Walmart Withdraws Taylor Farms Iceberg Lettuce Bags in Several States
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Walmart announced that its stores in several states are withdrawing certain bags of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Fresh Foods after the brand expanded its voluntary recall of lettuce products sourced from central Mexico, due to a possible link to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak. According to the recall notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the lettuce was distributed across various states, including through food service and retail segments. The recall indicates that some retailers sold 12 and 24-ounce bags of iceberg salad and 8 and 16-ounce bags of shredded lettuce, with 'best by' dates ranging from July 16 to August 3. The FDA did not provide a list of retailers. A July 18 post on Walmart's 'Food Recalls' website indicated that some of the lettuce products were sold in retail locations across 15 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Overall, the voluntarily recalled Taylor Farms products were primarily distributed through food service in over two dozen states, and the CDC initially warned consumers to avoid eating the shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. A complete list of states included in the Taylor Farms recall is available. The recall announcement included 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. The recalled products were shipped as recently as July 16 and have 'best by' dates up to August 3. The full list can be found here. Sysco, the largest food distributor in the country, suspended the distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sourced from Mexico and instructed its customers to destroy them. On July 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised consumers not to eat the recalled Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from Mexico, which 'may be sold in retail stores or restaurants.' 'If you purchased the recalled lettuce, dispose of it or return it to the store. If you are unsure of the lettuce's origin, ask at the restaurant,' the CDC stated. Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that contaminates food that has been in contact with human feces, most often when agricultural products are irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by 'frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,' according to the CDC. In 2026, Cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the United States and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating over 5,000 additional illnesses that could be related to the parasite. By this time last year, only 249 cases had been reported. It was unclear whether other retailers had removed Taylor Farms lettuce products from their shelves. NBC Chicago reached out to Target and the parent companies of Jewel-Osco and Mariano’s for this report.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
