Spinach Is Safe to Eat Again

Sept. 29, 2006 — -- Fresh spinach is back on the shelves.

The federal government says it's safe to eat as long as it doesn't come from three California counties that were the sources of deadly contaminated spinach.

Two weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration warned people not to eat it because of an outbreak of E. coli.

Now, things appear to be under control, officials say.

The shelves at Wegmans, an East Coast chain of 71 grocery stores, are green with fresh spinach, and shoppers like Jeri Rippon are glad to have it back.

"I've been having frozen spinach. It's not the same," Rippon said. "I'm a little nervous today."

Wegmans is confident about the return of fresh spinach.

"The FDA says this product is safe. We think this product is safe," said Wegmans' spokeswoman Jo Natale. "We think it's important to build confidence in this product again."

The E. coli outbreak appears to be contained after striking in 26 states across the country. At least 187 people have been sickened by contaminated spinach.

Twenty-nine have come down with HUS, a serious form of kidney trouble.

At least one person has died.

So far investigators can't pinpoint where in the growing, processing and delivery chain the contamination occurred.

They do know it infected spinach grown in three California counties responsible for almost half the spinach produced in America.