FDA pins cyclospora on Taylor Farms despite false test
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- FDA officials said traceback and outbreak data continue to point to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms' central Mexico locations, even after a rapid screening test produced a Saturday positive that was retracted Sunday as a false positive.
- Taylor Farms recalled 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products under eight brand codes on Saturday, while claiming on social media that "FDA apologized to us" — a claim agency officials publicly denied.
- Cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people and hospitalized 141 in the U.S. in 2026, with the FDA and CDC investigating five separate illness clusters and continuing to see new cases as recent as last week.
- Taco Bell saw foot traffic drop 18.9% after being named in the investigation, while Chopt fell 14.3%, Chipotle and Panera Bread dropped near 7%, and Cava fell 4.2%, according to Placer.ai cellphone-tracking data.
- Cyclospora cannot be grown in labs, forcing investigators to rely on patient accounts of what they ate, timing, and proximity of cases rather than direct biological evidence drawn from recalled produce.
Why it matters: Taylor Farms faces a recall of 25 products across 8 brand codes, and Taco Bell absorbed an 18.9% foot traffic decline after being named, with Chopt down 14.3% and Chipotle/Panera near 7%. The FDA is pressing its case despite acknowledging its own rapid test produced a false positive — exposing how thinly evidenced these outbreak tracebacks can be.
