The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public to avoid consuming Dole's Heart Delight lettuce salad because of fears of E. coli contamination, according to local media reports.

While there have been no illnesses so far, the inspection agency announced in a news release Sunday that consuming a food product contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 can be life-threatening.

The agency warned that the salad, which is a ready-to-eat blend of romaine, green leaf and butter lettuce hearts, may not look or taste spoilt even if it is, report Canadian websites such as canada.com.

The salad is produced in the United States and sold in 227-gram packages. The packages have a “best if used by” date of Sept. 19, 2007, a lot code of A24924B and a UPC of 0 71430 01038 9.

The agency said it is working with importers to have the affected product removed from store shelves. If consumers have any questions they can call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at 1-800-442-2342.

Symptoms of contamination are bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pains. It can lead to kidney failure, seizures and strokes. Some affected individuals may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis, or sustain permanent kidney damage.

This particular strain of E. coli is mostly associated with contaminated ground beef but can also be found in unpasteurized milk, contaminated water and contaminated vegetables, such as salad and spinach.

The CFIA says on its website that raw fruits and vegetables can become contaminated with pathogens while in the field, by improperly composted manure, contaminated water, wildlife and poor hygienic practices of the farm workers.

It also warns E. coli bacteria can be spread from person-to-person.