A new article published in Canada's Globe and Mail article delves into the research on the health benefits of vegetarian eating.

The article, Vegetarian Diet Protects Against Some Cancers, dietitian Leslie Beck (who appears Wednesdays on CTV's Canada AM) looks at the broad research that has been done on the protective benefits of vegetarian diets.

The most recent study compared the risks of 20 different types of cancer among 61,556 meat eaters and vegetarians living in Britain who were followed for more than 12 years.

The researchers found that vegetarians were 12 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the meat eaters – even after accounting for other risk factors including smoking, alcohol intake and obesity.

When the researchers compared the risk for specific cancers, the vegetarian diet offered significant protection for some. Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians' risk of stomach cancer was reduced by 64 per cent, bladder cancer by 53 per cent, multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow) by 75 per cent and non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 43 per cent.

For those who are interested in learning more about healthy vegetarian eating, check out the Toronto Vegetarian Association's Healthy Eating Workshop page to learn about our upcoming beginner's workshops which will be a big part of our 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair.

VegE-News is a monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe. Their latest issue's stories included:

• Meat main source of serious bacteria infection. A new study has found that nearly all of the campylobacteriosis cases in the patients evaluated were caused by bacteria in animals farmed for meat, in particular chicken and cattle. Camplylobacter jejuni causes more cases of gastroenteritis in the West than any other bacterial pathogen, including E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium and Listeria combined. Meanwhile, resistance to antibacterials in animals is rising. Salmonella and Campylobacter, in particular, are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotic treatments.

• Threat of 'major global recession' tied to bird flu. A severe outbreak of flu could kill tens of millions of people and spur a "major global recession," the World Bank is warning world leaders preoccupied with financial, food, and fuel crises. The bank has drawn up a worst-case scenario in which a flu pandemic could kill as many as 71 million people, cost three trillion dollars and cut global gross domestic product (GDP) by almost 5 per cent. [Crowding of domestic poultry has been identified as a major cause of bird flu.]

• Vegan diet good for Type 2 Diabetes. A vegan diet may do a better job of reducing cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients than a diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), according to a new study. Two out of three people with diabetes die of a heart attack or stroke, so reducing cardiovascular disease is a priority.

• Cancer risk in grilled chicken meals at leading restaurants. A new study in Nutrition and Cancer (an International Journal) found that grilled chicken items at leading chain restaurants raise the risk of cancer. An analysis of 100 grilled chicken items from McDonald's, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Chili's, Applebee's and other chains found that they all contained PhIP, the most abundant of a group of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). The levels of PhIP contained in grilled chicken entrées, many of which are considered "healthy" menu selections, could contribute significantly to a person's total intake of carcinogens and may play a role in the development of breast, prostate and other cancers, according to the study.

More news

• New film: Eating Mercifully. The Humane Society of the United States released a film called Eating Mercifully as part of its new "All Creatures Great and Small" campaign. In the film, Dale and Elaine West share how their Christian faith led them to give up their meat consumption. The couple lives on a farm that has been turned into an animal sanctuary. The film examines Christian perspectives on factory farming. View trailer.

• You heard it on Oprah: Factory farms stink. "Oprah Winfrey's [October 14] show, How We Treat The Animals We Eat, blew the lid off the egg industry, shining a long-overdue light on the bleak, black underbelly of sunny-side up. Investigative reporter Lisa Ling had to don a sanitation suit and cap before leading her camera crew through an industrial egg facility where 87,000 chickens were crammed into criminally close quarters and covered in, well, chicken sh*t. Words could hardly convey her revulsion at the stench..." Related: Oprah goes vegan - at least for 21 days.

• New Toronto vegetarian food bank is booming. Canada's only vegetarian food bank is barely five months old and already serving more than 200 people from locations in Scarborough and North York – areas under-served and with large vegetarian Hindu communities. Anyone interested in helping can call 416-744-4357.

• Japan slaughters thousands of dolphins, ignores protests.

• Special extended DVD edition of 'Earthlings' released. Earthlings is an award-winning feature-length documentary about the suffering of animals used for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered one of the most persuasive documentaries ever made, Earthlings frankly presents the day-to-day practices in some of the world's largest industries. The new edition includes more than 25 minutes of deleted scenes with additional narration by Joaquin Phoenix and two featurettes. Subtitles now are offered in 10 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, Arabic and Hindi. View trailer and first 7 minutes.

• She's raw and loving it. Rose Vasile's life has taken some interesting twists in the past decade, from intense insurance executive and pack-a-day smoker to laid-back advocate for the raw food movement. Once she made the transition, she quickly shed 23 kilograms (50 pounds) and noticed several improvements in her health including sleeping more soundly, clear skin, mental clarity, increased energy and her allergies had disappeared. The 57-year-old Rose is the author of the self-published Uncooking with RawRose: Your Guide to Raw Foods. See www.rawrose.com

VegE-News is a monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe. Their July issue 's stories included:

Health
• Personal values deceive taste buds. Many heavy meat-eaters believe they eat meat because of the taste. But according to groundbreaking new research the reason that a beef burger tastes better than a veggie burger to some people has more to do with values than actual taste.

• Dr. Ornish: The never-ending diet wars. A new study, funded in part by the Atkins Foundation, comparing the Atkins diet, a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet has resulted in headlines saying that a low-carb diet is best for weight loss and health. However, according to Ornish, the study is extremely flawed. The participants who followed the "Atkins diet" were counseled to choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein and to avoid trans fat. A vegetarian Atkins diet?

• Could missing molecule explain why meat causes disease in humans?

• German study: Vegetarians live longer. A study of 1,904 vegetarians over a period of 21 years produced shocking results: Vegetarian women benefited from a 30 percent reduction in mortality and vegetarian men reduced their risk of early death by 50 percent!

• Research: Popular tilapia fish contains potentially dangerous fatty acid combination.

Environment
• Diet for a more-crowded planet: Plants.
• Global warming: The meat of the matter.
• Oceans empty of fish - and the ecosystem is gasping.

Lifestyles and Trends
• Canada: These elite athletes are vegetarians. A group on Vancouver Island is showing that athletes don't need meat to compete. "Dinner last night was a big yam, about two cups of broccoli, two cups of kale and a little veggie chicken thing," says Dave Shishkoff, 32, a competitive cyclist and a vegan for almost 18 years.  Dave is also president of the Victoria chapter of Organic Athlete, an organization dedicated to providing information and support to vegetarian, vegan and whole-food athletes.
• Meatless in Moscow.
• Flexitarians: Fewer omnivores find meatless meals a dilemma.

Animal Issues and Advocacy.
• EU proposes crackdown on seal hunt. The announced plan covers hunts worldwide, but focuses on Canada due to claims by anti-hunt campaigners that it is the cruelest. Canadian seal hunters use spiked clubs and rifles to kill seals.
• Rabbi finds vegetarianism to be a religious ideal.

Seven or more eggs a week raises risk of death

Men who ate seven or more eggs a week had a higher risk of earlier death, according to a 20-year study involving 21,327 men, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. And for men with diabetes, eating any eggs at all raised their risk of death. The study adds to an ever-growing body of evidence questioning how safe eggs are to eat. Eggs are rich in cholesterol that can clog arteries and raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• From Yahoo New, April 9, 2008. For alternatives, see vegan egg substitutes.

Three strips of bacon a day raises your cancer risk by 20 per cent

Processed meat can significantly raise the risk of bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, experts have warned. Research shows that eating the equivalent of one sausage or three pieces of bacon a day - raises the likelihood of bowel cancer by a fifth. The sobering statistic adds to growing evidence that too much meat in the diet can be deadly. Professor Martin Wiseman, the World Cancer Research Fund's medical and scientific adviser, said: "We are more sure now than ever before that eating processed meat increases your risk of bowel cancer... The evidence is that whether you are talking about bacon, ham or pastrami, the safest amount to eat is none at all." The analysis, published last November, also found that red meat raises the risk of the disease, but to a lesser extent. Meat can be high in fat and iron, both of which are linked to cancer, and processing raises levels of cancer-causing chemicals called N-nitroso compounds. Processed meats may also trigger cancer in the prostate, lung, stomach and oesophagus.
• From Daily Mail, UK - March 31, 2008

Bird flu virus has mutated into form that's deadly to humans

The avian flu has undergone a critical mutation making it easier for the virus to infect humans, according to a study at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "We are rolling the dice with modern poultry farming practices," warns consumer health advocate Mike Adams, author of the book How to Beat the Bird Flu. "By raising chickens in enclosed spaces, treating them with antibiotics, and denying them access to fresh air, clean water and natural sunlight, we are creating optimal conditions for the breeding of highly infectious diseases that can quickly mutate into human pandemics."
• From Natural News - March 6, 2008

Adapted from the April edition of VegE-News' monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe. Their April issue's stories also include:

• Gluten-free vegan diet could protect arthritics' hearts.
• Study suggests soy stops prostate cancer spread.

Lifestyles and Trends
• While the number of vegans is estimated at about 1.4 per cent of the U.S. population and 2.3 per cent are defined as strictly vegetarian, 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the population falls into a category referred to as "flexitarians," those who mostly eat vegetarian but make occasional allowances for meat.

Animal Issues
• More companies discontinuing farm animal confinement.
• Love in the octopus' garden.
• Animal rights group sues egg producer.

Books
• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
• Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food.
• Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Battle for the World's Food System. Author, Raj Patel paints a scary and accurate picture of the food industry.

Researchers have found yet another reason to go vegan: A plant-based, gluten-free diet seems to offer people with rheumatoid arthritis welcome pain relief.

A study based at the rheumatology unit of Sweden's Karolinska Institutet has demonstrated that switching to a vegan, gluten-free diet appears to make beneficial changes to the immune system which slows down the spread of the disease. The swelling and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the immune system attacking the lining of the joints.

Researchers compared the number of swollen joints found in 28 patients on a normal diet, with 30 patients who were instructed to eat only vegan, gluten-free foods. They found a reduction in the number of swollen joints in those who switched to the plant-based regimen for three months or more. There was also a large drop in the level of a chemical in the blood called CRP, which doctors use to measure inflammatory activity in the body.

After twelve months, the patients placed on the plant-based diet, also had a lower body mass index, lower cholesterol levels and higher amounts of immune system factors that can potentially inhibit inflammatory reactions.

VegE-News is a monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe. Their March issue's stories include:

Health.
 • Superbug found in Canadian pork products.
 • Low-fat diet reduces vascular heart disease risk.
 • Soy reduces breast cancer risk according to Japanese study. Women who eat tofu, miso soup or natto on a regular basis face lower risks of breast cancer. Another recent study showed older women who eat soy-based foods faced lower risks of heart disease.
 • Mad cow disease strikes again in Canada.

Environment.
 • How true are claims that going veg benefits the environment? "Mounting evidence suggests that meat-based diets are not only unhealthy, but that just about every aspect of meat production is an environmental disaster with wide and sometimes catastrophic consequences."
 • London council's green advice to staff: Go vegetarian.
 • Half a good idea: Manitoba bans new hog barns in half of province.

Lifestyles and Trends.
 • Increasing demand for meat contributes to world hunger and high prices.
  • Veggie athlete: Diet fit for a Prince. That 6-foot, 260-pound first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers is powered by wheatgrass, soy and tofu nowadays. No meat. Not even fish. Prince Fielder used to enjoy a juicy steak as much as any carnivore, but a few weeks ago he received the book Skinny Bitch from his wife, Chanel. "After reading that, [meat] just didn't sound good to me anymore. It grossed me out a little bit. ... I don't miss it at all." Fielder said he has a lot more energy than he did before the new diet, and his body feels cleansed.
• Vegetarian fast food enjoys more and more popularity. U.S. restaurant group Zen Burger aims to revolutionize the fast food world with a chain of vegetarian outlets.
 • Interview: Professor Richard H. Schwartz, President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America.

Animal Issues and Advocacy.
 • Meat: An ugly reality show. "It's official: Downers – cows too sick to stand, the ones at highest risk for mad cow disease – were indeed getting into the [U.S.] food supply and being fed to our nation's children in the school lunch program."
 • USDA may install cameras in slaughterhouses.
 • Australia: Call to alter food labels for animals' sake.

Books and Perspectives.
 • Activist documentary maker asks: How can pet lovers eat meat?

Do I really need to eliminate meat entirely to get the health and environmental benefits of a vegetarian diet?

Many recent studies show that cutting way back on meat and animal products is a great way to boost health. If you are able to maintain a nearly vegetarian diet, you will likely get all the health benefits that vegetarians enjoy (less cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc). The same is also true for environmental concerns, restricting meat consumption goes a long way towards freeing up land for wilderness, saving energy and reducing climate change gasses.

But going entirely vegetarian makes it much easier to maintain a healthy planet-friendly diet. Here's why:

1. Committing to being vegetarian forces to you stay on track. You can't so easily give in to temptations when you have drawn a firm line in the sand. It is like a paradigm shift in your life. New vegetarians often purge their fridge, freezer, and cupboards of all the foods they no longer will eat, educate themselves about nutrition and new ways of cooking, replace their cookbooks, seek out vegetarian recipes online, etc.

2. Being firm will also get you over the difficult initial transition period. After a couple of months, your taste buds will change and your desire for meat will most likely diminish. Many vegetarians find that the smell of cooking meat actually becomes unpleasant. It is similar to quitting smoking in some ways. Going from a pack-a-day to one cigarette may net you all the health benefits of quitting, but it would be extremely difficult to get over the constant craving for more.

3. Being able to say that you are vegetarian provides an excellent excuse to tell friends and family, when explaining why you can no longer indulge in their meaty meals.

4. You will more likely be seen by others as an example of healthy positive change. Many people who become vegetarian find that some friends and loved-ones eventually change their diets as well. Just your silent example can be very effective. Being vegetarian proves that it is possible, healthy and popular (popular in the sense that your friends now know someone else who is veggie). If you're still eating some meat or fish, others may view you as being no different, and will have no reason to examine the role of meat in their own diet.

5. Going entirely vegetarian can soothe your conscience. It can be a karmic load off your mind and soul to know that your diet no longer contributes to animal suffering and death.

For help going entirely vegetarian, check out our Veggie Challenge.

For more questions see our FAQ's page.

A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal casts doubt on the health benefits of fish oil.

Dr. David Jenkins, a professor of medicine and nutritional science at the University of Toronto, and his co-authors analyzed three major studies that looked at heart patients and fish-oil supplements. One found benefits to fish oil, another found that taking fish oil actually left heart patients in worse shape, and the third found that the supplements had no effect. (They didn't consider fish oil's effect on joint pain, Alzheimer's disease or depression.)

An article about the study in The Globe and Mail says: "Omega-3 fats in oily fish make the blood less likely to form clots, lower blood fat levels and protect against irregular heartbeats that cause sudden death from cardiac arrest. But fish oil can also have harmful effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding, especially at high doses."

Perhaps the wonder-food status of fish oil will be a passing fad like oat bran, low-carb diets and pomegranate juice. Jenkins told the Globe that his suspicions were aroused by the near-universal acclaim for fish oil and the omega-3 fatty acids it contains. 

Comments left by readers of the Globe article included:

• "Snake oil has been replaced by fish oil, it appears."
• "It may not help your health, but it sure makes you stinky and very important to cats."
• "...while our bodies need a basic amount of omega 3's to survive, as our own metabolism cannot synthesize these fatty acids, taking anything beyond this is not proven. Do we wish to further deplete our oceans' fish stocks chasing another fountain of youth rainbow?"

Fish and mercury

Another health risk to consider is contamination from mercury and other industrial pollution. A controvery erupted recently in the U.S. when a group called the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition started urging pregnant women and new mothers to eat more seafood in order to get Omega-3s. The advice conflicted with government guidelines limiting mercury intake. It turned out that the group was getting funding from the National Fisheries Institute — an industry group that promotes seafood. MSNBC also has a good article entitled: Debate rages over what level of mercury in tuna is considered harmful.

Vegetarian sources of Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 essential fatty acids include ALA, EPA and DHA. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found mainly in the oil of flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, rapeseed (canola oil), and soybeans. ALA reduces blood clotting, and is good for the heart. Over time, the body converts some of the ALA into EPA and, to a lesser extent, DHA. These two are also found to a small degree in seaweeds, and there are vegan DHA supplements made from micro-algae. Low levels of DHA have been associated with depression. Two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or two teaspoons of flax oil per day will provides plenty of ALA. It is best not to over-heat flax, as high temperatures can damage the omega-3s.

Direct forms of fish-free DHA include supplements and flax oils containing DHA derived from algae. The best value is Udo's Choice Unrefined Algae DHA that provides 250mg of DHA per capsule. Two other examples include: Flora's DHA Flax Oil that provides 100mg of DHA per tablespoon and North Coast Naturals 369+DHA that provide 50-60mg of DHA per capsule. These are available at natural food stores. Ask them to order some if you don't see it. Or try a google search to locate online suppliers and similar products.

Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6s

Unlike Omega-3s, Omega-6 fatty acids are numerous in modern diets. They are especially prevalent in refined vegetable oils (from soy, corn, sunflower, safflower, soy, and cottonseed) used in most of the snack foods, cookies, crackers, sweets and fast food common in the North American diet.

According to an article at DrWeil.com, the typical Western diet has an excess of omega-6s, especially in ratio to omega-3s. This imbalance may be responsible for much of the chronic inflammatory diseases seen today. Humans used to consume omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in roughly equal amounts. Today, Western diets typically have ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 in excess of 1 to 10, some as high as 1 to 30. The optimal ratio is thought to be 1 to 4 or lower.

Approx. Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio in select plant foods/oils
(In brackets is the ratio expressed in grams per 100 grams – omega-3 to omega-6)

Flaxseed oil 4:1 (55g : 15g)
Flaxseeds 4:1 (20.3g : 5g)
Chia seeds 3:1 (21g : 7g)
Canola oil 1:2 (11g : 22g)
Hemp seeds 1:3 (7g : 21g)
Walnuts 1:5 (10.4g : 53g)
Soy 1 : 7.5 (7g : 53g)

Macadamia Nut 1:1 (1.5g : 1.5g)
Avocado 1 : 12.5 (1g : 12.5g)
Olive 1 : 13 (0.7g : 9g)

In general, all other common nuts and seeds (and their oils) have only trace amounts of omega-3s and relatively high amounts of omega-6. But you can balance these to some extent with high omega-3 content foods such as flax.

Note: Coconut oil has no omega-3 but only 3 grams of omega-6 per 100 grams.

Links to more information on Omega-3

• The Vegetarian Position Paper (view as a 20-page pdf) by the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada has a section titled "N-3 fatty acids" on page 7.
• Making Sense of Fats and Oils by Brenda Davis, RD.
• Detailed article on Omega-3s by Jack Norris, RD, VeganHealth.org.
• Essential Fatty Acids by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 
• Plant based sources of vegan & vegetarian DHA and EPA, by Yvonne Bishop-Weston, Nutritionist

See our vegetarian nutrition page for information about other nutritional concerns.

VegE-News is a monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe. Their December issue's stories include:

Health Meat can raise cancer risk according to a recent study involving 500,000 people.

“People who eat a lot of red meat and processed meats have a higher risk of several types of cancer, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer”

Britain faces mad cow epidemic from infected beef. Study reports no effect of calcium, dairy on weight loss. Mediterranean diet lengthens Americans' lives too.

Environment CNN feature: Food and the environment.

“...as much as 31 per cent of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions come from the food chain. More than half of that amount - 18 per cent of total emissions - comes from meat production, leading to growing calls for people to cut back on their meat consumption, or to eliminate meat from their diets completely.”

Water – Beef consumes seven times the amount of water per ounce of protein as wheat, and almost 25 times as much per calorie. EU agrees to quota cuts to save bluefin tuna. Fish farms pushing wild salmon to extinction.

Lifestyles and Trends Vegan bodybuilder proves meat and muscles aren't synonymous. Tips for teens on becoming vegetarian Help! A vegetarian's coming to dinner. Study: Price of fresh fruit, vegetables and other lower-calorie foods rising drastically. Veggie experiences: "More and more people sharing my vegan disposition."

Animal Issues and Advocacy Bill Maher to George Bush: Pardon all the turkeys. In some households, every day is turkey day. Australian navy to track Japan's whaling fleet. Foie gras a 'diseased' food, U.S. animal welfare groups say. Animal sentience: Animals do the cleverest things. U.S authorities investigate alleged massive pig abuse.

Books The Whale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet’s Largest Mammals.

CookingLight.com has a good article about five healthy eating habits learned from the traditional diets of cultures around the world. Here is a summary:

1. Eat plenty of produce and whole grains
Traditionally in China, the diet consists primarily of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. And in Greece, vegetables and legumes are main meals, not just side dishes. Three servings or more a day of produce can lower the risk of stroke, heart disease and some cancers, according to research cited in the article. On a vegetarian diet, this habit comes naturally.

2. Savor leisurely dining
"Eating comfortably and slowly discourages overeating and fosters relaxation, which aids digestion. The body processes food more easily and efficiently when it's calm." One of Greece's dietary guidelines (its version of Canada's food guide) is to "eat slowly, preferably at regular times of the day, and in a pleasant environment."

3. Practice portion control
An average meal in France is 25 percent smaller than one in United States. A recent American study found that a typical single-serving yogurt container was 82 percent larger than one offered in Paris, and a soft drink was 52 percent larger. "In Japan, foods also come in smaller sizes and are often eaten out of bowls, rather than large plates or platters."

4: Eat a variety of unprocessed, fresh foods
"Studies show that fresh foods provide more fiber; fewer calories, saturated fats, and trans fats; and less added salt and sugar." Farmers’ markets are one of the best places to find farm-fresh foods.

5: Spice up your plate
A mainstay in the cuisines of India, China and Southeast Asia, herbs and spices add flair and flavour to food without added calories or fat. Herbs, such as garlic, thyme and rosemary, and spices, like cinnamon, cloves and turmeric, may also fight disease. "One 40-day study of 60 people with type-2 diabetes found that consuming half a teaspoon of cinnamon twice daily significantly lowered subjects' blood sugar and cholesterol levels."

Behind the convenience of pre-packaged salad greens lurk danger and environmental costs

by  Laura Beaulne-Stuebing

It’s sitting on your plate, lightly seasoned with balsamic vinaigrette. Beside the brown rice and tofu, this salad is a part of your healthy dinner. It was easy to include it in your meal – all you had to do was open a plastic bag or container. Buying packaged salad mixes is a convenient and affordable way to make sure you’re getting the 5-10 servings a day that Canada’s Food Guide calls for.

But where, you might ask, does this mix of leafy greens come from? And how could it possibly be a danger?

Packaged salad mixes have exploded in popularity in the past few years. Their convenience can’t be argued. Who has time every night to wash, dry, and chop up enough vegetables to make a salad? Instead, with one easy scissor cut, we can enjoy the benefits of our greens without all that washing and chopping.

As packaged salad’s popularity has grown, however, so have incidences of E. coli poisoning. In 2005, Dole Food Co. issued a recall of its bagged Classic Romaine, American Blend, and Greener Selection in the United States, which were associated with severe cases of E. coli. 1

And just a few days ago on Sept. 16, 2007, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a warning that Ready-to-Eat Dole brand Hearts Delight lettuce salad should not be eaten as it may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli bacteria.

In September 2006, three people died and 200 became sick in the US after eating bagged spinach from Missions Organics Growers, a spinach producer in Salinas, California. Food investigators linked the outbreak to contaminated river water from a nearby cattle ranch. 2