Tests clear most Taco Bell foods of E. coli

by Nicole Weston, Posted Dec 11th 2006 @ 2:05PM

After green onions were identified as the source of contamination for an E. coli outbreak at several East Coast Taco Bells, the company not only recalled all the scallions at its 5,800 locations nationwide, but sent out samples of the rest of their food products for testing to ensure that no other foods were at risk. The tests have come back negative, leaving the green onions as the sole source for the bacteria.

Taco Bell has switched produce suppliers, but with 61 cases identified, including 48 hospitalizations and 7 cases of kidney failure, the company is not out of the woods yet. Lawsuits are already being filed on behalf of some of those who were victims of the contamination, and because most chain restaurants have indemnity agreements with their suppliers, the company will be the one held accountable in these cases.

The company is working to sanitize and reopen stores that closed as a result of the outbreak.

Source

Filed Under: Business, Health & Medical, Fast Food
Tags: bacteria, contamination, e coli, fast food, green onions, kidney failure, outbreak, scallions, taco bell, TacoBell, test, testing, tests