Tainted Romaine lettuce found in New York linked to massive Freshway Foods recall

New York and federal health officials have confirmed that a strain of E. coli bacteria found in an unopened bag of Freshway Foods Romaine lettuce matches that of the strain involved in a nationwide recall.

At the same time of that discovery, the Yuma, Ariz., farm linked to growing the lettuce included in a recall announced by Ohio-based Freshway Foods last week, said another of its customers is recalling the same product.

Vaughn Farms, of Moore, Okla., purchased the same romaine lettuce from Andrew Smith Co., the California-based grower/shipper that farms a lettuce plot in Yuma. The lettuce processed and distributed from Vaughn Farms was not available to consumers at a retail level. Wholesalers and those who do have Vaughn Farms romaine lettuce products with “Use By” dates of May 9 and May 10 must send back those products.

There have been 19 confirmed cases of E. coli poisoning in Michigan, Ohio and New York – some of the 23 states included in Freshway Foods’ recall last week. At least a dozen of those cases required hospitalization, and more cases need to be confirmed. Three people have been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

No illnesses have been linked to any lettuce distributed by Vaughn Farms.