Deadly E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce hit 15 states. The government chose to keep it secret
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US government kept deadly E.coli outbreak secret
- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withheld information about a deadly E.coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that affected 15 states in late 2024.
- The outbreak resulted in one death and 36 hospitalisations, including a nine-year-old boy who suffered kidney failure.
- An internal report obtained by NBC News revealed that the agency did not name the produce company involved in the outbreak and did not share information with the public about it.
- Critics are questioning the FDA's silence, linking it to recent job cuts and suggesting a decreased focus on public health, and arguing the public has a right to know about contaminated products.
- A lawsuit alleges Taylor Farms, a major produce company, was the source of the outbreak, a claim the company denies.