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Last year, Taylor Farms came under fire after its sliced onions, which are served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, were found to be the source of the chain’s E. coli outbreak. The outbreak, which was initiated in October 2024, sickened over 100 people but was fully resolved and closed in December, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) alert on the incident.
Now, the California-based grower is once again in the spotlight as it’s been handed two new lawsuits that claim it knew about an E. coli outbreak affecting its romaine lettuce last fall, but it failed to alert the public of any risk.
The New Taylor Farms Romaine Lettuce Lawsuit
Marler Clark Inc., PS, a food safety-focused law firm, is suing Taylor Farms, alleging that the company knowingly experienced a romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak in November 2024 and didn’t notify the public. Taylor Farms, however, denies any involvement in the incident.
The outbreak sickened more than 89 people and caused severe illness requiring hospitalization in 36, including one death. Now, multiple lawsuits are being filed on behalf of affected individuals. According to a recent press release, the outbreak stretched across 15 states, including Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, with the highest concentration of cases taking place in Missouri.
Out of the individuals with serious complications, seven were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). According to the CDC, HUS is a very serious complication of E. coli infection that may lead to organ damage, including kidney failure.
In January, the outbreak was closed by the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a status change that only occurs once there is no evidence of new illness and the outbreak’s source has been identified and resolved.
Page four of the FDA’s Executive Incident Summary, obtained by NBC News, states that the sole processor of the romaine lettuce has been identified, but the company’s name is redacted throughout the document. Additionally, the summary states that “there were no public communications related to this outbreak,” with the reasoning being that there was “no product remaining in commerce.”
A Possible Source of the Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak
Genome sequencing determined the specific strain of bacteria, which in this case was E. coli O157:H7. Tracing confirmed that it was the same strain present in affected individuals across all states, including the high school in St. Louis County where 50 fell ill after eating a catered lunch. Attorney Bill Marler believes that the investigation points to Taylor Farms as the source; however, the company denies these claims.
"Taylor Farms product WAS NOT the source of the referenced 2024 E. coli outbreak. We perform extensive raw and finished product testing on all our products, and there was no evidence of contamination. Any reporting that connects Taylor Farms products to these heartbreaking illnesses is dangerous, irresponsible, and unfair to the impacted families…We will continue to deliver the safest, healthiest fresh foods in the world," it emphasized in a statement to Allrecipes.
Further, the brand explained that "E. coli 0157:H7 comes from livestock, not from fresh produce. The FDA did not find the source of this outbreak because it is not authorized to inspect the beef industry."
Frank Yiannas, a renowned food safety leader and independent third party, also provided a comment on news of the lawsuit: “If the FDA lacked sufficient scientific evidence to publicly identify a farm or firm, it would make sense for them not to name a company, as incorrectly identifying or implicating a food or firm without sufficient evidence would be reckless, unfairly damage the livelihood of a farmer and/or producer, and, longer term do more harm than good to trust in the FDA and the broader food system.”
However, Marler feels confident in the assertion that Taylor Farms is at fault. "Because we represent people and families from several states that were whole genome sequences (WGS) matches to each other, it was not long until our on-staff Epidemiologist determined that the common link was that all clients consumed Taylor Farms romaine lettuce in the outbreak period," he stated in the press release.
At this time, the lawsuits are still active, and no company name has been released by the FDA. Taylor Farms is considering legal action of its own to defend itself.
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