The FDA is investigating 3 separate E. coli outbreaks

Just days after health officials urged Americans to throw out their salad kits over E. coli concerns, the Food and Drug Administration announced it’s investigating three separate E. coli outbreaks linked to salad products.

The first outbreak, linked to romaine lettuce from the Salinas, California, region, has already affected about 102 people across 21 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Final results are still pending, the FDA said. But during the multi-state investigation taking place, Wisconsin health officials found the bacteria in a pre-washed cropped romaine lettuce bag from Salinas, Valley, California, officials said.

The second outbreak originates from Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits.

“To date, the CDC reported eight confirmed cases in the U.S. across three states associated with this cluster of illnesses,” the FDA said.

The third outbreak is associated with romaine lettuce from Washington state restaurant chain Evergreens, the agency and local health officials said.

“These closely related strains among people who ate at Evergreens are different from the strain currently causing a national outbreak of E. coli associated with romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, California,” Seattle & King County Public Health officials said.

The outbreaks seem to be from three different strains of E. coli, the FDA said.