Taylor Farms says it refutes the claims in a lawsuit put forth by Marler Clark, in which the law firm alleges the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration failed to report an E. coli outbreak traced romaine lettuce from Taylor Farms.
“Taylor Farms product was not the source of the referenced 2024 E. coli outbreak,” a statement from the Salinas, Calif.-based company said. “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.”
Taylor Farms said the FDA did not find the source of the outbreak because E. coli 0157:H7 comes from livestock, not from fresh produce and the FDA is not authorized to inspect the livestock industry.
“We will continue to deliver the safest, healthiest fresh foods in the world,” the company said. “All of our leafy greens are subjected to a robust sampling and pathogen testing program, which are processed in a state-of-the-art facility that uses the latest-available innovative technology and the industry’s most advanced USDA-verified wash systems.”
The company said it also invests in research, innovation and enhancements to its food safety program which third-party partnerships and certifications support, including the Global Food Safety Initiative Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit, Primus, SQF, CFS and LGMA.
“If the FDA lacked sufficient scientific evidence to publicly identify a farm or firm, it would make sense for them not to name a company, as incorrectly identifying or implicating a food or firm without sufficient evidence would be reckless, unfairly damage the livelihood of a farmer and/or producer, and — longer term do more harm than good — to trust in the U.S. FDA and the broader food system,” Frank Yiannas, former FDA deputy commissioner of food policy and response, said in a statement from Tayor Farms.
