Darden Restaurants Inc.(JUST IN)

IRVINE, Calif. -- Statistics indicate that packaged lettuce was the "most probable" cause of the E. coli outbreak that forced 90 TACO BELLS in four northeastern states to close during the last two weeks, franchisor Taco Bell Corp. said Wednesday evening during a media conference call. But the company also indicated that it had replaced the cheese in some units with shipments from another supplier, and that beef was also indicated by statistics to be a possible source. Taco Bell said it was unlikely that cheese or beef was indeed the culprit because those ingredients undergo preparations that kill bacteria. Officials were asked if the same brand of lettuce had been used by TACO …