I had expressed concern yesterday about an E coli outbreak that was limited to one chain: Taco Bell.
One reader advised me 3 smaller chains have had outbreaks , which were never publicized.
Another reader pointed out some restaurant chains have exclusive purchase agreements with certain suppliers , and it is possible Taco Bell made that a condition of their agreement with the lettuce supplier. (We are talking about boxcar quantities of lettuce,supplied on a daily basis.)
Obviously, if a supplier sells all of its output to a restaurant chain, only that chain will be affected if there is a problem with the item.
Worth noting: Taco Bell has changed its produce supplier.
Hopefully, the change will end the outbreak !