Taylor Farms Linked to Romaine E. coli Outbreak as Marler Clark Files Multiple Lawsuits Against Supplier

Bainbridge Island, Wash. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closed an E. coli investigation earlier this year without naming the supplier responsible for the outbreak, which sicked 89 and killed one. Now, food safety law firm Marler Clark is filing three federal lawsuits against Taylor Farms on behalf of two children and one adult woman who suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) — acute kidney failure — due to E. coli O157:H7.

Two lawsuits were filed in Indiana, and one was filed in Missouri. Marler Clark also amended five previously filed E. coli lawsuits to include Taylor Farms as being linked to salads catered at a high school in St. Louis, Mo., that sickened over 50. 

INVESTIGATION DETAILS.

In November 2024, the CDC and FDA began an investigation into an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. When the agencies closed the investigation in January (see the CDC report and FDA report), the outbreak had sickened 89 people across 15 states: Arkansas (2), Colorado (1), Illinois (7), Indiana (8), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Missouri (50),Montana (1), North Dakota (2), Nebraska (3), Ohio (8), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1) and Wisconsin (2).

According to eports from the agencies, onset dates ranged from Nov. 4-30, 2024. Ages of those affected ranged from 4 to 90 years, with a median age of 24. Outcome information was available for 74 cases, of which 36 (49%) were hospitalized. There were seven reported cases of HUS and one death attributed to the outbreak. All cases were linked to each other by whole genome sequencing (WGS).

Seven subclusters of illnesses were identified across the outbreak, resulting from food served at three Missouri catered events, an Ohio secondary school, an Indiana restaurant, an Illinois restaurant and an Illinois event catered by a different Missouri-based caterer. Salads were the common link across all seven subclusters, and cases in all subclusters ate a romaine lettuce blend. At the time, based on information available at the points of service (POS), traceback focused on romaine lettuce.

The CDC and FDA investigation consisted of three traceback legs representing 28 cases and five POS. The three traceback legs identified four distribution centers, one broker, two processors, one grower and one ranch, with all names redacted in the documents. The traceback investigation determined that a sole processer sourced romaine lettuce from a single grower that would have been available at all points of service during the timeframe of interest. Additionally, romaine lettuce supplied to four of the five POS were traced back to the common ranch and lot.

Four lots of romaine lettuce were implicated, resulting in confirmation of romaine lettuce as the outbreak vehicle. Epidemiologic and traceback data supported the conclusion that romaine lettuce was the source of illnesses in the outbreak.

The CDC and FDA closed the investigation Jan. 15 but failed to notify the public of the supplier responsible for the outbreak.

TAYLOR FARMS CONNECTION.

Attorney William Marler said that because his firm represents clients from several states that were WGS matches to each other, it was not long until Marler Clark’s on-staff epidemiologist determined that the common link was that all clients consumed Taylor Farms romaine lettuce in the outbreak period.

“Had the CDC and FDA been allowed to do their jobs, they would have publicized the same conclusion,” said Marler.

Taylor Farms denied allegations that it is linked to the outbreak in an April 17 statement.

“Taylor Farms product WAS NOT the source of the referenced 2024 E. Coli outbreak," the company said. "We perform extensive raw and finished product testing on all our product, and there was no evidence of contamination.”

Taylor Farms is the supplier that was implicated in last year’s McDonald’s slivered onion E. coli outbreak, which sickened 104 and killed one.

“It is disappointing, but with 20,000 employees at Health and Human Services (HHS) being fired, investigating and reporting on outbreaks and alerting the public to the cause is clearly not a priority for this administration," said Marler. "If the gutted CDC and FDA can no longer do the job, we will step up to inform and protect the public — so much for ‘Make America Healthy Again.’”