Grocery stores and restaurants in our area are getting rid of romaine lettuce after an alert from the CDC Tuesday. It’s because of concerns over E. coli; and with Thanksgiving just one day away, it could change people’s holiday menus. And contaminants are so small that washing the lettuce won’t do you any good. At least 32 people in 11 states have gotten sick. Fortunately, no one has died. The CDC is telling people not to eat any type or brand because they haven’t been able to track down a common source. So the alert applies to heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, even romaine that’s part of a salad mix. Both Giant Eagle and Shop ‘n Save report that they’ve removed romaine from their shelves…and some restaurants are no longer using Romain as a precaution. Symptoms of an E.coli infection are bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps that normally happen three to four days after eating the food. For more details, visit the CDC’s website for their Food Safety Alert information.