IRVINE, Calif. — In response to a Dec. 11 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) press briefing, Taco Bell Corp. reaffirmed that its food is safe and that it changed its produce supplier to Taylor Farms in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware for all of its produce, including white onions, as a precautionary measure on Dec. 9.
The FDA and CDC said that this outbreak is limited to these four states only, and that no person has become sick since Dec. 2.
Independent scientific laboratory test results of more than 300 samples of all the ingredients served in Taco Bell restaurants concluded that no ingredient contained the E. coli bacteria 0157:H7. Samples from the entire menu were collected for testing from multiple restaurants in multiple states by Certified Laboratories in Plainview, N.Y.
Earlier preliminary test results of green onions were "presumptive positive" for E. coli, which prompted the company to remove them from its restaurants as a precautionary move. Those preliminary tests have been confirmed negative by Taco Bell and the FDA.
The FDA said Dec. 11 an open bin of white onions has tested positive for this bacteria, but it and the CDC have indicated it is a completely different strain and has no relation to this E. coli outbreak in the four affected states and that no illnesses have been linked to this strain found in the white onions.
"Since the independent scientific laboratory tests on all of our ingredients have concluded negative for E. coli, we have no information regarding any Taco Bell ingredient linked to this outbreak," said Greg Creed, president of Taco Bell Corp. "As nearly half the entire U.S. adult population eats at a Taco Bell at least once a month, it's easy to understand how we might be considered associated with this illness.
"Based on this testing and all that we know today, I can reassure you that all Taco Bell food is safe and strict standards are being upheld at all of our restaurants. The majority of the restaurants that we voluntarily closed have been re-opened to serve our customers, and we are working quickly to re-open the few restaurants that remain closed.
"We will continue to work with the FDA, CDC and local, state and federal health authorities in their ongoing investigation to get to the root cause of this issue. We've taken this health issue very seriously and are extremely concerned for all those who are ill. Our company has moved quickly to safeguard the health of our customers and employees. We are not willing to take any risk with the public's safety."
