ATLANTA (AP) — An alert has been issued by federal health officials pinpointing lettuce sourced from Mexico and served at Taco Bell locations in five U.S. states as the culprit behind a widespread outbreak of the parasite cyclospora, which causes diarrhea.
On Thursday evening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised consumers to avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. This comes amidst a surge in cyclospora cases reported across more than 30 states, though experts suggest that not all recent U.S. illnesses may be linked to a singular source.
Taylor Farms, known for its connection to past foodborne illness outbreaks, has yet to respond to requests for comments on the matter.
The CDC revealed, “FDA is working with the iceberg lettuce supplier to assess if any potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains available,” adding that this could include other states. They further noted, “Taco Bell has promised to cease using lettuce from the supplier identified through the FDA’s traceback investigation.”
Taco Bell says it will use a different supplier
The CDC, in collaboration with the FDA and state public health officials, is deeply engaged in probing a multistate outbreak of cyclospora infections, seeking to mitigate its impacts.
The illness is not usually life threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics.
On Thursday, ahead of the federal government’s confirmation, Taco Bell issued a statement saying that it had taken “immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.”
It’s possible other businesses could be linked to the outbreak
In a statement, federal health officials stressed that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the outbreak as the investigation continues.
Michigan investigators are trying to figure out if the lettuce went to other restaurants or stores because many of the ill people said they didn’t eat at Taco Bell, state health officials said Friday.
There is no evidence the outbreak “is related to poor food handling or preparation at any single restaurant or fast-food chain,” Michigan health officials said in a statement.
For that reason, they continue to recommend that consumers purchase whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits.
Cyclospora cases have been rising for years
Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.
The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.
The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.
Previously, 2019 saw the most reported U.S. cyclosporiasis cases, with about 4,700. The current surge has far surpassed that. Michigan — the apparent epicenter of the current outbreak — is reporting more than 5,000 cases, and more than 2,000 additional probable and suspected cases have been reported in other states.
No deaths have been reported. But Michigan officials say more than 100 people in that state have been hospitalized, and federal health officials say dozens more have been hospitalized in other states.
Experts attribute the increasing trend in cases to climate change and better detection. They also say it’s likely that cyclospora cases historically were underreported, for several reasons.
Some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been geared to detect cyclospora. Technicians aren’t able to grow the parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated produce. And it can be hard to figure out what food sick people had in common because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that might be common in multiple recipes — like basil or cilantro.
Taco Bell and Taylor Farms have been tied to past outbreaks
The FDA’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell locations where people who got sick ate, federal officials said.
The Mexican food chain is among the restaurants linked to foodborne illness outbreaks in the past.
Taylor Farms also was tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at McDonald’s.
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Stobbe reported from New York.
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