Lettuce — particularly romaine — has been at the center of some of the most serious foodborne illness outbreaks in recent U.S. history. E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce in 2018 and 2019 sickened hundreds of people across dozens of states, caused kidney failure in many victims, and resulted in deaths. Unlike many recalled products, lettuce is typically eaten raw, meaning there is no cooking step to eliminate pathogens. There are currently multiple food recalls tracked on Recall Tracker, including fresh produce and leafy green recalls.
This page explains how to check whether your specific lettuce is affected, which agency handles produce recalls, the most common contamination causes, and what to do if your product is recalled.
Step 1: Identify the type of lettuce and brand.
Recall notices distinguish between romaine, iceberg, green leaf, red leaf, butter lettuce, and other varieties. The growing region and harvest dates are often key identifiers for produce recalls because contamination is typically traced to a specific farm or growing area.
Step 2: Find the harvest date or use-by date.
Bagged and packaged lettuce products display a use-by or best-by date. Romaine recall notices often specify a growing region (such as California's Salinas Valley or Yuma, Arizona) along with a harvest date range. If the recall involves a specific growing region, the origin label on the bag is critical.
Step 3: Note the UPC code and brand.
Bagged salads and packaged lettuce have UPC codes that are included in recall notices. Different brands, bag sizes, and product types have distinct UPCs.
Step 4: Search Recall Tracker.
Go to Recall Tracker and search your brand name or "romaine" or "lettuce." Review any matches and compare product details, date ranges, and growing regions against your specific product.
Step 5: Use the barcode scanner.
The barcode scanner at /scan can scan the UPC on your lettuce bag to check it against the recall database.
Step 6: Set up brand alerts.
Visit brands and follow your produce brand or grower to receive automatic notifications for future recalls.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has jurisdiction over fresh produce including lettuce and all leafy greens. The FDA's produce safety program, expanded under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), includes the Produce Safety Rule, which sets standards for agricultural water quality, soil amendments, and worker hygiene at farms growing fresh produce. See the FDA agency page for more on how FDA recall authority works.
Lettuce recalls are typically voluntary on the part of the grower, distributor, or retailer, with the FDA providing oversight and public communication. The FDA coordinates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on illness investigations and outbreak attribution.
E. coli O157:H7 is the most serious pathogen associated with lettuce recalls. This toxin-producing strain of E. coli causes hemorrhagic colitis (severe bloody diarrhea) and can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure that is especially dangerous in children under five years old.
The contamination pathway for E. coli in leafy greens typically traces to agricultural water. Irrigation water or water used for field cooling that is contaminated with animal feces — from nearby cattle operations, wild animals, or flooding events — can deposit E. coli directly onto growing leaves. Unlike surface contamination on firm produce that can sometimes be washed off, E. coli can penetrate into the structure of leafy greens and is not reliably removed by consumer-level washing.
The Yuma, Arizona romaine outbreak of spring 2018 affected 210 people across 36 states, caused 96 hospitalizations, 27 cases of HUS, and five deaths. The contamination was traced to irrigation water from an agricultural canal near a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO).
Listeria in lettuce is less common than E. coli but has been identified in packaged salad products and leafy green recalls. Listeria can contaminate produce in the field through soil, water, or animal contact, or during processing and packaging. Cold storage does not prevent listeria growth — the pathogen can multiply slowly even under refrigeration.
Listeria is most dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65, and immunocompromised individuals, and can cause miscarriage, meningitis, and bloodstream infections.
Salmonella has been identified as a contaminant in lettuce and bagged salad recalls. Contamination pathways are similar to E. coli — agricultural water, soil amendments containing animal waste, or contact with wild or farmed animals in or near growing fields.
Packaged salad kits containing croutons, cheese, nuts, and dressings have been recalled due to undeclared allergens in the included components — most commonly undeclared wheat in croutons, undeclared tree nuts in toppings, or undeclared milk in dressings. These recalls affect people with specific food allergies rather than the general population.
Discard it immediately. Do not wash and eat recalled lettuce. Washing does not reliably remove E. coli or listeria from leafy greens. Discard the entire product.
Clean surfaces that contacted the lettuce. Wash any cutting boards, containers, or surfaces that came into contact with the recalled lettuce using hot, soapy water. E. coli can be spread from contaminated produce to other surfaces and foods.
Check for symptoms. E. coli O157:H7 symptoms typically appear 3–4 days after exposure but can occur anywhere from 1 to 10 days out. Early symptoms include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which may become bloody. If diarrhea is bloody, or if you develop decreased urination, extreme fatigue, or pallor (signs of HUS), seek emergency medical care immediately.
Do not take antidiarrheal medications. For E. coli O157:H7 infections, antidiarrheal medications such as loperamide are contraindicated because they may increase the risk of HUS by prolonging the time toxins remain in the gut.
Contact a healthcare provider. Anyone who has consumed recalled romaine or other lettuce and develops gastrointestinal symptoms should contact a doctor. Children under five are at highest risk for HUS complications.
No. The FDA advises throwing away recalled lettuce rather than washing it. E. coli and other pathogens can penetrate into the cellular structure of leafy greens and cannot be removed by rinsing. Even thorough washing under running water does not reliably eliminate the contamination risk.
Romaine has been disproportionately involved in E. coli outbreaks for several reasons. Romaine is grown in concentrated agricultural regions — particularly in Arizona and California's Salinas and Imperial valleys — where proximity to cattle operations and shared irrigation water creates pathogen exposure risks. The structure of romaine leaves, with their folds and crevices, may also trap contaminated water more effectively than tighter head lettuces. The FDA has been working with the romaine industry on enhanced traceability measures including harvest date and growing region labeling.
The FDA does not advise avoiding romaine generally when there is no active advisory. During active recalls or outbreak investigations, the FDA issues specific advisories that include the geographic scope and harvest dates of affected product. Outside of active advisories, romaine is safe to consume with normal food safety practices.
Heating lettuce thoroughly would kill E. coli, but this is not a practical or recommended solution. The FDA advises discarding recalled lettuce. The risk of cross-contamination to other foods, surfaces, and utensils during handling outweighs any potential for salvaging the product.
Search all food recalls to check your specific produce brand, and browse food brands to set up automatic alerts. You can also view recall statistics by category to understand trends in produce safety. As of {{CURRENT_DATE}}, Recall Tracker is actively monitoring recalls from FDA, USDA, and seven additional agencies.
Lettuce recalls are usually limited to specific brands, lot codes, product codes, and use-by dates, not every head or bag in the store. Use RecallTracker’s barcode scanner at /scan or search by label at /brands to match the exact product in your fridge against active recall notices. If your package has no code or label, treat it cautiously and check the recall details before eating it.
Romaine has been linked to several major E. coli outbreaks because contamination can happen in the field, during washing, or in processing. In the 2018 Yuma outbreak, FDA reports 210 illnesses, 96 hospitalizations, and 5 deaths; in the 2019 multistate romaine outbreak, CDC reported 167 illnesses and 85 hospitalizations. RecallTracker’s /statistics page helps you see how often romaine appears in outbreak and recall data compared with other greens.
Check the brand name, UPC, product code, lot code, and use-by date printed on the front or back of the package. For example, FDA’s 2021 Fresh Express packaged salad recall covered products with codes Z324 through Z350, and CDC linked that outbreak to 10 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and 1 death. If typing those details is a hassle, start with /scan and then confirm the product at /brands.
No. Washing can remove dirt, but it does not reliably eliminate pathogens like E. coli, Listeria, or Salmonella once the lettuce is contaminated. If your lettuce matches a recall, do not eat it, do not cook with it, and clean any fridge shelves or containers it touched. Premium at /pricing is useful if you want quicker monitoring instead of manually checking every alert.
If you have symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, or fever, contact a healthcare professional and keep the packaging if you still have it. Listeria symptoms can appear much later than typical food poisoning, sometimes 1 to 4 weeks after exposure and in some cases up to 70 days. Use /statistics to review the hazard involved, then save the product details in RecallTracker so you can match future alerts faster through /scan or /brands.