Chicago Tribune
12-07-06
Food-safety fears revived as Taco Bell pulls onions
By John Schmeltzer, Tribune staff reporter. Tribune wire services contributed to
this report
As Taco Bell Corp. pulled green onions from all of its 5,800 U.S. restaurants
Wednesday in the wake of an E. coli outbreak linked to some of its restaurants,
questions emerged about whether the current testing procedures on produce
entering the nation's food system are adequate.
The fast-food chain said preliminary testing by an independent lab found three
samples of green onions that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, a potent strain
of the bacteria.
Taco Bell executives said the tests were not conclusive. But the chain was taking
no chances Wednesday when it decided to remove the onions after at least 46
confirmed cases of E. coli sickness were linked to Taco Bells in New Jersey,
New York and Pennsylvania over the past few weeks.
"In an abundance of caution, we've decided to pull all green onions from our
restaurants until we know conclusively whether they are the cause of the E. coli
outbreak," said Greg Creed, Taco Bell's president.
Taco Bell is a unit of Yum Brands Inc., one of the world's largest restaurant
operators. It also operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W
restaurants.
Eighteen Taco Bell restaurants, including nine in suburban Philadelphia, three in
New Jersey and a half-dozen on New York's Long Island, have been closed for
decontamination. Some have reopened since the outbreak was first reported
nearly three weeks ago.
Taco Bell's E. coli problem comes four months after E. coli contamination forced
the nationwide recall of packaged spinach from grocery store shelves and
restaurants. Three people died and more than 200 fell ill in the outbreak that was
traced to packaged, fresh spinach grown in California.
While increased regular testing of the nation's meat supply during the past 20
years has reduced illnesses from meat consumption--a more likely place for E.
coli contamination--produce is still tested randomly. Increasing testing may be
key to improving the safety of produce, industry experts said.
Risks may be greater
Robert Tauxe, an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta, said it may now be riskier to eat produce than in the past.
"The outbreaks are bigger and more frequent than they were 20 or 30 or even 15
years ago," he said in the December issue of Nutrition Action, published by the
Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Even though we can identify and
control outbreaks better than we used to, when contamination does occur with
lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe or tomatoes, we can have a big problem on our
hands."
Each year, the CDC estimates that as many as 33 million Americans become
sick from food-borne illnesses. More than 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000
die. It's estimated that the illnesses cost more than $10 billion in reduced
productivity and medical expenses.
In 2004, the latest year for which data are available, nearly 400 cases of illness
caused by produce were recorded, while there were only 171 outbreaks caused
by ground beef, according to data compiled by the Centers for Science in the
Public Interest.
That is unlikely to change much in the near term because the nation's produce
industry can't use "chemical or heat intervention that would be used in other
industries" to kill the organisms, according to Sam Beattie, a professor and
food safety expert at Iowa State University.
Recalls are only remedy
Beattie said farmers and the industry can't prevent contamination of field crops.
Removing or recalling problem produce at the end of the line is really the only
remedy at this point, food safety experts say.
"It is very difficult to control what walks across, lands in or slithers through a field.
And all of these organisms can carry bacteria. They will deposit their excrement
on the plant and it is difficult to detect.
"There is precious little the consumer can do once the produce is contaminated
and there is precious little the farmer can do to mitigate the contamination," he
said.
That could be a key reason why Taco Bell, the nation's largest Mexican
restaurant chain, so swiftly ordered removal of the green onions from its
restaurants. Acting fast after a contamination is about the only option food
purveyors have.
"Most of the big chains now will err on the side of being overly cautious," said
Mac Brand, a consultant with the Hale Group, who said fast-food chains are
advised to move swiftly to contain food-borne illnesses.
Rob Hardy, another consultant with the Hale Group said, "All the chains realize
the risk for the company and investors and so they have elaborate plans
designed to prevent contaminated food from entering the distribution system" and
even more detailed plans in how to react.
Tainted green onions from Mexico were blamed for a 2003 outbreak of hepatitis
A in western Pennsylvania that was traced to a Mexican restaurant. Four people
died and more than 600 people were sickened after eating the green onions at a
Chi-Chi's restaurant.
Further tests planned
McLane Co., which distributes food to the region's Taco Bells, said federal
investigators planned to test green onions, regular onions, cilantro, tomatoes and
lettuce from its southern New Jersey warehouse. Authorities also planned to look
at a nearby facility of a produce processor, Ready Pac Produce, which handles
lettuce, tomatoes, onions and other ingredients for Taco Bell. A Ready Pac
spokesman did not immediately return calls.
E. coli is found in the feces of humans and livestock. Most E. coli infections are
associated with undercooked meat, but the bacteria also can be found on sprouts
or leafy vegetables such as spinach. People can spread the germs if they do not
thoroughly wash their hands after using the bathroom. E. coli, or Escherichia coli,
is a common and ordinarily harmless bacteria, but certain strains can cause
abdominal cramps, fever, bloody diarrhea, kidney failure, blindness, paralysis
and death.
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