News

Canadian authorities recall Adam Bros red, green lettuce, cauliflower

December 17, 2018

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency this weekend issued a recall on "certain cauliflower, red leaf lettuce and green leaf lettuce" from Adam Bros. Farming Inc. of Santa Maria, California, due to possible E. coli O157: H7 contamination. The affected products described include Courchesne Larose Ltd., Anjou and Fruits et Legumes Gaetan Bono Inc., Montreal, in Quebec, as well as Dominion Citrus, Toronto and Fresh Taste Produce Limited, Milton, in Ontario. A news release said that retailers, restaurants and institutions should not sell, use or consume the recalled products sold in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as possibly other provinces.

The specific tag numbers and description information for the recalled products include:

• Adam Brothers Family Farms cauliflower with carton tag numbers 203-27263 331-18; 203-27263 332-18; 203-27263 333-18; 203-27263 334-18; 203-27268 334-18; 204-27268 332-18 and wrapped in the Adam Brothers Family Farms logo but with no coding information.
• Unbranded green leaf lettuce sold in bulk with carton tag numbers 204-27247 331-18; 253-27268 331-18; 204-27268 331-18 and 204-27268 332-18.
• Unbranded red leaf lettuce sold in bulk with carton tag numbers 253-27267 331-18; 204-27267 331-18 and 203-27267 331-18.   

Restaurateurs should review their stocks and ordering records, particularly since food contaminated with E. coli O157: H7 may not look or smell spoiled, but can still cause illness that can include nausea, vomiting, mild to severe abdominal cramps and watery to bloody diarrhea. But in the most severe cases, the CFIA said the illness can result in seizures or strokes, as well as permanent kidney damage or death. 

This recall was triggered by the previous U.S. recall related to an investigation E. coli O157: H7 linked to the consumption of romaine lettuce. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the United States Food and Drug Administration and is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. The agency said the industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace, but there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

This site has an inquiry into the FDA to determine whether these products were also distributed in the U.S. or other countries.