Taylor Farms Recalls Iceberg Lettuce Due to Cyclosporiasis Outbreak
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Taylor Fresh Foods announced on Friday that it would voluntarily recall all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. This recall comes amid a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis—a gastrointestinal infection that causes weeks of severe diarrhea—linked by federal health authorities to lettuce served at certain Taco Bell restaurants. Taylor Fresh Foods stated that the action was prompted by information provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 'While the FDA tracing points to a specific independent farm—representing less than 1% of the iceberg lettuce supply in the U.S.—as the potential source of the outbreak, we have indefinitely removed all iceberg lettuce from that region,' the statement read. 'No other Taylor Fresh Foods products in the country have been affected.' Earlier on Friday, the FDA issued an alert: 'Do not consume chopped iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.' It remains unclear if Taylor Farms products could be related to cases in other states affected by outbreaks. Health authorities have indicated that multiple ongoing outbreaks are likely in at least 34 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Friday morning via an email statement that chopped lettuce sold in supermarkets or served in other restaurants has not been affected. Nationwide, nearly 7,000 people may have contracted the gastrointestinal infection that causes weeks of severe diarrhea. As of Friday, the CDC had confirmed 1,644 of those cases and was investigating over 5,000 additional ones. No deaths have been reported. In an email statement on Thursday, Taco Bell reported that it had voluntarily removed the lettuce suspected of being linked to the outbreak from its national supply chain indefinitely and would replace it in selected states over the course of the following day. The company did not mention Taylor Farms in its statement but asserted that it believes 'public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities; we take pride in having always acted quickly and proactively to protect our customers,' according to the text. 'We encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and food service operators to do the same.' The link between Taylor Farms and the outbreak was initially reported by the Washington Post. Michigan has been the most affected state, with 5,002 reported cases as of Friday. (CDC figures often lag behind those of the states.) The state health department reported that 102 people in Michigan have required hospitalization. Michigan health authorities had previously pointed to lettuce and salad greens as a potential source, based on over 1,000 interviews with individuals who tested positive. Since then, the health department has conducted 2,025 such interviews. Not all individuals who fell ill in Michigan reported eating at a Taco Bell. 'Many did not report consuming lettuce at a chain restaurant or other food establishment. However, lettuce continued to appear frequently in food questionnaires, even in cases without exposure to restaurants or fast food,' the Michigan Department of Health noted in a statement on Friday. Identifying the source of the outbreak has proven difficult, as the incubation period required for the parasite to make a person ill can extend up to two weeks. This is not the first time Taylor Farms has been linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak. In 2013, health authorities concluded that 631 people in 25 states fell ill due to a salad mix associated with the company. Many cases occurred in Iowa and Nebraska among individuals who had dined at Olive Garden and Red Lobster. It was ultimately determined that the outbreak originated from a salad mix produced at a Taylor Farms processing plant in Mexico. Health authorities also determined that Taylor Farms was behind an E. coli outbreak in 2024, linked to sliced onions used in McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers. According to the FDA, 104 people fell ill in 14 states during that outbreak. Nearly three dozen were hospitalized, and four individuals—including at least one child—developed severe kidney problems. One person, an elderly adult from Colorado, died. This article was originally published in English by Erika Edwards and Sara G. Miller for our sister network NBC News. The note was translated with the help of an artificial intelligence tool. An editor from Telemundo Digital reviewed the translation.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
