Taylor Farms announces huge lettuce recall after being linked to ‘diarrhea parasite’ outbreak

Produce grower Taylor Farms has confirmed it is pulling lettuce from Mexico that has potentially been linked to a ‘diarrhea parasite’ outbreak. 

The company said in a statement Friday that it is ‘voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico’ due to a nationwide outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea that can last up to a month without treatment.

Taylor Farms’ official statement reads: ‘No Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with this cyclospora outbreak.

‘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. 

‘That trust is something we’ve worked for decades to earn, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence.

‘Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.

‘No Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with this outbreak. No Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.

‘While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1 percent of the US’s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely.’

As of Friday afternoon, there are no active recalls listed on the company’s website. 

The announcement comes amid reports that the CDC and FDA is investigating the shredded lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell locations in the US. Documents viewed by Bloomberg News stated that Taylor Farms told US regulators about its plans earlier on Friday. 

On Thursday, the CDC posted an update to the cyclosporiasis outbreak investigation, stating tracing had linked the illnesses to shredded iceberg lettuce from a single supplier that had been used at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

And Taco Bell issued a statement the same day: ‘Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. 

‘The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.

‘While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests. 

‘Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.’ 

Salinas, California-based Taylor Farms is a subsidiary of Taylor Fresh Foods, Inc. and is a producer of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Taylor Farms is one of the nation’s largest produce growers and suppliers, supplying produce nationwide to grocery stores, food service suppliers and restaurants. 

In 2024, the company recalled yellow onions processed at its Colorado Springs facility after they were linked to a multi-state E.coli outbreak at McDonald’s.

One person died and 104 were sickened across 14 states in connection to the recall. 

Now, nationwide, cases of cyclosporiasis, caused by the cyclospora parasite, have sickened at least 5,880 people in 41 states. 

Not all cases are related to this outbreak and the CDC said it is ‘also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to this outbreak.’ 

Without issuing an official statement, Taco Bell first began pulling several ingredients from its menus last week, posting notices at several locations in the US saying it would not serve lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole or cilantro onion.

The posted notices read: ‘We are currently unable to sell lettuce, cilantro onion, pico de gallo, and guacamole due to a nationwide recall. We apologize for the inconvenience.  

‘Any items ordered that normally come with these items WILL NOT contain them.’

People become infected with cyclosporiasis by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the cyclospora parasite, most commonly through fresh produce such as leafy greens, herbs and berries.

In the US, most cases are typically linked to international travel or imported produce from regions where the parasite is common, including Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Fresh produce can become contaminated if it is washed or irrigated with water contaminated by human sewage.  

Previous outbreaks have been linked to bagged salad kits, cilantro, basil and other leafy greens.

Cyclosporiasis typically causes explosive diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

Unlike norovirus or routine food poisoning, however, symptoms often come and go rather than resolving after a few days.

Without treatment, experts say the illness can persist for weeks or repeatedly return. 

Anyone with diarrhea lasting more than a few days should seek medical care and specifically ask for a cyclospora test, as it is not routinely ordered, Dr Swapnil Patel, vice chair of medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told Daily Mail. 

The test detects cyclospora DNA in stool samples and typically requires one to three samples.

Treatment for the infection consists of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand names Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim.