Three more cases of E. coli have been confirmed in Quebec and Ontario, putting the Canadian total at 22.

Tainted romaine lettuce is to blame for the outbreak.

So far the Canadian Food Inspection Agency hasn't issued a recall – but romaine lettuce is off the shelves at many Montreal-area stores.

The move is a precaution. No recall notice means it's up to shops decide if they'll offer a product suspected to be the source of the E. coli contamination – and it’s buyer beware.

A cost to businesses

During a recall, there are strict guidelines about who assumes the cost of the lost produce. This time, though, the grocery stores and the suppliers are taking the hit.

 

“We're not going to send them back or something. We're going to throw it out if we have to,” said Ali Alabi of Supermarche Akavan, adding that his supplier ended up with 1,000 lost boxes and that the grocery and supplier will split the losses.

At Frisette Salad Bar in NDG, romaine is a staple, featured in every single menu item.

Despite changing ingredients, owner Stephanie Russell said some customers are still being scared away.

“I've still seen a lot of our regulars come in over the last few days, but I've seen a drop off in new customers and unfamiliar faces,” she said.

2,000 samples test negative

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has tested over 2,000 samples of fresh lettuce and packaged salads, but still can't determine the source of the outbreak.

The agency hasn't found any produce that contains the bacteria, but Aline Dimitri, the deputy chief food-safety officer for the agency, says the results don't mean E. coli is gone from Canada's food supply. It does suggest, though, that if it's present it is there in very low levels.

The warning only applies to where E. coli cases have been confirmed: 17 in Quebec, four in Ontario and one in New Brunswick.

Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public-health officer, says experts tracing the patients' food histories found most of them had eaten romaine lettuce in the days before they got sick.

The agency is recommending people in those provinces not eat romaine lettuce and throw out any they still have.

- With files from the Canadian Press