Federal health officials have identified iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from central Mexico to Taco Bell restaurants as a potential source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting thousands of people across multiple states. The FDA launched an investigation into the connection, and both Taco Bell and Taylor Farms announced voluntary removals of the affected lettuce from their operations.
Taco Bell began removing lettuce from some of its restaurants in response to the outbreak, while Taylor Farms stated it was voluntarily pulling all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. Taylor Farms clarified that none of its branded salads or kits contain the lettuce associated with the outbreak, limiting the scope of potentially impacted products to supplies specifically sent to Taco Bell.
Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite. The outbreak has grown to affect thousands of people, though sources vary on the scope—some reports cite five states being directly linked to the Taco Bell supplier, while others reference the outbreak reaching up to 34 states across the country. The FDA investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of contamination and the source of the parasite.
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