It is “unlikely” that any romaine lettuce from Yuma, Arizona — the origin of E. coli contaminated greens — remain on grocery store shelves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the Food and Drug Administration. However, consumers, farmers and retailers are still feeling the impact.
Beyond causing more than 150 people to become sick, the E. coli outbreak caused huge losses to growers, a drop in sales for retailers, and disrupted supply chains as restaurants scrambled to find romaine lettuce alternatives — and the impact could linger, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
“During the week of April 14 (the week the news broke), romaine dollar sales fell 20%, which pushed total lettuce performance down by double digits: iceberg lettuce dollar sales were down 19%; red leaf lettuce dollar sales fell 16%; and endive dollar sales dipped 17%,” according to a Nielsen report on National Salad Month. In May, Romaine sales fell nearly 45%, according to the WSJ, iceberg fell 22%, and red leaf fell 17%. Prices for whole heads of romaine lettuce were down 60%.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Fortune
