North America, the USA and Canada is dealing with romaine lettuce on supermarket shelves that may be contaminated with E. coli.
CNN reports that “thirty-two people, including 13 who have been hospitalized, have been infected with the outbreak strain in 11 states.”
US Food and Drug Administration has now issued a warning to people to take precaution and dispose of any romaine lettuce they might have already bought and have at home.
The issue has brought to the fore food safety not only in the USA but around the world.
Please tell EVERYONE you know not to eat romaine lettuce, the strand of E. coli found in the infections is one of the worst and pretty deadly. Sharing with your family and friends could save their lives
— Alex 🏝️ (@wavedwhelk) November 21, 2018
If you live in the USA or Canada, DO NOT eat romaine lettuce right now. You do not want e.coli because you ate a salad. Throw it out if you have it and disinfect your fridge. Pretty scary NATIONWIDE warning came out of the Center for Disease Control today.
— Phil (@TheyCallMeDSP) November 21, 2018
In many countries, it’s common practice to use a fruit and vegetable wash when preparing your produce for meals.
In SA there are a few brands of veggie and fruit washes available at speciality stores, they are all natural/organic products.
A simple way to ensure pesticides and bacteria are washed off your veg and fruit is to rinse it with a water and a little vinegar.
Water alone won’t kill the bacteria on your fresh produce, so the vinegar is a great way to ensure you wash away most of the pesticides on your fruit and veg.