FDA Completes Inquiry Into Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Lettuce Recall

Marzetti Company President and CEO Dave Ciesinski discussed the impact of the cyclospora outbreak on the salad mix and dressing business, as well as inflation, during an appearance on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday that its investigation into the cyclospora outbreak tied to Mexican iceberg lettuce has concluded, uncovering strong evidence that links the illnesses to recalled products from Taylor Farms de Mexico.

The cyclosporiasis outbreak, ranking among the largest foodborne illness incidents in recent U.S. history, has been associated with over 12,800 cases across 21 states and resulted in hundreds of hospitalizations.

Health officials reported two related deaths in Michigan, noting that both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.

The outbreak triggered a large-scale recall by Taylor Farms de Mexico, which announced in July that it was voluntarily withdrawing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from U.S. retail shelves.

Following the recall, the FDA launched on‑site inspections in Mexico.

During its traceback investigation, the FDA identified several farms and a processing facility in Mexico that supplied the recalled shredded lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods.

The FDA reported that two environmental samples tested positive for cyclospora.

The agency noted that one positive sample originated from a tank containing outgoing wastewater at the processing facility, while the other was collected from a drainage ditch at an iceberg lettuce farm.

Although the FDA could not pinpoint exactly how the contamination occurred, the agency said the data strongly indicated that the outbreak was linked to lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico.

“While there is currently insufficient evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred in this outbreak, the positive samples indicate that cyclospora was present in the environment where the lettuce was grown and processed,” the FDA stated.

“This finding reinforces the strong epidemiological evidence and traceback data that connect the outbreak to the recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico,” the agency added.

A spokesperson for Taylor Fresh Foods, the parent company, responded to the FDA’s findings in a statement to Reuters.

“The independent grower associated with the positive sample is no longer part of our supplier program, and the sample cited by the FDA originated from discharged waste and sewer water outside our processing facility,” the spokesperson said.

“As the FDA noted in its report, there is currently insufficient evidence to definitively determine how contamination occurred or how these sample results relate to ongoing genotyping of clinical specimens,” the spokesperson continued.

FOX Business has contacted Taylor Farms for comment.

The FDA said it is confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce tied to the outbreak has been removed from the U.S. market.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously declared the outbreak over on September 11.

Cyclospora is a single‑celled parasite that can cause stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, weight loss and other health issues, although some infected individuals remain asymptomatic, according to the CDC.

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