What is a Foodborne Outbreak?

Repeated E. coli outbreaks in romaine lettuce have resulted in a number of deaths and hundreds of illnesses and hospitalizations in Canada and the U.S. Due to the serious nature of these outbreaks, numerous recalls were ordered and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2020 began requiring E. coli testing for certain romaine lettuce imports.

A foodborne outbreak is defined as such when two or more people get sick from consuming the same food or drink.