The US Food and Drug Administration is investigating iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell restaurants as a potential source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting four Midwestern states, according to a source familiar with the inquiry. The parasitic infection, which causes prolonged severe diarrhoea, has seen nearly 7,000 suspected cases nationwide, with 1,645 confirmed and over 5,100 under investigation.
Midwest outbreak and hospitalisations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed more than 400 cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, though officials suggest multiple sources may be involved. Michigan, the hardest-hit state, has reported 4,312 cases as of Thursday, with 102 hospitalisations. State health authorities had previously identified lettuce and salad greens as potential vectors following interviews with infected individuals.
The parasite’s incubation period, which can extend up to two weeks, has complicated efforts to trace the outbreak’s origin. Taco Bell, in a statement issued Tuesday, confirmed it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients” from some locations as a precaution, though it noted that “public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer.”
Taylor Farms’ history with foodborne illness
This is not the first time Taylor Farms has been associated with a cyclosporiasis outbreak. In 2013, a salad mix from the company’s Mexican processing plant sickened 631 people across 25 states, with many cases linked to Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. Additionally, the FDA determined that Taylor Farms was the source of a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to slivered onions in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, which resulted in 104 illnesses across 14 states, 34 hospitalisations, and one death in Colorado.
Neither Taylor Farms nor Yum Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, have responded to requests for comment. The investigation remains ongoing, with health officials urging the public to monitor updates as the source is determined.
