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The FDA has started onsite inspections in two foodborne illness investigations: an E. coli outbreak linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers raw-milk cheeses and a Listeria outbreak with no identified source. The agency has not disclosed the inspection locations or, in the Listeria investigation, the food being traced.
The Food and Drug Administration has begun onsite inspections in two foodborne illness investigations: an E. coli O26:H11 outbreak linked to unpasteurized Sierra Nevada Graziers cheeses and a separate Listeria outbreak whose source has not been identified. The inspections mark an investigative step, but the FDA has not said which locations are being inspected.
The E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 13 people in nine states, according to the report: California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. The illnesses have led to eight hospitalizations. Three patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a complication that can cause kidney failure and, in some cases, brain damage or death.
The implicated product is described as unpasteurized, grass-fed raw-milk cheese from Sierra Nevada Graziers, distributed nationwide. The FDA has not disclosed the site of its inspection or provided further details about what investigators are examining there.
The second investigation concerns 11 reported Listeria infections with an unknown origin. The FDA has previously started traceback efforts, which are used to follow food through its supply chain, but has not identified the food being traced. It has also not reported the patients’ ages or where they live, or named the location now undergoing an onsite inspection.
Inspections Test the Outbreak Leads
Onsite inspections can give investigators an opportunity to examine facilities and records as they work to identify where contamination may have occurred. In the raw-milk cheese investigation, that work may help clarify how the product became associated with illnesses across several states. The reported hospitalizations and cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome show the serious health effects recorded in this outbreak.
The Listeria investigation remains less defined: the FDA has reported a patient count and an inspection, but not a suspected food or source. Until investigators identify a product or location and provide more information, consumers and retailers have limited details for connecting the illnesses to a particular food. The inspection announcement does not itself establish where contamination occurred or confirm a cause.
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Other FDA Outbreak Investigations
The Food Safety News report also describes separate investigations, which should not be confused with the two newly reported inspection starts. In one, officials have linked 38 E. coli O157:H7 infections to ready-to-eat, multi-ingredient chicken wraps. The FDA has begun an onsite inspection but has not disclosed the site or the wraps’ brand or point of sale. Because the product contains chicken, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has jurisdiction over it.
According to the FDA, the wraps were removed from the market before the outbreak link was confirmed and are no longer available for sale or within their shelf life. Investigators are still examining the source, including possible contamination in an ingredient. The report also says an outbreak of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- has ended, although the FDA’s investigation continues, including onsite inspections, traceback and sample testing. The agency has not disclosed the inspection sites, food being traced or items being tested.
“The FDA has initiated onsite inspections in two outbreak investigations.”
— U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as reported by Food Safety News
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Inspection Sites and Sources Remain Unknown
The FDA has not identified the sites inspected in either of the two investigations. For the Listeria outbreak, the food under investigation and the patients’ ages and locations have also not been reported. The available information does not establish where or when contamination occurred, whether the two outbreaks share any connection, or whether investigators have identified a common supplier.
For the raw-milk cheese outbreak, the report names the product associated with the illnesses but does not provide details of the inspection or explain what evidence led investigators to the facility or facilities being examined. The patient counts and clinical details are those reported at publication; the report does not provide a later update or say whether additional illnesses have been identified.
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FDA Traceback and Inspection Updates
The investigations remain ongoing. The next public updates may clarify where inspections are taking place, what food or facilities investigators are examining, and whether traceback or sample testing identifies a source. The FDA has not provided a timetable for further information.
For the Listeria investigation, naming a suspected food or supply-chain link would help define the scope of the inquiry. In the E. coli case, further agency findings could explain how the nationwide-distributed raw-milk cheeses are connected to the illnesses. Until officials provide those details, the inspection starts are confirmed, but the underlying routes and causes of contamination remain unresolved.
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Key Questions
What has the FDA announced?
The FDA has begun onsite inspections in two outbreak investigations: one involving E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers raw-milk cheeses, and another involving Listeria infections with an unknown source.
How many people have been reported ill in the two outbreaks?
The E. coli outbreak has at least 13 reported patients across nine states, including eight hospitalizations. The Listeria investigation has 11 reported patients. The report does not give ages or locations for the Listeria patients.
Where are the FDA inspections taking place?
The FDA has not disclosed the inspection locations in either investigation.
Has the source of the Listeria outbreak been identified?
No source has been reported. The FDA previously began traceback efforts, but has not named the food being traced or identified the origin of the infections.
Are the chicken wraps part of these two investigations?
No. The report describes the chicken-wrap E. coli outbreak as a separate investigation involving 38 reported infections. The wraps were removed from the market, and investigators are still examining possible contamination sources, including ingredients.
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