With Maryland facing its first cases of E. coli from tainted spinach, including one possible death, the state?s cooks and chefs are searching for other alternatives to the vitamin-rich, green leafy vegetable.
Hagerstown resident June Dunning, 86, apparently died from E. coli after spending almost a week drifting in and out of a coma, according to the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. She died Sept. 13 at Washington County Hospital, and tests that could link her illness to the nationwide outbreak are still pending.
However, of nine other E. coli cases across the state, three have been confirmed as linked to the strain that has sickened people nationwide, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spokesman John Hammond said. Three others were confirmed as not connected to the epidemic.
“This is a very suspicious association at this point, there?s no question about it,” Washington County Health Department spokesman Rod MacRae told The Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
157 people in 23 states havegotten sick after eating fresh spinach grown in California, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Of those, 83 were hospitalized, 27 suffered kidney damage and one person is confirmed dead. So far, no cases in Maryland have been definitively linked to the strain of E. coli affecting the spinach crop.
The FDA recommends avoiding all fresh spinach products and brands packaging spinach from three California counties have issued recalls, leaving restaurants trying to fill the gaps left by spinach dip and fresh baby-spinach salads.
“I love cooked spinach,” Dr. Melissa Fox, a specialist with Patient First at Green Spring Station told The Examiner. “Today I did eat it in a quiche, so I?m not too worried about it.”
Food safety guidelines released by the FDA indicate spinach is safe if cooked to at least 160 degrees, but you should treat fresh spinach the same way you would raw meat. Do not let the raw product come into contact with any food preparation surfaces that will touch finished food or other foods that are not going to be cooked.
What if you still are not comfortable grabbing the spinach out of the trash?
There are other foods that will provide the same healthy benefits.
“In order to get the nutritional equivalent of what?s in spinach, which is vitamin K, broccoli is a good alternative,” Fox said.
According to FDA statistics, one cup of spinach has 120 micrograms of vitamin K. Broccoli has four times as much. Parsley and Swiss chard are also loaded with Vitamin K, which helps keep bones strong and aids blood clotting.
Patients on prescription blood thinners for heart disease should avoid these vegetables, as they counteract the medications, she said.
The FDA warning does not implicate processed, cooked or frozen spinach.
