Spinach E.Coli

legoman

Taco Bell has had some serious breakouts of E.Coli in America. In the CBS News article

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/05/health/main2228213.shtml

Near the end it says that Spinach is vulnerable to E.Coli. Is that right! Why would leafy vegetables be more likely than other veg to get E.Coli.

I know a batch of Spinach was recalled for E.Coli because the irrigation water was contaminated by sewage water. But that could happen to loads of different veg

L

BuffyBot

Seems is was a to do with a couple of dodgy growers in the US.

FDA and the State of California announced today that test results from the field investigation of the outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 in spinach are positive for E.coli O157:H7. Samples of cattle feces on one of the implicated ranches tested positive based on matching genetic fingerprints for the same strain of E. coli that sickened 199 people.

The trace back investigation has narrowed to four implicated fields on four ranches. The outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 from cattle feces was identified on one of these four ranches. At this time, testing of other environmental samples from all four ranches that supplied the implicated lot of contaminated spinach are in progress. The positive test result is a significant finding, but is just one aspect of this investigation. More information may come forward as the investigation continues. These four fields, located in Monterey and San Benito counties, are not currently being used to grow any fresh produce. While the focus of this outbreak has narrowed to these four fields, the history of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to leafy greens indicates an ongoing problem.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01489.html

I don't really see anything that makes Spinach particularily vunerable, or likely to be infected more than any other veg.