DeLauro Statement on E. coli Outbreak Linked to Romaine Lettuce

WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the public to avoid eating romaine lettuce due to an E. coli outbreak that has caused 32 people to fall in at 11 states, including Connecticut.

"This is the third E. coli related outbreak linked to romaine lettuce just this year. That is unacceptable. While I welcome the broad announcement from the CDC to warn consumers to avoid eating romaine lettuce in all forms, the agency and FDA have clearly not learned their lesson from previous outbreaks. We must do better. Instead, the Trump administration has shown that food safety is not a priority by delaying crucial provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—like the produce safety rule— and shortchanging food safety resources through their budget requests. Making food safety a priority would be a significant step toward ensuring the food Americans buy and feed to their families is safe."

DeLauro serves as chair of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus, and is a senior Democrat on the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.