Local shoppers react to multi-state outbreak of E-coli linked to romaine lettuce

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting a warning involving a type of lettuce making people sick.

Morgan Vanerford says romaine lettuce is typically a staple on her shopping list, but today she’s avoiding the leafy green vegetable altogether.

“A lot of people are upset about it because some people are vegans and vegetarians,” she said.

The CDC says more than 50 people are sick after eating all types of romaine lettuce grown in and around Yuma, Arizona.

“We make sure we pull everything off the shelf, we make sure we send it back to the company and we get a refund back from that,” Food Rite Employee Ronald Irby said.

Irby says right now, romaine lettuce isn’t on their shelves and won’t be back until the E-Coli outbreak is over.

“We’re in business, so we have to do everything we can to keep everything fresh for the customers,”he said. 

The CDC says unless you can be absolutely sure romaine lettuce you are about to eat isn’t from Yuma, Arizona, don’t take a chance.

“It;s aisturbing thing you know, I come to the store trying to buy lettuce and there’s a recall on it,” shopper Anton Reeves said.

The CDC reports so far, 16 states are affected by the outbreak.

So far there are no reports of anyone getting sick in Tennessee.

But for shoppers like Vanderford, she says it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“They need to fix it, because obviously people need lettuce,” she said.

The CDC also recommends not eating romaine from any restaurant, unless documentation can be shown it wasn’t grown in the affected area.