Prof. Keith Warriner appeared on BNN Jan. 4 for a story about restaurants and grocery stores that have stopped serving romaine lettuce amid E. coli concerns.
Warriner, a food science professor, told BNN that a recent E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce led the Public Health Agency of Canada to issue a warning. Typically, he said, recalls are issued by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He said that in the absence of an official product recall – and so much uncertainty – businesses have taken the lead in pulling romaine lettuce off their shelves and menus.
While Warriner told BNN he hopes the health risks have passed, he said it’s always good to follow the rule: when in doubt, throw it out.
Warriner researches E. coli, food safety, produce and pathogens at U of G. In December he received an Ontario Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence for helping develop a forced-air ozone reactor — a chemical-free, waterless sanitizer for produce that reduces health risks. He has also developed decontamination methods for salmonella and for products that can cause food-borne illness outbreaks.