The FDA has been under scrutiny lately for not making public a report on an E. coli outbreak that happened last year. This outbreak affected 89 people across 15 states, with one unfortunate fatality. It all started in St. Louis County, Missouri, with romaine lettuce being the common factor among those who got sick, but the FDA couldn’t pin down the exact source of the contamination even by February.
In total, 36 individuals were hospitalized, and seven of them developed a serious kidney condition known as Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The strain of E. coli involved was O157:H7, which is notorious for causing severe illnesses. A vivid image from the CDC shows this strain, highlighting its potential danger.
Most people who got sick remembered eating leafy greens, particularly romaine lettuce. This information came from an FDA report that only surfaced after NBC News filed a public records request because of ongoing legal battles. The investigation led them to a specific grower and processor, but by the time they zeroed in on this location, no contaminated lettuce was left to test.
The FDA’s final report, published in February, didn’t name the company suspected to be involved, which has caused some concern. Frank Yiannas, a former deputy commissioner at the FDA, expressed his worries about the lack of public communication. He believes the FDA should have shared more details to help consumers make safer choices, especially since some folks might have gotten sick without knowing the source.
The FDA explained that they only name companies when there’s enough evidence to firmly link them to an outbreak, and if there’s actionable advice for consumers. By the time they had sufficient evidence, the outbreak was over, leaving no immediate guidance for the public. Fox News reached out to the FDA for more comments but didn’t get an instant response.
Nine lawsuits have since been filed against Taylor Farms, a major player in the salad and fresh-cut vegetable market. The lawsuits claim that Taylor Farms sold food that was “defective and unreasonably dangerous.” However, Taylor Farms firmly denied being the source of the outbreak, backing their stance with thorough investigations and food safety measures.
Following the publication of the article, Taylor Farms issued another statement emphasizing that their products were not the source of the 2024 E. coli outbreak. They assured that rigorous testing showed no evidence of contamination in their products. This assurance came on the heels of a previous E. coli issue linked to their onions used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers.
Taylor Farms had voluntarily recalled the onions after more than 100 people fell ill, resulting in one death. The CDC confirmed that this widespread outbreak was connected to a McDonald’s product. In response, Taylor Farms highlighted their commitment to customer health and product safety in various statements.
In a separate statement to KSBW, Taylor Farms mentioned their extensive testing procedures and emphasized that they hadn’t found any traces of E. coli. They acted out of caution by removing potentially affected onions from the market, while continuing to collaborate with the FDA and CDC. Taylor Farms, though based in Salinas, operates facilities across the nation, including one in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report, and Michael Dorgan also provided coverage for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. For more updates, you can follow Dorgan on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
