A deadly E. coli outbreak reportedly linked to food was kept hidden by the U.S. government health agencies according to a new lawsuit. The California legal case alleges that a November 2024 E. coli outbreak sickened 89 people in 15 states.1 One person died while 36 others were hospitalized, including a nine-year-old boy who suffered from kidney failure.2
The affected states include Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, with Missouri having the bulk of the cases.3
FDA Closes Investigation Without Identifying Source
The federal government is accused of failing to disclose the outbreak and has not named the offending produce company.4 An internal government report claims that the public was not notified about the E. coli outbreak due to the commercial product in question no longer being distributed.5 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since closed the investigation.6
According to officials:
The FDA names firms when there is enough evidence linking an outbreak to a firm and there is actionable advice for consumers, as long as naming the firm is not legally prohibited. By the time investigators had confirmed the likely source, the outbreak had already ended and there was no actionable advice for consumers.7
A former government health official disagreed with the federal government’s attempt to hide information about the E. coli outbreak. Former deputy commissioner of food policy at the FDA, Frank Yiannis, stated:8
It is disturbing that the FDA hasn’t said anything more public or identified the name of a grower or processor.
The lawsuit accuses Taylor Farms as the source of the contaminated romaine lettuce but Taylor Farms denies the claims.9
A spokesperson for Taylor Farms said:
Taylor Farms product WAS NOT the source of the referenced 2024 E. Coli outbreak. We perform extensive raw and finished product testing on all our product and there was no evidence of contamination. Any reporting that connects Taylor Farms products to these heartbreaking illnesses is dangerous, irresponsible and unfair to the impacted families.
Bill Marler, attorney for many victims, three of which suffered from acute kidney failure, contends that the federal government could easily set the record straight about the source of the outbreak, but officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA have refused to name names.
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Click here to view References:1 De Riet E. The public was never warned about a deadly E. coli outbreak from lettuce that hit 15 states, lawsuits say. Arizona’s Family Apr. 21, 2025.
2 Lubin R. Deadly E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce hit 15 states. The government chose to keep it secret. Independent. Apr. 18, 2025.
3 De Riet E. The public was never warned about a deadly E. coli outbreak from lettuce that hit 15 states, lawsuits say. Arizona’s Family Apr. 21, 2025.
4 Ibid.
5 Hawkins T, Fields A. E. coli O157:H7/Romaine Lettuce/Nov 2024 Executive Incident Summary. FDA Report Feb. 11, 2025.
6 Mahindra AS. US Government Hid a Deadly E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Contaminated Lettuce That Hit 15 States, Says a Report. Times Now.
7 De Riet. E. The public was never warned about a deadly E. coli outbreak from lettuce that hit 15 states, lawsuits say. Arizona’s Family. Apr. 21, 2025.
8 Arora M. US government’s BIG secret out: FDA kept deadly E. coli outbreak in 15 states hidden. Here’s what caused it. Wionews Apr. 18, 2025.
9 De Riet. E. The public was never warned about a deadly E. coli outbreak from lettuce that hit 15 states, lawsuits say. Arizona’s Family Apr. 21, 2025.
