United States

Illinois Farm Says Its Romaine Lettuce Was ‘100 Percent Safe'

The Food and Drug Administration narrowed its blanket warning from last week

For the first time in a week, hotel and restaurant supplier Testa Produce is sending out romaine lettuce.

CEO Peter Testa says this lettuce is safe because it comes from Yuma, Arizona.

"This week long of not being able to sell it has impacted our sales because Chicago is a big restaurant town and romaine is a main factor on a lot of people’s menus," Testa said. "We can trace it back to growership or we can take it back to when we got it so we know all of our stuff is from Yuma.”

The Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration think the contaminated lettuce came from the central region of California. So that lettuce is still off-limits.

Fallow Lowe is the head grower for Brightfarms -- a hydroponic greenhouse in Rochelle, Illinois west of Chicago.

“It was very sad to see a lot of our production go into the trash even though it was 100 percent safe,” Lowe said. "Everything is grown in this greenhouse and you can see it in our packaging."

Now that Brightfarms has the all-clear produce like the greenhouse's clamshell lettuce will soon be back on Mariano’s store shelves.

"Coming Thursday we’ll be delivering and then toward the end of the week and the weekend should have everything will be back on the shelves," Lowe said.

A spokesperson for Jewel-Osco says packaged romaine lettuce will be back in all stores early next week and customers will now see a harvest location and harvest date label. The FDA is urging all growers to do just that.

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