Taylor Farms pulls Mexico-sourced lettuce in response to Cyclospora outbreak.

Following an increase in Cyclospora cases across the Midwest, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a late-night alert July 16 warning consumers to avoid shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded more than 1,600 cases with 94 hospitalizations across these states, where sick individuals have been experiencing a range of gastrointestinal issues related to the outbreak. No deaths have been reported. Taylor Farms’ operations in Mexico have been identified as the lettuce supplier, according to news reports.

“Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market,” Taylor Fresh Foods said in a statement to the Weekly. “While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1 percent 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. No other Taylor Fresh Foods products across the country are impacted. No Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.”

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that, when ingested, can cause an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis, according to the FDA. The parasite is believed to only infect humans and spread through human fecal matter, and is unlikely to spread directly from person to person because the parasite needs time after being passed in the stool to become infectious.

Symptoms typically begin about one week after infection, although it can appear anywhere from two to 14 days later or longer. Common symptoms include watery diarrhea, nausea, bloating, loss of appetite and fatigue, and people with severe symptoms may experience vomiting, body aches and flu-like symptoms.

The Grower-Shipper Association of Central California released a statement saying California-grown lettuce and leafy greens are not implicated in the FDA advisory.

“California leafy greens are produced under the most stringent food safety standards in the nation,” the press release states. “In addition to federal regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule, mandatory audits of leafy greens farms for compliance with state food safety standards are required and conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture for products commercially distributed to restaurants and retailers throughout the nation.”

Taylor Farms, one of the nation’s largest suppliers of leafy greens and headquartered in the Salinas Valley, has previously been linked to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The company recalled yellow onions following an E. coli outbreak in 2024, according to the FDA. In 2013, the CDC and the FDA linked salad mix supplied by Taylor Farms’ Mexico location to a Cyclospora outbreak at Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants in Iowa and Nebraska.

“As a family-owned and operated company, we are 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,” said Taylor Fresh Foods in a statement. “ We will provide continuous updates as new information emerges."