Temporary import requirements for fall 2021: some romaine lettuce from parts of California must be tested for E. coli

The following message is provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

To protect Canadians from possible health risks, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is implementing temporary import conditions for romaine lettuce from the Salinas Valley (Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey counties) in California for the 2021 growing season.

Between September 30 and December 31, 2021, importers of romaine lettuce and products containing romaine lettuce from the U.S. are required to provide proof that the product does not originate from counties in California’s Salinas Valley, or an attestation form and certificate of analysis for each shipment to demonstrate that the romaine lettuce does not contain detectable levels of E. coli O157:H7.

Similar temporary import conditions were implemented during last year’s fall season.

The temporary requirements add an extra level of control to the food safety measures already in place under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)…

September 14, 2021 News release

Import requirements for romaine lettuce from the United States (2021)

Please contact your Willson service representative with any questions or concerns.