The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is adding another layer of food safety on imports of romaine lettuce from the United States.
“Effective October 7, 2020, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will introduce a new temporary sampling and testing requirement for some California romaine lettuce prior to import into Canada,” the agency said online Friday.
“The CFIA will require importers to either provide proof that romaine lettuce does not originate from counties in the Salinas Valley, or provide an official certificate of analysis from an accredited laboratory confirming that the lettuce has below-detectable levels of E. coli.
“From 2016 to 2019, romaine lettuce from California was linked to outbreaks of E. coli illnesses in the U.S.A. and Canada. Food safety investigations by Canadian and U.S. authorities identified the Salinas Valley growing region as a recurring source of outbreaks,” the website posting said.
“The testing program adds an extra layer of controls to the food safety measures in place under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulation, which include a regular monitoring program for E. coli O157:H7 in fresh vegetables.”