Jack in the box

Jan 1993

The Jack in the Box outbreak kills three children and makes about 500 people sick in the Northwest United States. The Jack in the Box incident leads the Clinton administration to begin random testing for E coli in ground beef.

The meatpacking industry sues the USDA to block the tests. The USDA wins the lawsuit.

Hudson Foods

August 12, 1997 - 25 million pounds of meat produced at a Hudson Foods plant in Columbus, Nebraska, is recalled. 15 people become ill as a result of the contamination. After this recall the plant's largest customer, Burger King, stops buying meat from Hudson Foods and the company closes down.

ConAgra Beef Co

July 2002

19 million pounds of meat produced at the ConAgra Beef Co.'s Greeley, Colorado, plant is recalled. At least 35 people become ill due to this meat contamination and one person dies. The contaminated meat is shipped to at least 21 states.

Prepackaged Spinach

First occurs in September 2006. The FDA issues a warning to consumers about an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in multiple states. The warning states, "preliminary epidemiological evidence suggests that bagged fresh spinach may be a possible cause of this outbreak."

Fall 2006

At least 199 cases of E coli infection occur in 26 states. Three people die The outbreak is most severe in Wisconsin, where 49 cases are reported to the FDA, and one death is confirmed. The FDA matches the E coli strain to one found on a cattle ranch located next to the spinach fields in Salinas Valley.

Taco Bell/Taco John's

First occurs November 29, 2006. Outbreak begins in New Jersey and New York at nine different Taco Bell locations. In November-December 2006, as many as 67 people in five states are confirmed as having the strain of E. coli bacteria involved in the Taco Bell outbreak.

Dec 13, 2006

Green onions are ruled out as the cause of the E coli outbreak.

Topps Ground Beef Patties

First occurs in July 2007. In September 25, 2007, Topps Meat Company issues a recall of its frozen burgers after six people fall ill and three are hospitalized due to E coli from Topps burgers. Topps Meat expands its recall to 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products. The company announces a week later that it is going out of business.

Oct 26, 2007

An update is released - 40 cases of E. coli identified. At least 21 people are hospitalized and two developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).

Nestle Toll

House Cookie Dough

June 19, 2009

Nestle USA announces a voluntary recall of all its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough after reports of 66 illnesses in 28 states. In September 2, 2009, estimates of those affected are increased by health officials to 80 reports of illnesses in 31 states.

JBS Swift Beef Co

April 2, 2009

The first case of E coli is reported to the CDC. June 13, 2009 - The 23rd and last case of E coli is reported to the CDC. Of those who contracted E. coli, 12 are hospitalized and two suffer some form of kidney failure.

June 24, 2009

41,000 pounds of beef are recalled.

June 28, 2009

380,000 pounds of beef are recalled.

AFA Foods

Oct 31, 2009

AFA Foods recalls more than 500,000 pounds of ground beef after an outbreak of E. coli is linked to the deaths of two people.

National Steak

and Poultry

Dec 24, 2009

The Food Safety and Inspection Service issues a recall for 248,000 pounds of National Steak and Poultry beef.

Jan 4, 2010

21 people from 16 states report being infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli. Nine are hospitalized and one suffers from

kidney failure.

Cheese

Nov 5, 2010

38 people from five states are sickened from cheese sold at Costco. 15 are hospitalized and one suffers from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure. November 23, 2010 - Bravo Farms recalls all of its cheeses.

Sprouts

June 9, 2014

CDC says that since May 1, 17 people in five states have been sickened by E. coli after consuming clover sprouts. Of the 15 cases that the CDC has information for, seven required hospitalization.

August 1, 2014

The CDC says the outbreak appears to be over. In all, 19 people were infected in six states: California (1), Idaho (3), Michigan (1), Montana (2), Utah (1) and Washington (11). No deaths were reported.