Taylor Farms Responds to FDA Observations in Wake of McDonald’s 2024 Slivered Onions Foodborne Illness Outbreak
Local news reports, through Freedom of Information Act requests, have released information on the results of Food & Drug Administration (FDA) inspection of Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs, Colo., manufacturing plant in the wake of a deadly E. coli outbreak tied to slivered onions used on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers last year. Furthermore, Taylor Farms responded to one of the outlets in a statement regarding the news.
The document shared by the news outlets represented observations made by FDA inspectors at the facility in November 2024, after the outbreak — but clearly states that it does not determine whether the facility was in compliance or not. More than 100 people were sickened and one person died in October 2024 in the foodborne illness outbreak that was eventually tied to the slivered onions sourced from Taylor Farms.
Observations included the facility’s failure to implement its sanitation preventive control, monitoring, corrective action and verification procedures, the document said. Inspectors claimed they found numerous areas that could support the growth of pathogens, as well as production room temperatures that also could support their growth. Furthermore, about a dozen different non-food contact surfaces and areas in the production room reportedly had tested positive for Listeria throughout 2024, dating back to January, with the inspector noting that corrective actions had not been taken or had not eliminated the pathogen.
Biofilm and food debris was found on equipment after sanitation shift, with pre-operations inspections giving a passing inspection despite food-contact surfaces not being fully cleaned, the report noted. Improper handwashing techniques were observed, and production aprons were also found to be in contact with potentially contaminated surfaces in and around the handwashing stations.
Pitted food contact surfaces were found to have trapped water and food debris, and additional sanitation actions were called out for jeopardizing the safety of the product stream. Cutting boards used to chop vegetables were discolored, with cracks and crevices in them; knives used to chop vegetables were apparently properly sanitized in a solution but not allowed to air dry per specification, causing the sanitation solution to come in direct contact with the vegetables being chopped.
One news outlet received a response from Taylor Farms regarding the FDA’s observations, saying, in part, that the company was confident in its food-safety processes, and “As is common following an inspection, FDA issued three observations of conditions that could be improved at one of our facilities.”
The company says it immediately took steps to address the three FDA observations in this report and responded with those corrective actions — even though no illnesses or public health threat had been linked to these observations specifically, which were not labeled as “violations” by FDA.
