Unless Popeye gets his spinach from the local co-op, it might be up to Wimpy to save Olive Oyl the next time around.
On Sept. 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the warning regarding the presence of E. coli in spinach from prepackaged to all supermarket spinach. That decision came after learning that many retail outlets simply remove the packaging before display.
The 0157:H7 strain of E. coli has been identified as the cause of sickness in 19 states and one death in Wisconsin. Illnesses related to the digestion of E. coli include hemolytic uremic syndrome a condition that sometimes triggers kidney failure.
According to the FDA, there’s no way to wash the deadly bacterium out of produce. The best solution: Toss it.
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This article appears in Sep 21-28, 2006.