FDA announces new sampling plan for romaine lettuce grown in Yuma Arizona

The FDA launched an assignment to collect romaine lettuce samples from commercial coolers in the Yuma, Arizona, growing region during the current harvest season. The samples will be tested for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella spp. Samples will be collected from February to the end of the season. The focus on commercial coolers enables the FDA to collect samples from multiple farms at centralized locations efficiently. The agency plans to collect and test approximately 500 samples of romaine lettuce. The FDA has contracted with an independent laboratory located in Arizona near the collection sites to test the samples. Test results will be obtained within 24 hours of the laboratory receiving the samples. The agency will engage with the industry in conducting root cause analyses for any positive samples found during this assignment. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-new-sampling-plan-romaine-grown-yuma-arizona-growing-region