URGENT NEWS **E. coli alert** - bagged spinach

[Miss Mary]

If you have bagged spinach at home, you may want to pitch it. There's been an E. coli outbreak from ~possibly~ bagged spinach, one person had died already, while 49 others are stricken with it. This has affected 8 states so far: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and California.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/15/ta ... index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14841731/

[tropicana]

Thank God I hate spinach and won't touch it with a 10 foot fork, bagged or un-bagged. YAY

[TexasStooge]

Thanks for the heads up.

[O Town]

Yeah I heard about that Mary. We thankfully haven't been on a spinach kick latley. We do go through spirts where we eat alot of spinach salads. Thanks for the links.

[southerngale]

I was just about to fix me a spinach, tomato, onion, and cheese salad when I heard the news last night. It was a new bag of Popeye's bagged spinach. I never ate. grrr

I DESPISE cooked spinach, but it's great raw in a salad. It doesn't taste much different than lettuce and it's wonderful for you...unless of course it has E. coli in it.

[Pburgh]

I'd be afraid to eat any spinach right now. But, I don't buy the bagged spinach or lettuce. I think it has an odd taste.

[HurricaneGirl]

THat's weird because last week sombody e-mailed me a picture of a bag of spinach and there was a live Frog in it.. it was a Mexican brand because the writing on the bag was written in Spanish.

[ohiostorm]

Good thing I hate spinach.

[CajunMama]

Raw spinach is so good for you....as long as you have a tasty dressing on it! I found a great spinach salad dressing at target and would use the bagged spinach.

[Miss Mary]

I actually enjoy spinach salads. Spinach in it's raw state tastes more like a lettuce than it does when cooked or stewed. Very delicious, I might add. But I have to say it will be a while before I want to eat one again. 7 more were sickened in Ohio, alone.

http://www.wxix.com/Global/story.asp?S=5413386

Only a few short years ago, I shunned all bagged produce. Thinking - oh how lazy can you get? LOL I made our salads from scratch. And guess what - my family, annoying as they are at times, like the salads kits better. The ones that come with all the c*ap as I joke - down to the walnuts or dried cranberries. Guess ~my~ salads weren't that exciting. BUT - they never made anyone sick!

Good thing bagged regular salads are okay, we just had a new flavored one with dinner last night. A Dole brand I think, called Fall Harvest. It had an Apple Cider dressing and was quite good.

I read once that if you are leary of any bagged produce, you should just make your own and wash the lettuce leaves twice, once individually and then again, after they're torn into pieces, in your collander.

Stay safe everyone. Skip the Spinach!

Mary

[Brent]

10 states now affected, and there are reportedly 50 new cases in Wisconsin(per a news conference a few minutes ago).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14841731/

[southerngale]

10 states now affected, and there are reportedly 50 new cases in Wisconsin(per a news conference a few minutes ago).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14841731/

I just clicked on your link, Brent, and it's already at 11 states with possible cases in other states:

By Friday, the outbreak had grown to include at least 11 states: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin. Wisconsin accounted for about half the cases, including the lone death, Gov. Jim Doyle said.


Health officials also were investigating possible cases in California, Pennsylvania and Washington.

[Brent]

20 states now!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/15/ta ... index.html

Over 100 sickened.

[Miss Mary]

This is rapidly escalating. How awful but at least they are getting the word out.

I decided to edit the topic title, to draw more attention to this very important health alert.

[angelwing]

What gets me is the word *suspected*...I hope it IS the spinach and not something else

[Miss Mary]

What gets me is the word *suspected*...I hope it IS the spinach and not something else

True. I have to honestly question all bagged produce right now, especially the green salads (which are numerous).

[O Town]

What gets me is the word *suspected*...I hope it IS the spinach and not something else

True. I have to honestly question all bagged produce right now, especially the green salads (which are numerous).

Yep. I am a bit freaked out by the whole thing. Told hubby and the kids no more salad for a while, ecspecially coming from a fast food joint. Although it has not made it to the south yet, it seems like its only a matter of time with the way the numbers are rising so fast.

And angelwing I hope it isn't nothing else either. I am anxious to get to the bottom of this, very soon hopefully.

[angelwing]

Me 2 OTown. Hurricane Girl mentioned that pic of the salad with the live frog in it, I got the same pic last week myself, now this...it makes you wonder....

[Miss Mary]

A 12 year old girl is recovering at our Children's Hospital. She's been in for 5 days and it's been confirmed, she has E. coli. Her mother was on the news tonight and she remembers her daughter ate a sandwich with spinach on it. It wasn't clear if this was in a restaurant or at home. She should be released soon so it sounded as if the little girl would recover. But she had bloody diarrhea and severe, cramps that were extremely painful. The mother said it came from spinach. Here's an article with a video link:

http://www.channelcincinnati.com/health ... tail.html#

[Brent]

CNN just reported the FDA has linked it to "Natural Selection Foods".