E. coli creates doubts about food supply

Fresh spinach is one of the most healthy foods around — it's packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But that's little comfort to the 100-plus victims of the E. coli outbreak that's been linked to pre-packaged fresh spinach. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising against eating fresh, raw spinach while it investigates how the spinach got contaminated.

If you raise your own spinach, or trust the sanitation practices of someone who does, great. But it will be awhile before everyone else can enjoy a spinach salad again.

The fact that illnesses have been reported in 19 states speaks to the huge impact of something that happens in a field or factory in California.

As of Monday morning, lab results had confirmed 14 Utah cases as part of the outbreak, according to Cody Craynor, spokesman for the Utah Department of Health.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, Calif., is recalling all its products containing spinach with "Best if Used by Dates" of Aug. 17 through Oct. 1.

According to the FDA's Web site, brands the company supplies spinach to include Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature's Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe's, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, Coastline, D'Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer's Market, Tanimura & Antle, President's Choice, Cross Valley and Riverside Farms.

River Ranch Fresh Foods, also of California, is recalling "spring mix" containing spinach from Natural Selection, which includes the Farmers Market, Hy Vee, Fresh and Easy brands.

E. coli live in the intestine of some healthy cattle. Eating inadequately cooked meat is the most common way of getting the infection, according to the FDA Web site. But other sources include unwashed fruits or vegetables that have been fertilized with cow manure or irrigated with sewage-contaminated water. Person-to-person transmission can occur if infected people don't wash their hands after using the toilet or changing a baby's diapers.

Symptoms of most identified cases of E. coli 0157:H7 include bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Some people can develop kidney failure. One death in Wisconsin has been linked to this particular outbreak so far.