Consumers file class action alleging onions responsible for McDonald’s E. coli outbreak

McDonald’s E. coli outbreak class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Trevor Keene filed a class action lawsuit against Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. 
• Why: Keene claims onions produced by Taylor Fresh Foods, also known as Taylor Farms, were responsible for a recent nationwide E. coli outbreak linked to food from McDonald’s. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court. 

A new class action lawsuit alleges that onions produced by Taylor Fresh Foods were responsible for a recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s food. 

Plaintiff Trevor Keene’s class action lawsuit claims Taylor Fresh Foods, also known as Taylor Farms, produced onions “unfit for their intended consumption” due to their being contaminated with E. coli bacteria. 

Keene alleges Taylor Farms’ onion products were distributed to outside locations prior to being sold to consumers McDonald’s restaurants across parts of the U.S., leading to a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to 75 illnesses, 22 hospitalizations and one death. 

“Plaintiff purchased the (onion products), without knowing that (onion products) could infect those who consumed the products, thus causing serious harm to those who use such (onion products),” the Taylor Farms class action says. 

Keene seeks to represent a nationwide class of consumers who ate Taylor Farms’ onions that were contaminated with E. coli bacteria. 

Class action says consumers did not have reason to know onions were contaminated with E. coli

Keene argues consumers “did not have a reason to know” that the onion products produced by Taylor Farms were contaminated with E. coli and that the company failed to notify consumers about the possibility. 

“Through marketing and sale, (Taylor Farms) represented that the (onion products) are safe for people, including pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems,” the Taylor Farms class action says. 

Keene claims Taylor Farms is guilty of unjust enrichment, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, fraudulent concealment, strict liability in regard to a failure to warn and design and formulation defect, negligent failure to warn and negligence. 

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of compensatory, statutory and punitive damages for himself and all class members. 

Taylor Farms issued a recall in October for yellow onions produced at its Colorado facility after the products were linked to the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak. 

Did you eat Taylor Farms’ onions that were contaminated with E. coli? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by John C. Bohren of Yanni Law APC and Paul J. Doolittle of Poulin Willey Anastopoulo LLC. 

The McDonald’s E. coli outbreak class action lawsuit is Keene, et al. v. Taylor Fresh Foods, Inc., Case No. 7:24-cv-07981, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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