An E. coli outbreak that was associated with romaine lettuce spread to 15 states in the last four months and has affected dozens of people and left one person dead.
A report from the Food and Drug Administration suggested that the general public was not informed about the contaminated food.
According to NBC News, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not announce information regarding the spread of E. coli and infections.
The outbreak started in St. Louis County in Missouri in November 2024 and the FDA wrapped up the probe in February, without revealing the insights and sharing which companies had produced the infected lettuce.
The agency further explained that by the time they detected the source, no contaminated lettuce was available in the market, so there was no actionable advice to share with the consumers.
A local epidemiologist Dr. Amanda Brzozowski noticed several infections, especially among teenagers. The strain detected was the dangerous E. coli O157:H7.
Investigators later connected the severe infections to food served by local caterers. Nine lawsuits accuse that the contaminated lettuce came from Taylor Farms, a leading California-based vegetable supplier.
However, Taylor Farms refuted the accusations.
Public details of the outbreak started to surface following the legal team's request for government records about the lawsuits.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared that the outbreak ended in January 2025. Still, the FDA’s handling of the situation has raised serious concerns over transparency.
The FDA maintained that its actions remained consistent with policy, stating that companies are only highlighted when the threat is active.
