E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks associated with lettuce, specifically the “pre-washed” and “ready-to-eat” varieties, are by no means a new phenomenon. In fact, the frequency with which this country’s fresh produce consuming public has been hit by outbreaks of pathogenic bacteria is astonishing. Here is just a sample of E. coli outbreaks based on information gathered by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Kansas State University, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
| Date | Vehicle | Etiology | Confirmed Cases |
States/Provinces |
| July 1995 | Lettuce (leafy green; red; romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 74 | 1:MT |
| Sept. 1995 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 20 | 1:ID |
| Sept. 1995 | Lettuce (iceberg) | E. coli O157:H7 | 30 | 1:ME |
| Oct. 1995 | Lettuce (iceberg; unconfirmed) | E. coli O157:H7 | 11 | 1:OH |
| May-June 1996 | Lettuce (mesclun; red leaf) | E. coli O157:H7 | 61 | 3:CT, IL, NY |
| May 1998 | Salad | E. coli O157:H7 | 2 | 1:CA |
| Feb.-Mar. 1999 | Lettuce (iceberg) | E. coli O157:H7 | 72 | 1:NE |
| Oct. 1999 | Salad | E. coli O157:H7 | 92 | 3:OR, PA, OH |
| Oct. 2000 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 6 | 1:IN |
| Nov. 2001 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 20 | 1:TX |
| July-Aug. 2002 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 29 | 2:WA, ID |
| Nov. 2002 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 13 | 1:Il |
| Dec. 2002 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 3 | 1:MN |
| Oct. 2003-May 2004 | Lettuce (mixed salad) | E. coli O157:H7 | 57 | 1:CA |
| Apr. 2004 | Spinach | E. coli O157:H7 | 16 | 1:CA |
| Nov. 2004 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 6 | 1:NJ |
| Sept. 2005 | Lettuce (romaine) | E. coli O157:H7 | 32 | 3:MN, WI, OR |
| Sept. 2006 | Spinach (baby) | E. coli O157:H7 and other serotypes | 205 | Multistate and Canada |
| Nov./Dec. 2006 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 71 | 4:NY, NJ, PA, DE |
| Nov./Dec. 2006 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 81 | 3:IA, MN, WI |
| July 2007 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 26 | 1:AL |
| May 2008 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 9 | 1:WA |
| Oct. 2008 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 59 | Multistate and Canada |
| Nov. 2008 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 130 | Canada |
| Sept. 2009 | Lettuce: Romaine or Iceberg | E. coli O157:H7 | 29 | Multistate |
| Sept. 2009 | Lettuce | E. coli O157:H7 | 10 | Multistate |
| April 2010 | Romaine | E. coli O145 | 33 | 5:MI, NY, OH, PA, TN |
| Oct. 2011 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 60 | Multistate |
| April 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 28 |
1:CA Canada |
| June 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 52 | Multistate |
| Sept. 2012 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 9 | 1:PA |
| Oct. 2012 | Spinach and Spring Mix Blend | E. coli O157:H7 | 33 | Multistate |
| Apr. 2013 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 14 | Multistate |
| Aug. 2013 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 15 | 1:PA |
| Oct. 2013 | Ready-To-Eat Salads | E. coli O157:H7 | 33 | Multistate |
| Apr. 2014 | Romaine | E. coli O126 | 4 | 1:MN |
| Apr. 2015 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O145 | 7 | 3:MD, SC, VA |
| June 2016 | Mesclun Mix | E. coli O157:H7 | 11 | 3:IL, MI, WI |
| Nov. 2017 | Leafy Greens | E. coli O157:H7 | 67 | Multistate and Canada |
| Mar. 2018 | Romaine | E. coli O157:H7 | 219 | Multistate and Canada |