All News / Outbreaks /

Taco Bell Named In Salmonella Investigation Report

Food Safety News

By Dan Flynn | Feb 01, 2012

The Mexican-style fast food chain referred to only as "Restaurant A" in a report on a ten-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is Taco Bell, Food Safety News has learned.

While suspected ever since the CDC's outbreak report was issued on January 19, confirmation that Taco Bell was central to the investigation comes in a document from the Oklahoma State Department of Health's Acute Disease Service titled, "Summary of Supplemental Questionnaire Responses Specific to Taco Bell Exposure of Oklahoma Outbreak associated cases Multistate Salmonella Enterititis Outbreak Investigation."

Oklahoma was second only to Texas, with 16 confirmed cases in the outbreak. Ill Oklahomans reported onset dates from Oct. 21 to Nov. 18, 2011.

Half of Oklahoma's 16 victims specifically reported consuming food at a Taco Bell outlet. Four others either refused to complete the supplemental case-control questionnaire or were not available for follow-up.

CDC declined to name Taco Bell initially, saying there was no public health reason to do so. At the time of its report, CDC said a total of 68 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis had been reported from 10 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state with the outbreak strain was as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), and Tennessee (1).

Food Safety News has contacted Taco Bell repeatedly over the past week but has yet to receive a comment from the company.

Taco Bell has 5,600 fast food Mexican-style outlets in the United States with 36.8 million weekly customers. It is a unit of Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM).

Get Help

Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

Get a free consultation
Related Resources
Salmonella Food Poisoning

What is Salmonella and how does it cause food poisoning? The term Salmonella refers to a specific group of gram-negative bacteria with the potential to cause gastrointestinal distress and other...

The Incidence of Salmonella Infections

Typhoidal Salmonella Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Sendai, and Paratyphi A, B, or C are found exclusively in humans. These serotypes, collectively referred to as typhoidal Salmonella, cause enteric fever (also...

The Prevalence of Salmonella in Food and Elsewhere

Most Salmonella infections are caused by eating contaminated food. One study found that 87% of all confirmed cases of Salmonella are foodborne. Foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, eggs...

Transmission of Salmonella Bacteria

In the past two decades, consumption of produce, especially sprouts, tomatoes, fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and nut butters, has been associated with Salmonella illnesses. The surface of fruits and vegetables...

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection

Symptoms of Salmonella infection include painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Salmonella infections can have a broad range of illness, from no symptoms to severe illness. The most common clinical...

Outbreak Database

Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

View Outbreak Database