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Lettuce Now Prime Suspect In Taco Bell E. coli Cases

December 14, 2006

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If it wasn't the green onions, it was most likely the lettuce. That's what health officials are saying now as they try to pinpoint the cause of an E. coli outbreak that sickened more than 70 Taco Bell patrons, mostly in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The fast food chain earlier had fingered the onions, saying its independent tests had found traces of the bacteria in them.

But the Food and Drug Administration chalked that up to a lab error. Its tests, the agency said, found no traces of the bacteria on the scallions.

Attention turned to lettuce after interviews with people who had gotten sick found a pattern in menu items that all contained lettuce.

Then, there's the fact that, as far as causing food-borne illnesses, lettuce is a repeat offender, and a recent one at that. It has a long history of carrying the bacteria, which can cause everything from severe gastric distress to kidney failure and death.

In early October Nunes Co., a California lettuce grower that distributes its product nationwide, issued a recall for lettuce because of concerns it might be tainted with E. coli bacteria.

At the time, there were no reports that any consumers had become ill from eating lettuce, but coming in the midst of a major E. coli outbreak linked to spinach, the company said it was taking no chances.

Company officials said they issued the recalled based on water tests that revealed what they called "generic E. coli" in the water used in irrigation. They stressed that no bacteria has been found in the lettuce itself.

That recall covered lettuce purchased in grocery stores but company officials at the time said it was also likely it was also sold to restaurants.

Dr. Christopher Braden, a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged that lettuce remains at the top of the list of probable causes of Taco Bell outbreak, but cautioned the investigation is far from complete.

Lab analysts are also focusing on ground beef and cheese that go into Taco Bell menu items, but so far none have been shown to be tainted with the bacteria.

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