Overview

• An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak tied to romaine lettuce sickened 89 people across 15 states in late 2024, resulting in one death and severe illness in a 9-year-old boy.
• The FDA chose not to publicly disclose the outbreak or the implicated grower, stating the outbreak had ended and there was no contaminated product left in circulation.
• Critics, including former FDA officials, have condemned the agency’s lack of transparency, arguing consumers were denied critical information about food safety risks.
• Staff cuts under the Trump administration have been linked to weakened FDA capacity for outbreak investigations and public communication, raising concerns about future responses.
• A lawsuit filed by food safety firm Marler Clark accuses Taylor Farms of supplying the contaminated lettuce, a claim the company denies as legal proceedings continue.