An internal FDA report from February reveals the agency concluded an investigation into a deadly E. coli outbreak without public notification or identifying the companies that produced contaminated romaine lettuce, according to NBC News. The outbreak affected people across 15 states, resulting in one death and nearly claiming two additional lives.
The report acknowledges the fatality but explicitly states “there were no public communications related to this outbreak.” Among those severely affected were a 9-year-old Indiana boy who nearly succumbed to kidney failure and a 57-year-old Missouri woman who became ill after attending a funeral luncheon.
In defending its approach, the FDA stated that identifying the companies was deemed unnecessary as the contaminated lettuce was no longer available when investigators began their probe. An FDA spokesperson explained, “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.”
The organization further noted that “by the time investigators had confirmed the likely source, the outbreak had already ended and there was no actionable advice for consumers.”
This handling of the outbreak has drawn criticism from some former agency officials. Frank Yiannas, who served as deputy commissioner of food policy and response from 2018 to 2023, expressed concern about the lack of transparency, stating, “It is disturbing that FDA hasn’t said anything more public or identified the name of a grower or processor.”
While the FDA is not required to disclose all information regarding foodborne disease outbreaks, Yiannas suggested this decision represents a departure from recent years’ trends toward greater transparency in response to public concerns about food contamination.
Health officials around the country had been tracking cases since November, including three cases linked to a local high school in the St. Louis area, with affected students experiencing symptoms including bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and dehydration. Testing confirmed these as severe cases of the foodborne illness. The county public health department ultimately documented at least 115 cases of the infection.
This revelation comes amid broader concerns about food safety oversight. Multiple federal health officials reportedly told CBS News that the FDA plans to outsource routine food safety inspections, though the agency has denied this claim. Implementing such changes would likely require congressional funding approval.
Commenting on this article, the nation’s leading E. coli lawyer said, “It is incredibly disturbing that transparency at the FDA could be disappearing. Americans depend on the FDA and it’s many affiliated agencies to keep the food supply safe and the public informed.”
