E Coli Spinach Outbreak Spreads
FDA Says Avoid Fresh Spinach Until Further Notice
The fresh spinach scare is forcing restaurants to modify their salad bars and in some cases pull items from their menus. Besides discarding any uncooked spinach on their premises, restaurants across the U.S. that serve mixed greens are scrambling to find blends without spinach leaves as a precautionary safety measure. [WSJ $$]
"We're in the process of replacing our spring mix with a blend that has absolutely no spinach in it," Rick Johnson, senior vice president at Ruby Tuesday Inc. said.
A spokeswoman for Applebee's International Inc., which operates the nation's largest chain of grills-and-bars, said, "Where appropriate, we are substituting other salad greens, such as romaine and iceberg lettuce."
McDonald's Corp.'s said it has pulled all baby spinach from its salad mix as a precaution. "Like all food businesses, we are closely monitoring the situation and continue to look to the FDA to provide further guidance as more is known."
The National Restaurant Association issued the following statement in response to the foodborne illness outbreak associated with bagged fresh spinach:
"The Association, which is working closely with FDA and other allied members within the food supply chain, is recommending that restaurants also follow the FDA's guidance and temporarily remove fresh and fresh-processed spinach and other fresh produce items that include spinach from their menus during this investigation. Many restaurant companies have proactively and voluntarily removed these items from their menus." [RNR]
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