Multiple outlets discuss why lettuce is frequently linked to food-borne illness outbreaks. They note that lettuce is widely consumed in the United States—figures cited suggest the average consumer eats roughly 25 pounds per year—so even a small contamination rate can translate into more reported cases. Sources also point to the way lettuce is grown, handled, and processed as contributing factors: contamination can occur in the field and spread during harvesting, washing, packing, or distribution. Because lettuce is commonly eaten raw, it is not subject to cooking that might kill pathogens, which increases the importance of prevention at every step of the supply chain. The outlets frame the issue as a combination of high consumption, potential contamination opportunities, and the lack of a kill step before eating. While specific pathogens and outbreak details are not provided in the excerpts shared, the overall theme is that lettuce’s production and use as a raw ingredient make it a recurrent vehicle for food-borne illness.