Taco Bell Pulls Green Onions

December 5, 2006 (WPVI) -- There are 46 confirmed cases of E. coli sickness in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. And now comes word of the first cases in Delaware and Connecticut. It's becoming more certain that the culprit is an innocent looking vegetable called the scallion.

Inspectors were at McLane Distribution Center in Burlington Tuesday pouring over records - their focus was produce. That produce was distributed to hundreds of Taco Bells in the Northeast, including right here in Philadelphia.

The Taco Bell on City Avenue is closed Wednesday night after the Health Department confirmed a 19-year-old man became sick with E. coli after eating there a couple of weeks ago. Health officials believe it was contaminated green onions served at the fast food chain that have sickened 50 people in five states with the E. coli bacteria.

The cases were first discovered in Long Island and North Jersey. Wednesday, the Camden County Health Department said an 11-year-old girl got sick after eating at the Taco Bell at the Cherry Hill Mall. Five people from Montgomery County have all tested positive for the bacteria, 4 of them ate at the Taco Bell in Gilbertsville. Officials have linked the fifth case to the Philadelphia Taco Bell on City Avenue.

Philadelphia Interim Health Commissioner Carmen I. Paris said, "It is not the fault of the food establishment because as you know there is a globalization of how food is distributed."

The area Taco Bells get their food from a McLane Distribution Center in Burlington, New Jersey, but officials say the contaminated onions were processed by ReadyPac Produce in Florence, New Jersey.

A spokesperson for the company said quote: "Even though the test results are not confirmed, we have taken every prudent precaution and immediately stopped production and shipments of all green onions." Meanwhile, Taco Bells in Montgomery County remain closed and Wednesday night the Camden Health Department has asked 9 Taco Bells to shut their doors as well.

The Philadelphia Health Department asked the city's 15 restaurants to do the same, but with the exception of the restaurant on City Avenue, managers at several city Taco Bells say health inspectors visited the restaurants Wednesday morning and gave them the OK to serve customers.

"We ordered the soft shell tacos I don't think that they're poison or anything," said Deitra Jackson of West Oak Lane.

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