IRVINE, CA, United States (UPI) -- Taco Bell felt the financial effects of an E. coli outbreak at some of its U.S. restaurants, as analysts downgraded its stock and ill diners filed lawsuits.
A Pennsylvania man who said he became sick after eating at a Taco Bell sued the owner of the Irvine, Calif.-based restaurant chain, the Los Angeles Times said Saturday. Another suit seeks damages for an 11-year-old boy hospitalized after eating at a Taco Bell in New York.
Two Wall Street analysts downgraded the stock of Taco Bell parent company Yum Brand, citing potential effects of consumers` concerns for food safety. Shares were off $1.36 Friday, falling to $59.72. The stock fell 5.6 percent in the last three sessions.
Meanwhile, investigators sought the source of the bacteria that sickened more than five dozen people in six states. Taco Bell and the Food and Drug Administration were waiting for conclusive results on green onions that preliminarily tested positive for a strain of E. coli. Taco Bell pulled the onions from all of its stores nationwide as a precaution.
The FDA said it was investigating other produce and cheese eaten by ill patients.
Taco Bell fast food restaurant in Santa Cruz, California.
Taco Bell restaurants decided Wednesday to remove green onions from all 5,800 of its continental U.S. stores after a November 29 outbreak of E.coli food poisonings caused the voluntary closing of 9 mid-Atlantic states stores and led health officials to investigate the chain's regional supplier. As many as 66 people reportedly became ill in New York City, Long Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

The E.coli outbreak also caused Taco Bell Canada to recall green onions from all 182 locations across Canada. Officials with the Canadian branch said Wednesday evening that they would take precaution by removing green onions from all stores in Canada after hearing of the outbreak in the U.S.

Jon Prinsell, president of Yum! Canada, which operates Taco Bell Canada commented:


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration are currently collecting samples of all non-meat items including cilantro, cheddar cheese, blended cheese, green onions, yellow onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.

A man from Pennsylvania became sick after eating at Taco Bell and sued the owner of Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, California. Another one includes a 11-year-old boy who ate at Taco Bell, was hospitalized in New York, and also sued the owner.

Most of the E. coli related sicknesses occurred in the northeast USA. No related sickness have occurred in Canada.

Health officials investigating the source of the tainted green onions, also known as scallions, have traced the vegetable's food distribution chain to the Texas-based McLane Co., which in turn got them from Irwindale-based Ready Pac.

The scallions were grown by Boskovich Farms Inc. of Oxnard, California said Steve Dickstein, the marketing vice president for Ready Pac. At what point in the food distribution chain the scallions became tainted remains under investigation.