SPOKANE, Wash. -- The FDA is encouraging people to not eat romaine lettuce unless they know where it comes from and they say the best way to know is to ask.
According to the CDC so far there has been 98 cases of E. coli across 22 states. FDA investigators have traced the outbreak to farms in Arizona.
It is required that companies list their distributor on the label. But that does not necessarily mean that is where the product was grown or made.
A FDA spokesperson said a person should be able to ask at their local grocer or restaurant where the romaine lettuce they are providing was grown. The FDA requires stores and restaurants to keep records like that.
For the most part it does not look like the outbreak has gone beyond Arizona farms. But it is all still under investigation.
A FDA spokesperson said sometimes times they can use what they learn during these investigations to improve on their regulations or make recommendations for new policies. But right now, it is too early to tell if this outbreak will lead to a change in any regulations.
In the past, serious outbreaks have lead to changes to federal food requirements. Back in 2009 an outbreak of salmonella was linked to a Georgia peanut company. Nine people were killed and more than 700 people got sick across 46 states. CBS reported that outbreak prompted the government and Congress to move forward on strengthening the food safety system.