July 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Sunday that laboratory experts re-checked lettuce sample results from Taylor Farms in an investigation into an outbreak of the cyclospora parasite and concluded the finding should be considered a false positive. As of Sunday, there were no confirmed positive sample results for cyclospora, the FDA added.
The FDA on Saturday had said that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms tested positive for the parasitic illness that has sickened thousands of people in the U.S.
A spokesperson for Taylor Fresh Foods told Reuters that the company was informed the FDA made a mistake.
Bury the evidence, claim innocence, pay off the government, manipulate media, boom. Taco Bell ends up taking the biggest hit for acting responsibly while those caught screwing up bury the body in the Reflecting Pool, which is probably the most annoying part.
Taylor Farms is a “subsidiary” of Taylor Fresh Foods. A private Delaware corporation with HQ in California. Backed by Venture Capital, and has processing facilities all over North America.
Paper news doesn’t seem to have it, but video news (CNN or MSNBC or something) at one point had a reporter verbal blurb that Taylor released a statement stating “a processing facility in Mexico was traced to be the source,” with a vague mention that their “parent company” said that (Taylor Fresh Foods) - this was a few days ago.
It was an interesting press release, because it feigned blame to Mexico, and that the mysterious parent company" was taking care of the problem and the brand “Taylor Farms” is obviously just a victim. Companies often use cable news for these opinion-shift events, fairly commonplace and one more reason to never watch cable news seriously. This one was an extra level of vague misdirection. (Not tinfoil hat statement, just observation, they could have sounded quite genuine and it still would have had the same effect.)
So Taylor Farms is Taylor Fresh Foods, the parent company is…them, and guess what? Mexico is one of the countries they have processing facilities in! (Don’t have time to re-grab sources but it’s all public info about the company.) Anecdotal occam’s razor, a facility in Mexico tainted a lettuce shredder, didn’t catch it, some lettuce got out as what happens, and instead of doing the usual needful cleanup, they are trying to cover it up.
It’s interesting and disturbing getting to experience this level of cover-up in real-time. Especially given that these things happen, and it’s just the cost of doing business when you screw up. Instead, all this narrative-shifting instead.
Like even the wiki pre- and post-edit is trying their darndest to taint the story.
Check out the “Food Safety Recalls” -> “Food Safety, and Recalls” section transition…
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taylor_Farms&oldid=1362115029
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taylor_Farms&oldid=1365158208