Do not eat, serve, or sell any romaine lettuce, the Centers for Disease Control is warning in a new food safety alert posted Tuesday afternoon. The advisory comes as health officials in several states and Canada investigate an E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce. The latest outbreak has sickened at least 32 people in 11 states including Illinois.
The CDC says people who have romaine lettuce in their homes should not eat it and throw it away, even if some of it has already been eaten and no one has gotten sick. The advice applies to whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags or mixes that contain any types of romaine lettuce. They’re also advising retailers and restaurants to not serve or sell any types of romaine lettuce, including salads and mixes containing it.