DENVER — The onion supplier caught up in the wake of McDonald’s E. coli outbreak in the western U.S. is no stranger to pulling back its products when necessary.
According to data on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, Taylor Farms has issued recalls on 46 occasions since 2012, involving 81 products. That data does not include Thursday's recall of several of its yellow onion batches.
The reasons for the other recalls vary, including mislabeling of products, undeclared milk, and possible contamination of salmonella or other bacteria.
While that number may appear high, it needs context, says Colorado State University Associate Professor of Food Safety Systems Eduardo Gutierrez-Rodriguez.
“The number of servings that Taylor Farms is selling every day is much, much, much higher than many of the other companies,” he said.
Dole, which touts itself as the global leader in fresh produce while employing more than 38,000 people, has recalled products on 32 occasions since 2012, involving 236 products.
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The FDA is still working to confirm if onions or beef patties are to blame for the E. coli outbreak. However, if the onions are at fault, Steve Simske, a CSU professor who focuses on supply chains, says that doesn’t necessarily point the finger at Taylor Farms.
If it is related to onions, it would involve slivered onion products, which adds another layer to the supply chain, according to Simske.
“What they may say in a case such as this is is there something that's going on where these ingredients are coming up against other ingredients? It could be animals. It could be the shipment process,” Simske said. “What you've done here is actually potentially increase the surface area that is exposed to containers, that is exposed to the environment of shipping... There is a potential there for a greater vulnerability to environmentally-borne E. coli infection.”
In a statement, an FDA spokesperson said the administration is using "all available tools to confirm if onions are the source of this outbreak." As for potential consequences, the spokesperson told Denver7 Investigates that the organization's role is to work with the company initiating the recall to help remove the products quickly.
“The FDA also assesses a company’s recall strategy and monitors the effectiveness of the recall. The FDA also informs the public of an action that has met the definition of a recall using theEnforcement Report [fda.gov]. But again, still early there," the statement states.
Full statement:
“The FDA is using all available tools to confirm if onions are the source of this outbreak. This includes working with federal and state partners and the companies involved to collect and evaluate records and distribution information as part of our traceback investigation. FDA and state partners are also collecting onion samples for analysis.
If it is determined that beef is the culprit, that would fall under the purview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
While the investigation is ongoing, Taylor Farms, the supplier of slivered onions for the affected McDonald’s locations, has initiated a voluntary recall. The FDA can confirm that yellow onions were sold to additional food service customers. Customers who received recalled onions have been directly notified of the recall.
The FDA is working closely with the implicated firms and will continue to provide updates as they become available, including any additional recalls or notifications that might be needed for recipients of recalled onions.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
