Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Manufacturing News

Manufacturing News

Two E. coli outbreaks in the last quarter of 2015

Chipotle E. Coli outbreak

This map detailing the Chipotle outbreak shows the number of people with the outbreak strain by their state of residence (as of December 4, 2015). The total number of infected people to date is 52. Source: CDC.

January 18, 2016

Two recent E. coli outbreaks occurred at the end of the year. In the first case, E. coli O157 infected a celery and onion blend produced by Taylor Fresh Foods (Taylor Farms West) that was used in a rotisserie chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale stores in multiple states. A sample of Taylor’s Celery and Onion Diced Blend taken by the Montana Department of Health tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Further laboratory analysis was unable to confirm the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of celery and onion diced blend produced by Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. that was collected from a Costco store in Montana. The ongoing investigation is working to identify which specific ingredient in the chicken salad is linked to illness. The celery and onion diced blend has not been ruled out as a source of the outbreak.

Taylor Fresh Foods subsequently recalled all products that may have included the affected celery. The company listed several celery-based products in the FDA recall, which affected other major retailers including 7-Eleven, Albertsons, King Sooper, Raleys, Safeway, Sam’s Club, Savemart, Starbucks, Target, Tonys, Vons and Walmart.

As of November 23, 19 people from seven states were reported to have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7, according to CDC. Most were from states in the western US. Five people were hospitalized, and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. No deaths were reported. Fourteen people purchased or ate rotisserie chicken salad from Costco in the week before the illness started.

In the second case, E. Coli O26 was traced to Chipotle Mexican Grill Restaurants. According to CDC, as of December 4, 2015, 52 cases in nine states had been reported; 20 people were hospitalized. However, there were no reports of HSU or deaths. The majority of the illnesses were reported in Washington and Oregon during the month of October.

Forty-seven (90 percent) of the affected people reported eating at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in the week before their illness began. The epidemiologic evidence available in early December suggested a common meal item or ingredient served at the restaurants in several states was a likely source of this outbreak, though there has been nothing so far to pinpoint the source.

As of December 4, 21 E. coli O26 (or STEC O26) isolates from patients in Washington (16), California (2) and New York (1) were found to be highly related genetically to each another.

A Chipotle update from December 5 reports thousands of food sample tests from restaurants linked to the incident have shown no E. coli. Most likely, no ingredients connected to affected restaurant(s) remain in Chipotle’s supply system. Since the incident began, the company has continued to serve more than 1 million customers a day in its restaurants nationwide without incident.

Chipotle is working with Seattle-based IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group to help identify opportunities to enhance food safety practices throughout its operations—from the farms that supply its food to the restaurants that prepare and serve it.

Chipotle and IEH have created an enhanced safety program that includes:

  • Implementing high-resolution (DNA) testing of all fresh produce to ensure food quality and safety before shipping it to restaurants
  • Initiating end-of-shelf-life testing where ingredient samples are checked to ensure quality specifications are maintained through an ingredient’s shelf life
  • Pursuing continuous improvements throughout the supply chain using test result data to measure the performance of vendors and suppliers
  • Enhancing internal training to ensure employees understand the standards for food safety and handling.

While E. coli O26 is not as common as E. coli O157:H7, it has caused similar outbreaks in the past. For example, in 2012, an E. Coli O26 outbreak was attributed to raw clover sprouts at Jimmy John’s Restaurants. The FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety (Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packaging, and Holding Produce for Human Consumption) became law on November 13, 2015. The rule includes agricultural water; biological soil amendments; sprouts; domesticated and wild animals; worker training, health and hygiene; and equipment (tools and buildings).


References/updates:

CDC/Chipotle: www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2015/o26-11-15/index.html

CDC/Costco: www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2015/o157h7-11-15/index.html

CDC/Jimmy John’s Restaurants (2012): http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2012/o26-02-12/index.html

FSMA Rule on Produce Safety: www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm334114.htm

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2025

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Shalima Sreenath

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Shalima Sreenath

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Samara Heaggans

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Samara Heaggans

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

Cargill Cocoa Plant

Cargill Invests in its Cocoa Supply Chain

Campbell’s Utah plant

Going for Gold(fish): Inside The Campbell’s Company’s $160M Cracker Plant Expansion

Woman engineer on construction site

Exploring the Impact of Women Engineers on the Food Industry

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 23, 2025

Decarbonizing Process Heat: What You Should Know and Next Steps

Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Romaine lettuce E. coli

    Romaine E. coli update: Illnesses subsiding, FDA tracking 3 separate outbreaks

    See More
  • E. coli outbreaks shake up Chipotle, Costco

    E. coli outbreaks shake up Chipotle, Costco

    See More
  • King Arthur Flour recall

    Another brand of flour recalled in expanded E. coli outbreak investigation

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • GlobalData_logo_blue_header.png

    Chilled Raw Packaged Meat - Processed (Meat) Market in the United States...

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!