Adam Bros. Farming is recalling red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and cauliflower harvested November 27-30, 2018, after sediment from the farm’s agriculture water reservoir tested positive for E. coli. The farm, owned and operated by 4th District County Supervisor Peter Adam and his brothers, Dominic, Kieran, and Richard, was identified as one of the sources for the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak announced November 20, 2018. As of December 13, the outbreak has left 59 people ill across 15 states.
The Santa Maria farm was identified as a potential contaminator after a traceback investigation was conducted. On November 27, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collected a sediment sample from the Adams’ farm reservoir that tested positive for E. coli that genetically matched the outbreak strain. “E. coli is currently in the water or was previously, and it could get back in the water if the sediment is disturbed,” according to a CDC spokesperson.
The Adams’ farm has not shipped romaine lettuce since November 20, and it is recalling additional produce that may have been in contact with water from the reservoir. Adam Bros. Farming is cooperating with the ongoing investigation to determine how the water is being used and how E. coli ended up in the sediment of the reservoir, the FDA indicated. “The Adam Bros. Farming, Inc. feels a strong commitment to its customers and has worked for years to provide a safe and healthy food supply,” wrote the farm in a statement.