Here’s an FDA report on a Romain lettuce E. coli outbreak that resulted in 5 deaths. There’s a couple of ways E. coli can get from cow intestines to lettuce: cow manure gets into irrigation canals/streams, and a downstream farm uses that to water their crops; manure used for fertilizer is not properly treated; cows get into farm fields that they shouldn’t be in. Lettuce is particularly susceptible because it is often eaten raw.
Ah! Makes sense. Your reasoning makes far more sense in the former rather than the latter examples. :) Yes, I’m sure livestock gets into vegetable fields now and again, but farmers and ranchers are mostly two different professions.
Do tell how that works. Are you imagining herds of cows roaming among the lettuce rows?
Here’s an FDA report on a Romain lettuce E. coli outbreak that resulted in 5 deaths. There’s a couple of ways E. coli can get from cow intestines to lettuce: cow manure gets into irrigation canals/streams, and a downstream farm uses that to water their crops; manure used for fertilizer is not properly treated; cows get into farm fields that they shouldn’t be in. Lettuce is particularly susceptible because it is often eaten raw.
Ah! Makes sense. Your reasoning makes far more sense in the former rather than the latter examples. :) Yes, I’m sure livestock gets into vegetable fields now and again, but farmers and ranchers are mostly two different professions.
also, if you live in the right zones lettuce growing season is coming up. homegrown lettuce is ridiculously better than store bought