News Why washing romaine lettuce won’t kill E. coli that’s already sickened 32 people November 21, 2018Ashley May, USA TODAYComments Off on Why washing romaine lettuce won’t kill E. coli that’s already sickened 32 people Bacteria like E. coli can remain in romaine lettuce, even after careful washing. Here's why you need to throw it away to keep from getting sick.