Taco Bell e. Coli: It Was California Lettuce Image courtesy of One likely problem is the proximity of ranching and farming operations in parts of California. Cattle and other animals harbor the bacteria, which is shed in their feces.
Yep, lovers of Taco Bell’s peculiar brand of meat can rest easy, it was the lettuce. From the Seattle Times:
- Prepackaged iceberg lettuce from California has been linked to two separate outbreaks of E. coli that sickened more than 150 Taco Bell and Taco John’s customers late last year on the East Coast and in the Midwest, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
…
One likely problem is the proximity of ranching and farming operations in parts of California. Cattle and other animals harbor the bacteria, which is shed in their feces.
Supporting that theory, Acheson said officials found the same substrain of E. coli involved in the Taco John’s outbreak in two unidentified “environmental samples” from a dairy adjacent to one of the chain’s lettuce growers.
Cow shit in the lettuce. That’s appetizing. —MEGHANN MARCO
California lettuce linked to 2 E. coli outbreaks [Seattle Times]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.
