA from New Zealand in June 2017, and were identified as follows:K9 Natural Frozen Chicken Feast, 2.2-lb bags. Batch #170517; Expiration date 17NOV2018
  K9 Natural Frozen Chicken Feast, 11-lb bags. Batch #150517; Expiration date 15NOV2018
  K9 Natural Frozen Chicken Feast, 11-lb bags. Batch #160517; Expiration dat
  
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• Yuma area grew romaine lettuce that’s likely causing E. coli outbreak

  14-04-2018 06:02 via Food Safety News
  Chopped romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, AZ area is the likely source to date of this year’s only multistate E. coli O157: H7 outbreak, and it is not over.
  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta Friday updated their report on the 11-state outbreak involving 35 confirmed E. coli case with 22 hospitalizations. “At this time, no common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand has been identified,” CDC’s new report says.
  Naming the growing re
  
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