WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning for consumers to avoid bagged fresh spinach has restaurants seeking alternative vegetables.
After one person died and more than 100 others fell ill with E. coli nationwide, leading restaurants like the Elysian Café in Hoboken, N.J., began experimenting with other vegetables, USA Today reported Wednesday.
"We're serving eggs Florentine on asparagus," said Eugene Flinn, who owns the French bistro. "People are getting used to finding asparagus spears under their poached eggs."
Times are tougher for the Spinach Pie North bakery in Newburyport, Mass., where sales have dropped 50 percent since the food safety scare began. Co-owner Judy Ravaris said the broccoli pies are just "not selling like spinach."
McDonald's restaurants have taken the spinach out of their Premium Salads and added extra lettuce, and Panera Bread cafes have replaced their field greens with romaine lettuce until new shipments of spinach-free field greens arrive.
On the retail front, supermarket chain Whole Foods posted signs suggesting shoppers substitute arugula, mustard greens, kale and chard for spinach.
