But even abstaining from eating animal products doesn’t necessarily safeguard you from the problem, as is evident from outbreaks of E. coli linked to the consumption of lettuce, spinach and other plants. In fact, between 2005 and 2020, there were 40 E. coli outbreaks linked to contaminated lettuce in the USA alone.111 But plants don’t have intestinal systems, so how are they becoming contaminated? Because of manure spreading and water contamination from nearby animal farms. Unfortunately, not even plant foods can escape the disease created by animal farming.
