, Columnist
The Romaine Scare Is Actually Sort of Reassuring
The CDC detected the problem after just 32 cases, before any deaths. Give thanks for that impressive feat.
Buyer beware.
Photographer: Frederic J. Brown/AFP, via Getty Images
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Is nothing safe anymore, now that the U.S. government is warning of the danger of leafy greens? The alert not to eat romaine lettuce came just in time to foil plans some Americans might have made for a light, healthy item to add to our traditionally heavy Thanksgiving dinners.
While people should take seriously the recent outbreak of E. coli food poisoning that triggered the alert, the fact that it was flagged early shows that the agency once known as the CDC deserves its upgraded name as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.