10 of the Worst Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in U.S. History
Foodborne illness outbreaks can cause widespread illness and death. Ten of the worst U.S. foodborne illness outbreaks:
1. Listeriosis Outbreak (2011)
Listeria monocytogenes found in cantaloupe from Jensen Farms caused 147 illnesses, 33 deaths, and many miscarriages and stillbirths.
2. Salmonella Outbreak (1985)
16,000 people got sick after drinking milk from the Hillfarm Dairy in Pennsylvania that was tainted with Salmonella.
3. E. coli Outbreak (1993)
An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was caused by hamburgers served at Jack in the Box restaurants that were not cooked all the way through. This led to 732 cases and four deaths.
4. Cyclospora Outbreak (2018)
Over 500 people got sick after eating pre-packaged salads and wraps at McDonald's. These foods were linked to an outbreak of Cyclospora.
5. Listeriosis Outbreak (1985)
Listeria got into Mexican-style soft cheese, which made 142 people sick and killed 48. Most of the people who got sick were Hispanic pregnant women and their babies.
6. Salmonella Outbreak (1994)
Salmonella got into the ice cream that Schwan's Sales Enterprises made, making over 200,000 people sick and killing three.
7. E. coli Outbreak (2006)
238 people got sick after eating fresh spinach that was tainted with E. coli O157:H7. Some of them died of kidney failure.
8. Salmonella Outbreak (2000)
Over 16,000 people got sick and one person died because chicken made by Hudson Foods Company was contaminated with Salmonella.
9. Listeriosis Outbreak (2002)
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation's deli meats were tainted with Listeria, which led to 54 sicknesses and eight deaths, mostly in pregnant women and older people.
10. Salmonella Outbreak (2008-2009)
Salmonella was found in peanut butter goods made by the Peanut Corporation of America. These products made over 700 people sick and killed nine.