Taco Bell Lettuce Confirmed as Cyclospora Outbreak Source
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- CDC late Thursday warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia
- Taylor Farms of Salinas, California was identified by an unnamed federal official briefed on the investigation as the single supplier of the contaminated lettuce
- Taco Bell had already "voluntarily and temporarily" removed limited ingredients at select restaurants on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, ahead of the federal confirmation
- The outbreak has spread to more than 30 states, with current case counts surpassing the prior U.S. record of approximately 4,700 infections set in 2019
- FDA said it is working with the supplier to determine whether contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market, including in other states, and warned other brands and retailers could be identified as the investigation continues
- Cyclospora is a heat-loving microscopic parasite that infects bowels and spreads through feces-contaminated irrigation water, typically causing watery, explosive diarrhea treatable with antibiotics
- Taylor Farms was previously tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak from salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to onions served at McDonald's
Why it matters: This is the first concrete supply-chain identification in an outbreak that has already broken the all-time U.S. cyclospora record, letting federal investigators trace contamination to a single supplier's Mexican-sourced iceberg lettuce. Consumers in five states now have a clear directive, and the FDA is signaling that more restaurants, brands or retailers may yet be named.
