Illness Blamed on Food Handling

A salmonella outbreak at a Taco Bell that left more than 600 people ill probably resulted from improper food handling procedures by an employee, a company official said Friday.

An internal company investigation ruled out the possibility that the problem was associated with the manufacturing, processing or distribution of Taco Bell foods, said Zane Leshner, senior operations officer for the Mexican-style fast-food restaurant. Taco Bell, a division of Pepsico Inc., is based in Irvine.

“The evidence appears to support the conclusion that this situation was related to the unintentional contamination of the product during preparation and handling by an employee who was unknowingly carrying salmonellosis,” Leshner said.

That no other Taco Bells reported any problems supports that conclusion, Leshner said.

Taco Bell reached its conclusion after testing ingredients delivered to the restaurant in the Syracuse suburb of Fairmount and inspecting its manufacturing and distribution facilities, he said.

The Onondaga County Health Department is still investigating the cause of the outbreak in June that sent eight people to the hospital.

Leshner said the company’s investigation will now focus on how and why its rules for food handling were broached.