Sobeys takes romaine lettuce off shelves as precaution amid E. coli outbreak

STELLARTON, N.S. – The Sobeys grocery chain says it is pulling romaine lettuce products from its shelves out of “an abundance of caution” about E. coli contamination.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has advised people in eastern Canada to consider avoiding romaine lettuce because of an E. coli outbreak that has been linked to one death and 40 illnesses.

Cases have been detected in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

There has been no mandatory recall, but Sobeys says it temporarily halted sales of more than 300 romaine lettuce products at locations across the country on Friday as a precaution while public health officials investigate.

Sobeys Inc. (TSX:SBY) has 1,500 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs.

The Nova Scotia-based company says it is following the situation closely and will take action to protect the health of its customers.