Scare causes Sodexho to pull spinach from menu

Due to the recent spread of E. coli through fresh spinach, Sodexho Dining Services has removed all fresh spinach products and foods that come in contact with fresh spinach from the cafeteria.
Fresh spinach has recently been recalled across the country because of a potentially deadly strain of E. coli bacteria that has been found in some of the leafy greens.
With 186 illnesses in the nation being traced back to spinach consumption, students were anxious the first few days after spinach was removed from the salad bar in the cafeteria.
“As soon as I heard about the E. coli outbreak being traced to spinach, I was nervous and tried to make sure I didn’t eat anything with spinach in it,” Shelby Brads, a junior nursing major said.
However, because the Sodexho staff quickly took action, students had little to fear about getting E. coli bacteria from spinach the dining hall.
“As soon as we got word about the bans on spinach, we immediately gathered all the fresh spinach products and disposed of them,” Neil Siegler, director of Campus Dining said.
Some students were surprised at how fast the Sodexho staff responded to the news of the outbreak.
“I heard the news one morning about the bad spinach, and by the time I got to Sodexho for lunch, they had already taken the spinach off the salad bar,” Bekah French, a junior  psychology major said.
While some students are impartial to the absence of spinach at Sodexho, other students are particularly fond of the leafy greens that are often combined with other salad mixes.
“I really like the other salads they offer, but I miss the spinach,” French said.  “I hope the bans will be lifted soon, and we will be able to get it back soon.”
The fact that, to date, there has not been a reported case of illness associated with spinach in Georgia eases many students’ worries.  However, illnesses have been reported in 26 other states.
Although the spread of E. coli in spinach has been traced back to farms in three counties in California, the actual cause of the bacteria contaminating the spinach has yet to be found.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the spinach is thought to be contaminated by the 0157:H7 strain of E. coli, which is found most commonly in cow manure.  This strain is considered potentially deadly and is known to result in intestinal problems, including bloody stool, which can lead to kidney failure and death. 
The CDC encourages consumers to avoid fresh spinach and other salad mixes that may contain it.  If anyone has any spinach in their refrigerators, they are also advised to dispose of it.
While investigations into the outbreak continue and the vegetable is still banned, salad-loving students look forward to the re-entry of spinach to the salad bar.
However, these students must wait until Sodexho gets clearance from the proper channels to serve spinach again. 
“Sodexho will not be serving fresh spinach on the salad bar or anywhere at all until the proper inspections and investigations take place, and everything is in the clear,” Seigler said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 6 2006. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry