Flash: FDA Extends Warning to Cover All Spinach

Reuters -- Consumers should avoid ALL fresh spinach, regardless of whether it is pre-packaged, a chief U.S. food safety official warned on Saturday, saying the number of E. coli illnesses had passed 100.

"We need to get a clear message to consumers," said Dr. David Acheson, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's director of food safety and security.

"Some consumers may not be aware that spinach that may be available to them may have been pre-packaged," he said referring to loose spinach sold in restaurants and supermarkets.

While the FDA did not expand the warning beyond fresh spinach, Acheson said the investigation into the cause of the illnesses was continuing and other possible sources had not been excluded.

Investigators believe that the spinach was contaminated before it was bagged since more than one bag contained contaminated product, Acheson said on a Saturday evening conference call with reporters.