On Wednesday November 21, 2018, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the
withdrawal / recall of all romaine lettuce imported from the USA because romaine lettuce
was implicated in a multistate outbreak of E. coli bacteria infection. The investigation of
this outbreak by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U. S. Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) is ongoing.
Based on the latest information they have ascertained,
the FDA in its latest statement posted on December 13, 2018 stated that the outbreak of E.
Coli infections in the USA has been linked to romaine lettuce grown and harvested on
farms located in the following three counties in California: (1) Monterey, (2) San Benito,
(3) Santa Barbara.
The FDA is now targeting its warning to romaine lettuce from the
aforementioned areas and further stated that romaine lettuce grown outside these locations
do not appear to be related to the outbreak. The FDA also announced that all romaine
lettuce producers are asked to voluntarily label romaine lettuce showing: (1) harvest
origin/ location – place where lettuce was grown and harvested, and (2) date when it was
harvested.
In light of the latest U.S. FDA Statement, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Dr.
Hazel Laws, has advised the following:
1. Only romaine lettuce from the U.S. States of Arizona and Florida can be imported
into the Federation at this time.
2. All wholesalers, retailers and consumers must not sell, distribute, serve or consume
romaine lettuce imported from the USA without a label showing its harvest
location and harvest date (after November 30, 2018). If you do not know where the
romaine lettuce is from, do not eat it.
3. All importers must indicate their intention to import romaine lettuce from the USA
by sending relevant correspondence to the Environmental Health Department,
Ministry of Health at the following email address: environmentalhealth@gov.kn.
4. The Ministry of Health will check and monitor all romaine lettuce imported from
the USA to ensure that the Port of Origin, the harvest location and harvest date are
clearly and prominently stated.
5. Random samples of imported romaine lettuce will be tested by the St. Kitts &
Nevis Bureau of Standards to ensure that imports are free from E. coli bacteria and
any other food-borne pathogen.
6. This advisory includes all varieties of romaine lettuce such as whole heads or
hearts, bags and boxes of pre-cut lettuce and salad mixes, including Caesar salad.
7. If you do not know where and when your imported romaine lettuce was harvested,
do not sell, serve or consume it.
8. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains
romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.
The Chief Medical Officer will continue to monitor the status of the E. coli outbreak
investigation in the U. S. A. and will issue subsequent advisories accordingly.
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Friday, December 21, 2018
