We blogged before on the mystery of how E. coli O157:H7 could find its way into Nestle Toll House cookie dough, especially in light of ingredients lists free of any typical E. coli culprit (see Getting to the bottom of the latest E. coli O157:H7). The Danville News has reported that the FDA, after inspecting the Danville Nestle plant, found no evidence of E. coli O157:H7 contamination in equipment or from plant workers. Tests for E. coli O157:H7 in ingredients samples were also negative, although false negatives are a reasonable possibility.
A spokesperson for the FDA specifically mentioned Nestle’s flour supplier as the next object of a joint investigation with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. If the company that supplies Nestle flour is indeed the source of the multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, what other food manufacturers have utilized this same source, possibly spreading E. coli through their own products that haven’t yet been linked to the outbreak and recalled?
We’ll keep updating as we continue to receive more news on the Nestle E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, with hopes that investigators will quickly find the original E. coli source, and cut off any other avenues by which E. coli O157:H7 is getting into the food supply.
