Romaine update: Safe lettuce crops up

Local grocers have taken varied responses to the recent E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Ariz., region.

Two representatives at the Costco corporate offices in Issaquah, Wash., said the company confirmed with its buying staff that romaine sold at Costco was grown in central California and is not affected by the outbreak.

The representatives said company policy does not authorize them to release their names.

A Fred Meyer customer service representative at the corporate office in Portland, who also could not release her name, said the company removed all contaminated products from shelves.

Customers with concerns about romaine purchased from Fred Meyer can return the product to a store, possibly for a refund.

The grocery chain, owned by Kroger, has returned some romaine products to its shelves, though they are uncontaminated.

Safeway followed a similar process as Fred Meyer, according to a manager at the Government Way location.

After destroying all contaminated romaine, Safeway has stocked its shelves with fresh, uncontaminated products.

The manager confirmed that, like Costco, the company buys its romaine from California.

A manager at Albertsons on Ironwood Drive said the store got rid of all romaine the same day it was alerted to the outbreak.

Ron McIntire, owner of 15 Super 1 Foods in the area, said his stores have pulled all romaine lettuce from their shelves until the product receives certification from the Department of Agriculture.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 people in Idaho have been impacted by the recent E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce.

To this point, the outbreak has affected 84 people across 19 states, according to the CDC. No deaths related to the outbreak have been reported.

The CDC recommends that customers avoid eating or purchasing romaine lettuce unless they can confirm it was not grown in the Yuma, Ariz., region.

No common grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified yet.

E. coli is a bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, vomiting and low-grade fever.

Most people recover from the infection in five to seven days. However, E. coli can be life-threatening, especially to young children and the elderly.

Anyone who has eaten romaine lettuce and experienced any of these symptoms is urged to seek medical attention.