Multi-State Salmonella Outbreak Assigned to Taco Bell in TX, OK, Others
A Taco Bell restaurant chain spokesperson has confirmed in an interview with Food Poisoning Bulletin that Taco Bell is "Restaurant Chain A,'' the business associated by CDC with an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis that sickened 68 people in 10 states. The outbreak happened in October and November, hitting hardest in Oklahoma and Texas.
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The CDC refused to say what Mexican-style restaurant chain was tied to the outbreak, partly because the illnesses stopped occurring by the time a link was made. The CDC rationalized that releasing the restaurant's name would not help anyone to avoid getting sick. The Oklahoma Department of Health broke the silence this week under public pressure and Taco Bell confirmed the news.
Investigators believe the outbreak possibly was caused by a line of produce distributed by suppliers, but traceback efforts were not successful in determing what item of produce was to blame.
Further investigation is being conducted by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A.., where claims from victims can be addressed by attorneys who practice extensively in the complex area of foodborne illness litigation. Contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen or call the firm and an attorney will answer your questions. Consultations are free and you pay nothing to the firm until a claim is paid by the company or its insurance company .
More than 31 percent of patients in the Taco Bell outbreak were hospitalized. Here is the company's statement:
“The CDC has stated the public health is not at any risk and this incident is completely over. They have not identified the food source of the foodborne illness that occurred in October and November of 2011. The CDC indicated that some of the people who were ill ate at Taco Bell, while others did not. They believe that the problem likely occurred at the supplier level before it was delivered to any restaurant or food outlet. We take food quality and safety very seriously.”
