2006 E. coli outbreak from Dole bagged baby spinach

  • First death associated with outbreak: Ruby Trautz, 81

    [A mother lost](youtube.com) Ruby Trautz, 81, dies in Nebraska of complications from an E. coli infection after eating contaminated spinach. Her daughter and son-in-law share Trautz's story and their experience.
  • Second death associated with outbreak: Marion Graff, 77

    Marion Graff, 77, dies in Wisconsin of complications from an E. coli infection after eating bagged baby spinach.
  • Reported as multi-state oubreak, most likely from spinach

    OutbreakNet officially identifies a multi-state outbreak. The CDC informs the FDA that spinach is likely the culprit.
  • Third death associated with outbreak: June Dunning, 86

    June Dunning, 86, dies in Maryland of complications from an E. coli infection after eating bagged baby spinach.
  • FDA issues warning

    The FDA warns consumers not to eat spinach.
  • First voluntary spinach recall announced

    Natural Selection Foods, of San Juan Batista, Calif.,issues a recall for spinach products. Natural Selection distributed spinach to several companies, including Dole.
  • Second voluntary spinach recall announced

    River Ranch, of Salinas, Calif., recalls products containing spinach.
  • Fourth death associated with outbreak: Kyle Allgood, 2

    Kyle Allgood, 2, was the youngest victim of the outbreak. He died after going into cardiac arrest, caused by complications from an E. coli infection. He had eaten bagged baby spinach in a fruit smoothie two days before the FDA issued the warning not to eat spinach.
  • Third voluntary spinach recall announced

    The FDA announces the third company to recall spinach, RLB Food Distributors.
  • Fourth and fifth voluntary spinach recalls announced

  • Potential source identified

    The FDA announces the contaminated spinach was linked back to Natural Selection Foods in San Juan Batista, Calif.
  • Tests confirm source of contamination

    The FDA announces the contaminated spinach has been traced to four different fields used by Natural Selection Foods in California. The investigation would eventually find only one field that matched exactly with the strain of E. coli in victims.