Fast Food Chains with the Most Food Poisoning Reports, State by State

Iwaspoisoned.com is the leading consumer food safety platform. We crowdsource reports of foodborne illness from consumers, detect outbreaks, and collaborate with both regulators and the food industry to improve food safety outcomes. Whether it is a meal at a restaurant or a food product from a store, our mission is to provide a place where people from all over the world can report suspected cases of food poisoning and share their experience.

Iwaspoisoned.com:

• Received reports from 150+ countries
• Gets up to thousands of reports daily
• Detected over 1,000 foodborne illness outbreaks
• Collaborates with over 400+ public health agencies at the Federal, State, and Local level in 6 countries

Our platform empowers consumers to share their experiences, while also providing reports from health departments, regulatory agencies, and more. We aim to benefit all, from consumer to health agencies to industry, by centralizing diverse information sources to enhance food safety awareness and outcomes.
  Free Consumer Alerts | Industry Services | Outbreaks Detected | How Do We Moderate | In the Media | Partnerships and Collaboration | Why You Should Report | Conference Appearances
Fast Food Chains with the Most Food Poisoning Reports, State by State
This map is a long time request from our users. It aggregates our consumer reporting data to identify the most reported fast-food chain by state, based on user reports to create this visualization.
(Link to high-res) This map is based on moderated reports from consumers to Iwaspoisoned. The time frame is from 2012 to 2023 (through September 30th 2023). The data shows McDonald's as the most reported in 23 states for food poisoning, Chipotle Mexican Grill in 20 states, Taco Bell in 5, and Chick-Fil-A in 2.

Free Consumer Alerts
As part of our commitment to public safety, we encourage you to stay informed with our free consumer alerts on outbreaks, recalls, food poisoning, and food safety reports all geo-fenced to your location. To sign up click here.

Industry Services
We provide comprehensive data analysis services to businesses, including food safety insights, trends, outbreak detection, industry benchmarks, and more. Our goal is to empower companies with the necessary tools for enhanced food safety practices. For detailed information on these services click here.

Detecting Outbreaks
Iwaspoisoned.com is widely known for detecting outbreaks. Notably, we were the first to detect the original Chipotle Mexican Grill outbreak in Simi Valley in 2015, and most of their subsequent outbreaks. Click here to view a sample of additional outbreaks we have detected.
(Link to high-res)
Content Moderation & Data Quality
Our aim: a trusted platform with the highest quality data possible. Attribution is always a consideration for crowdsourced data. The strongest signals on our platform typically relate to the reporting of 'clusters': this occurs when we receive multiple independent reports citing the same product or location within the same time period. To eliminate inauthentic, malicious, spam, and duplicate reports, we combine human insight with AI and technical analysis, all within the framework of our strict terms of use and privacy policies. Key steps include:

• Human Review - Each report undergoes a thorough evaluation by our team.
• Technical Analysis - We conduct a back-end analysis of each report.

In the Media
We are frequently cited in news media, for outbreaks and insights:

• New York Times: Discusses the impact of Iwaspoisoned.com on the restaurant industry and public health, highlighting its influence and controversies around its use.
• USA Today: Covers the FDA's investigation into Lucky Charms cereal following illness complaints from consumers, with several hundred reports posted on iwaspoisoned.com.
• Wall Street Journal: Delves into an incident reported on Iwaspoisoned.com, where over 100 people became ill after eating at a Chipotle restaurant in Virginia, suggesting a foodborne illness outbreak.
• NPR: Examines how iwaspoisoned.com has detected outbreaks ahead of officials and helped health inspectors.
• BBC News: Podcast episode titled "The Food Chain" features Patrick Quade, the founder of iwaspoisoned.com, discusses the economic impact of food poisoning and explores identifying and preventing food poisoning sources.

*View more of our media mentions here

Partnerships and Collaborations
We collaborate with over 400 public health agencies in the U.S., covering 93% of the population, to amplify the impact of each report and ensure swift responses to food safety issues. This includes diverse agencies like epidemiology and environmental health departments. Our data's reliability is enhanced through partnerships with federal, state, and local bodies, and leading food brands. Positive testimonials from various health departments highlight our platform's effectiveness in reporting and addressing foodborne illnesses.
(Link to high-res) *Learn more about our partnerships here

Foodborne Illness By The Numbers

• Foodborne illnesses annually sicken 48 million, hospitalize 128,000, and cause 3,000 deaths in the US.
• Globally, 600 million cases and 420,000 deaths occur each year.
• Children represent over 30% of these deaths.
• 15% of U.S. local health departments have cut programs, losing 21% of staff.
• The U.S. economic impact is over $17.6 billion annually.

Thought Leaders and Educators
We have presented on the intersection of emerging technology, food safety, and social media surveillance at over 50 industry events in the U.S. and internationally, spanning the fields of food, safety, and environmental health. For a detailed list of all the conferences and events where we've shared our insights, visit here. Learn more about us | Iwaspoisoned Media Kit