Taylor Farms, a major food producer, confirmed it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market following a cyclospora outbreak. According to Reuters, the company notified customers, including Taco Bell and Sysco, on Thursday to halt distribution of shredded lettuce packed in 5-pound bags at a Guanajuato, Mexico facility.
Taco Bell stated that the implicated ingredient has been removed indefinitely from its national supply chain and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.
Cyclospora, a parasite infecting the small intestine, has an incubation period of one to two weeks and causes symptoms including watery diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, headaches, low-grade fever, and recurring flu-like illness.
While not all cases are linked to Taco Bell, Taylor Farms—generating over $7 billion annually in produce and supplying two-fifths of grocery store salad kits—remains under scrutiny. However, the company’s name is typically not listed on these products. The CDC is also investigating unrelated outbreaks in other states.
Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.
While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely.
The investigation faces challenges due to staffing reductions. Over 240 consumer safety specialists departed amid funding cuts under the Trump administration, and the CDC scaled back its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), which previously collaborated with ten states.
The FDA’s postponed compliance deadline for the Food Traceability Final Rule, now set for July 2028, could have expedited identifying the farm tied to the outbreak. The regulation mandates standardized record-keeping for food shipments.
Health authorities report the outbreak—linked to shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell locations across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia—has caused over 5,000 cases in Michigan alone, with 102 hospitalizations. The FDA warns the investigation is ongoing, and additional brands, retailers, or distributors may be impacted.
