Taco Bell E. coli Outbreak Update
The FDA and CDC E. coli outbreak investigation into illnesses at Taco Bell restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware took a turn this week, when health officials determined that green onions were not the source of the outbreak. According to an article in the New York Times,
Such twists in an investigation, which can confuse the public, are not unusual when trying to track down the cause of food-borne illnesses, a search that can be complicated by discarded evidence, gaps in victims’ memories and false positive tests.In October, a few weeks after an E. coli outbreak from spinach killed three and sickened more than 200, a California grower recalled 8,500 cartons of green leaf lettuce after the bacterium was found in the irrigation water. Yet further testing revealed that it was not the same strain that was responsible for the three deaths.
“You see a lot of action being taken when there is legitimate uncertainty,” said Michael R. Taylor, a former head of the Department of Agriculture’s food safety agency and a deputy commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration.
He said companies were inclined to respond quickly to such crises — even before the testing was completed, in some cases — because of intensive news coverage and the potential economic losses.
And while the outbreak continued, Taco Bell stores that had been closed due to the E. coli outbreak reopened and senators called for better fresh produce regulation while newspaper editorial pages cited problems with industry outlook and government involvement in prevention of outbreaks. All the while, the New York Post reported an increase in the number of victims from the Taco Bell E. coli outbreak and Taco Bell wrote an open letter stating that food in Taco Bell stores is safe.
Today, investigators from the CDC and FDA announced that the likely source of the outbreak was E. coli-contaminated lettuce.
I have been to Taco Bell many times. The restaurant has done a poor job of finding and fixing problems. There are many other choices for me and this chain doesn't deserve my money anymore.