ATLANTA — Federal health officials have identified Mexican lettuce served at Taco Bell stores across five U.S. states as a widespread source of the diarrhea-causing parasite Cyclospora.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. A record number of Cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts say not all recent U.S. illnesses are caused by a single source.
The Food and Drug Administration’s investigation identified one supplier of lettuce. The company was not identified in the federal warning to consumers, but a federal official briefed on the investigation and not authorized to discuss it told The Associated Press that it was Taylor Farms in Salinas, California.
Taylor Farms, which has been linked to food poisoning outbreaks in the past, did not respond to requests for comment.
“FDA is working with iceberg lettuce suppliers to determine whether potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market, including in other states,” the CDC said. “Taco Bell has committed to discontinuing the use of lettuce from suppliers identified through FDA tracking.”
Why we still don’t know what foods are the source of Cyclospora
Federal health officials stressed in a statement that other “brands, restaurants, retailers and distribution channels” may be identified as the investigation progresses.
The CDC, FDA, and several state public health officials are investigating outbreaks of Cyclospora infections in multiple states.
More than 30 states have reported infections this year, with the number of infections exceeding the U.S. record of about 4,700 set in 2019, according to the latest data. The disease is usually not life-threatening and is usually treated with antibiotics.
Ahead of the federal government’s confirmation, Taco Bell released a statement Tuesday saying, “As a precautionary measure, we have voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients from some of our restaurants. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and follow the guidance of public health officials.”
Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that typically causes watery diarrhea “with frequent, sometimes explosive defecation,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in late spring and summer.
This heat-loving parasite infects the intestines and spreads through feces. In the past, some people have been infected by consuming fruits and vegetables that have been exposed to irrigation water contaminated with feces.
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This disease, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than food poisoning caused by other bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli. Many cases were not linked to specific foods or other sources, and for many years very few outbreaks of Cyclospora were reported in the United States. But that number started increasing about a decade ago, with particularly notable spikes in 2018 and 2019.
Experts say cases of Cyclospora have likely been underreported historically, in part because some of the common tests used to check for food poisoning are not suitable for detecting the disease. They attribute the upward trend in cases to climate change and improved detection.
Taylor Farms was also linked to a 2013 cyclosporosis outbreak linked to salad mixes and a 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to onions served at McDonald’s.
— Bill Barrow and Mike Stobbe
Stobbe reported from New York.
