By Brendan O’Reilly

You may have noticed that something was missing from the salad bar in the Student Center.Spinach has been removed from all eateries on campus, because of the recent outbreak of E. coli that has affected at least 21 states. The Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers to refrain from eating fresh spinach or products containing raw spinach until further notice. “The salad bar has a sign up that says you can’t get spinach in your salad anymore,” Cheryl Curry, a junior and spinach-salad fan, said. “I’m kind of bummed.”Lackmann Culinary Services even stopped serving products containing cooked spinach because of the perception of contamination, according to Eisa Shukran, director of Dining Services. “We took precaution,” said Shukran of contamination, adding that Lackmann disposed over approximately 80 pounds of spinach, wasting about $200 or $300.It is uncertain when spinach will return to campus.”It’s up to the FDA,” said Shukran.Spinach has not been sorely missed, as many students have failed to notice its absence. The vegetable had been included in “not even three percent” of the menu items available on campus, according to Shukran.