The Federal Food and Drug administration has recalled Romaine lettuce in 23 states after the bacteria E coli was found in an unopened bag. The shredded lettuce is sold under the Freshway and Imperial Sysco brands in: Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The brands are carried in Kroger, Giant, Ingles and Marsh supermarkets.
Only lettuce with a 'use by' date of May 12 or earlier is affected. The lettuce may be the cause of 19 cases of illness in Michigan, New York, and Ohio. The illness sent 12 people to hospital, three of them with serious complications. The company is voluntarily withdrawing the lettuce so most will never reach a supermarket shelf.
