In a proactive measure to protect public health, Taylor Fresh Foods, a prominent fruit and vegetable producer, has decided to voluntarily withdraw all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. This decision comes amid a spreading cyclosporiasis outbreak that has so far affected over 1,600 individuals nationwide.
A recall notice from the Food and Drug Administration, issued on Saturday, highlights that the shredded lettuce in question was distributed across 27 states between June 29 and July 16. The states impacted include Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Taylor Fresh Foods elaborated in the notice, stating, “We are actively removing the implicated products. The company has stopped receiving product from the implicated lot, suspended distribution of the iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico, notified our customers, and we are continuing to work with the FDA, CDC, and state authorities.”
The recall encompasses various products, including Marketside-brand items available at certain Walmart stores. Additionally, some of these now-recalled products were sent to food service clients, highlighting the breadth of the distribution.
As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that this multistate outbreak remains a subject of investigation. The issue has now been traced back to shredded iceberg lettuce used at select Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that its traceback investigation had identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico that was used at those Taco Bell locations.
In a statement, Taco Bell said it had taken “immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states” following “ongoing conversations with public health officials.”
“We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” the statement read in part. “Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.”
The CDC and FDA said they are also investigating other cyclosporiasis illnesses that may be unrelated to the lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants, “in collaboration with state and local partners.” Overall, there have been more than 1,644 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis across the country, with 94 hospitalizations and no reported deaths so far.
Cyclosporiasis cases happen every year, but there have been more reported this year than in general.
In a statement to ABC News on Friday, Taylor Fresh Foods said in part, “While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which 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.”
Taylor Farms, a subsidiary of Taylor Fresh Foods, supplies fruits and vegetables to many restaurants and grocery stores throughout the U.S., sourcing and processing the food
The company said it is "deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken."
"No other Taylor Fresh Foods products across the country are impacted," it continued. "No Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce."
"That trust is something we've worked for decades to earn, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence. We will provide continuous updates as new information emerge," it added.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Taylor Farms shared a statement on its website, saying, "At Taylor Farms, the health and safety of our consumers is always our top priority. We are committed to delivering fresh, wholesome products that meet the highest quality standards."
It added, "In the rare event a product does not meet these standards, we take immediate action to remove affected items from distribution and notify our customers."
Here's what to know about the Salinas, California-based company.
A leading, family-owned vegetable producer
Taylor Farms was founded by Bruce Taylor in the Salinas Valley in Monterey County, California, in 1995 and remains family-owned today, with Taylor serving as chairman and CEO, according to the company's website.
Taylor Farms describes itself as "the leading global producer" of fresh vegetables, meal kits, and salads, and supplies restaurants with fresh ingredients. Today, the company operates production facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe, according to its website.
In 2019, Taylor Farms acquired salad kit brand Earthbound Farm from Danone.
Past food safety issue
Taylor Farms was
Editor’s note: This article was updated after the FDA issued an update that lettuce that tested positive outside of the recall was now considered a false positive.