At least nine people have fallen ill with E. coli infections after attending the Rice County Fair in Rice County, MN, according to the Faribault Daily News. Speaking to the Daily News, the fair manager said that five people have been hospitalized. The manager also said that the E. coli originated from an animal and not a food item. Investigators suspect it came from either the fair’s barn or the petting zoo. The fair had hand-washing stations available outside the petting zoo and barns, but not all visitors used them. A number of disease outbreaks have been linked to petting zoos in recent years. In 2012, the petting zoo at a county fair in North Carolina was linked to an E. coli outbreak that sickened 106 people and ended in the death of a 2-year-old boy. Parents are advised to carefully monitor their children when petting farm animals. Children should immediately wash their hands after visiting a petting zoo and should not be given the opportunity to put their hands or fingers in their mouths after touching animals.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
This is part 1 of a 3-part series.
An unlicensed meat producer and poor hygiene at a restaurant played a role in a Salmonella outbreak in an Australian state,
Almost 500 people were sick in a major E. coli outbreak in Germany in 2025, according to recently released figures from a regional State Office for Health and Social Affairs.
The root cause of a large E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom in 2024 remains unknown with authorities warning a re-emergence is possible.
Almost 300 people fell ill
CDC lists the investigation status as open and FDA lists it as ongoing. Case counts and recall lists in this report reflect the federal record as of Aug. 20, 2026.
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. is recalling select flavors of Outshine Fruit Bars because of consumer complaints about contamination with glass.
Products affected include Outshine Strawberry, Watermelon, Grape, Tangerine
Salata Dressings of Houston, TX, is recalling its Jalapeno Avocado Dressing because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The recalled products were distributed in Texas HEB grocery
Grand Central Bakery of Seattle, WA, is recalling loaves of Potato Sourdough because they may contain the presence of pieces of metal.
The following products are subject to recall and
