Taylor Farms Expands Lettuce Recall After Cyclospora Outbreak Reaches 27 States
Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico after federal investigators linked shredded lettuce to a multistate cyclospora outbreak.
The FDA said Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market and told regulators it would initiate a recall. The agency said its traceback investigation identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce used at Taco Bell locations where sick people ate before becoming ill.
AP reported that products with possible contamination were shipped to 27 states, including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New Jersey. The recall covers 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight brand codes, with best by dates as late as Aug. 3.
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The outbreak first drew a narrower public warning around Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. FDA listed 1,644 illnesses, 94 hospitalizations, and no deaths in the five state outbreak, with illness onset dates from May 13 through July 13.
The practical consequence is broader than one restaurant chain. Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed customers to destroy them, according to AP.
Online reaction has reflected that wider concern. Reddit users discussed whether coverage was too focused on Taco Bell, with several threads pointing instead to Taylor Farms’ role as a major supplier and asking how far the product may have traveled.
FDA said its investigation remains ongoing and additional brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels may be identified.
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