14 Utahns Sickened by E.Coli Outbreak

14 Utahns Sickened by E.Coli Outbreak


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Jed Boal RrportingUncooked spinach is still off the table as federal health officials search for a source of the E. coli outbreak. The outbreak has killed one person and sickened more than 114 others, 14 of those cases are here in Utah.

The FDA has linked a California company's fresh spinach to the bacteria, but investigators still work to pinpoint the source.

Our agriculture officials here in Utah point out that our food supply is based partly on trust and there no way to check every crop. None of the contaminated spinach came from Utah, but it's an issue growers across the country are watching.

State Departments of Agriculture certify growers and the packaging houses, but they can't check every crop. Ultimately it's up to the grower to be vigilant about their produce.

Federal health officials ruled out tampering as a source. The FBI is monitoring the situation as a precautionary measure.

Contaminated irrigation water has been added to a list of possible causes. Health investigators want to find the root cause so they can prevent this kind of outbreak in the future.

The spinach could have been contaminated in the field, or during processing. In 2004, and again in 2005, the Food and Drug Administration's top food safety official told California farmers they needed to do more to increase the safety of the fresh leafy greens they grow.

Here in Utah, the department of agriculture says a grower has to consistently supply a quality product if he wants to stay in business.

Larry Lewis, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food: "99.9 percent of the time it's done right. Can we assure 100 percent? We'd like to but in all reality it's impossible."

John Borski, Borski Organic Farm: "I think it's hard to pinpoint it. I think it's hard to go in and tell exactly what could be wrong here or there."

Spinach was pulled from grocery store shelves across the US, Canada and Mexico. Boiling contaminated spinach can kill the bacteria, but washing it won't eliminate it.

Tonight at ten, you'll hear from a young Utahn who was sickened by contaminated spinach and a lawyer who is working on a lawsuit with several E. coli victims.

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