– OPINION –
Well the bad news about outbreaks linked to leafy greens is spilling over from 2021 to 2022. The more things change, the more things stay the same.
Outbreaks associated with lettuce, specifically the “pre-washed” and “ready-to-eat” varieties, are by no means a new phenomenon. In fact, the frequency with which this country’s fresh produce consuming public has been hit by outbreaks of pathogenic bacteria is astonishing.
Here is just a sample of outbreaks based on information gathered by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Kansas State University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
| Date | Vehicle | Etiology | Confirmed Cases |
States/Provinces |
| July 1995 | Lettuce (leafy green; red; romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 74 | 1: MT |
| Sept. 1995 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 20 | 1: ID |
| Sept. 1995 | Lettuce (iceberg) | E. coli O157:H7 | 30 | 1: ME |
| Oct. 1995 | Lettuce (iceberg; unconfirmed) | E. coli O157:H7 | 11 | 1: OH |
| May-June 1996 | Lettuce (mesclun; red leaf) | E. coli O157:H7 | 61 | 3: CT, IL, NY |
| May 1998 | Salad | E. coli O157:H7 | 2 | 1: CA |
| Feb.-Mar. 1999 | Lettuce (iceberg) | E. coli O157:H7 | 72 | 1: NE |
| Oct. 1999 | Salad | E. coli O157:H7 | 92 | 3: OR, PA, OH |
| Oct. 2000 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 6 | 1: IN |
| Nov. 2001 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 20 | 1: TX |
| July-Aug. 2002 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 29 | 2: WA, ID |
| Nov. 2002 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 13 | 1: Il |
| Dec. 2002 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 3 | 1: MN |
| Oct. 2003-May 2004 | Lettuce (mixed salad) | E. coli O157:H7 | 57 | 1: CA |
| Apr. 2004 | Spinach | E. coli O157:H7 | 16 | 1: CA |
| Nov. 2004 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 6 | 1: NJ |
| Sept. 2005 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 32 | 3:MN, WI, OR |
| Sept. 2006 | Spinach (baby) | E. coli O157:H7 and other serotypes | 205 | Multistate and Canada |
| Nov./Dec. 2006 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 71 | 4: NY, NJ, PA, DE |
| Nov./Dec. 2006 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 81 | 3: IA, MN, WI |
| July 2007 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 26 | 1: AL |
| May 2008 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 9 | 1: WA |
| Oct. 2008 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 59 | Multistate and Canada |
| Nov. 2008 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 130 | Canada |
| Sept. 2009 | Lettuce: Romaine or Iceberg | E. coli O157:H7 | 29 | Multistate |
| Sept. 2009 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 10 | Multistate |
| April 2010 | Romaine | E. coli O145 | 33 | 5: MI, NY, OH, PA, TN |
| Oct. 2011 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 60 | Multistate |
| April 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 28 |
1: CA Canada |
| June 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 52 | Multistate |
| Sept. 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 9 | 1: PA |
| Oct. 2012 | Spinach and Spring Mix Blend | E. coli O157:H7 | 33 | Multistate |
| Apr. 2013 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 14 | Multistate |
| Aug. 2013 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 15 | 1: PA |
| Oct. 2013 | Ready-To-Eat Salads | E. coli O157:H7 | 33 | Multistate |
| Apr. 2014 | Romaine | E. coli O126 | 4 | 1:MN |
| Apr. 2015 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O145 | 7 | 3: MD, SC, VA |
| June 2016 | Mesclun Mix | E. coli O157:H7 | 11 | 3: IL, MI, WI |
| Jan. 2016 | Mixed Greens | Listeria | 19 | Multistate |
| Nov. 2017 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 67 | Multistate and Canada |
| Mar. 2018 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 240 | Multistate and Canada |
| Oct. 2018 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 62 | Multistate and Canada |
| Nov. 2019 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 171 | Multistate and Canada |
| Nov. 2019 | Mixed Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 38 | Multistate and Canada |
| Dec. 2020 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 40 | Multistate |
| Nov. 2021 | Baby Spinach | E. coli O157:H7 | 15 | Multistate |
| Dec. 2021 | Mixed Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 10 | Multistate |
| Dec. 2021 | Mixed Greens | Listeria | 10 | Multistate |
| Dec. 2021 | Mixed Greens | Listeria | 17 | Multistate |