Wendy's removes lettuce from sandwiches in three states amid E coli outbreak
Fast-food chain Wendy's says it's removing lettuce from sandwiches at its restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania after people eating them reported falling sick.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday it is trying to determine if the romaine lettuce in Wendy's sandwiches is to the origin of an E coli outbreak that sickened more than 30 people - and whether the romaine lettuce used by the chain was also served or sold at other businesses.
The CDC said a person in Indiana was also sick. A message was left at Wendy's about lettuce on sandwiches in this state.
There is no evidence that romaine sold in grocery stores is related to the E coli outbreak in question, according to the CDC. The agency also said it does not advise people to stop eating at Wendy's or refrain from eating romaine lettuce.
Wendy's claims that the lettuce used in his salads is different from the lettuce in his sandwiches and is therefore unaffected by his decision to remove lettuce from the sandwiches. The company said it is cooperating with the CDC.
“While the CDC has not yet confirmed that a specific food is causing this outbreak , we are taking the precaution of discarding and replacing sandwich lettuce in some restaurants in this region,” the fast-food giant said in a statement. "The lettuce we use in our salads is different and unaffected by this action.
"As a company, we are committed to our high standards food safety and quality."
At least 37 people had been affected by the outbreak strain of E coli as of Thursday. They ranged in age from 6 to 91, with a median age of 21. According to the CDC, 62% of the group were male.
Although symptoms vary, people who become ill from E coli usually suffer from stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
Ten people were hospitalized.Of those 10 people, three in Michigan had developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the CDC said.
"The actual number of sick people in this epidemic is likely higher than the name ber reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known diseases,” CDC officials said.
Referring to a national laboratory that links the foodborne, waterborne and other cases in an effort to detect outbreaks, the agency added: “This is because some of the recent illnesses have not yet been reported to PulseNet as it usually takes 3 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."
Fast-food chain Wendy's says it's removing lettuce from sandwiches at its restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania after people eating them reported falling sick.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday it is trying to determine if the romaine lettuce in Wendy's sandwiches is to the origin of an E coli outbreak that sickened more than 30 people - and whether the romaine lettuce used by the chain was also served or sold at other businesses.
The CDC said a person in Indiana was also sick. A message was left at Wendy's about lettuce on sandwiches in this state.
There is no evidence that romaine sold in grocery stores is related to the E coli outbreak in question, according to the CDC. The agency also said it does not advise people to stop eating at Wendy's or refrain from eating romaine lettuce.
Wendy's claims that the lettuce used in his salads is different from the lettuce in his sandwiches and is therefore unaffected by his decision to remove lettuce from the sandwiches. The company said it is cooperating with the CDC.
“While the CDC has not yet confirmed that a specific food is causing this outbreak , we are taking the precaution of discarding and replacing sandwich lettuce in some restaurants in this region,” the fast-food giant said in a statement. "The lettuce we use in our salads is different and unaffected by this action.
"As a company, we are committed to our high standards food safety and quality."
At least 37 people had been affected by the outbreak strain of E coli as of Thursday. They ranged in age from 6 to 91, with a median age of 21. According to the CDC, 62% of the group were male.
Although symptoms vary, people who become ill from E coli usually suffer from stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
Ten people were hospitalized.Of those 10 people, three in Michigan had developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the CDC said.
"The actual number of sick people in this epidemic is likely higher than the name ber reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known diseases,” CDC officials said.
Referring to a national laboratory that links the foodborne, waterborne and other cases in an effort to detect outbreaks, the agency added: “This is because some of the recent illnesses have not yet been reported to PulseNet as it usually takes 3 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."
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