The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released preliminary findings from a multi-year study on bacterial contamination in leafy greens grown in Yuma County, AZ.
Prompted by a 2018 E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from Yuma, the study spanned five years. It included over 5,000 samples from irrigation water, soil, air, animal fecal material and other sources across a 54-mile area.
Preliminary findings from the study show that while airborne transmission of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli from a large livestock operation was documented, air, water and lettuce microbiome analysis showed that incremental distance significantly reduced pathogen presence. Therefore, FDA found “no obvious route for contamination” from the feeding operation.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO Colin Woodall emphasized the FDA has expressly stated the multi-year study did not identify the specific source and route of contamination for the 2018 outbreak. Woodall continued while cattle operations might seem like an easy target, cattle and beef producers already comply with numerous local, state and federal regulations designed to minimize environmental impact and ensure a safe food supply.
