FDA probes iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms as possible source of cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taco Bell
The FDA is investigating whether iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms contributed to a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands across the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration is examining iceberg lettuce provided by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell restaurants as a potential source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting four states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 7,000 people nationwide may have been infected, with 1,645 cases confirmed and more than 5,100 still under investigation. No deaths have been recorded.
The CDC earlier announced an investigation into more than 400 cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. Michigan has reported the highest number of cases, with 4,312 infections and 102 hospitalizations, according to the state health department.
"We have voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at some of our restaurants as a precaution," a Taco Bell spokesperson said, adding that public health officials have not confirmed a link to the chain or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer.
Health officials previously identified lettuce and salad greens as possible vectors based on interviews with over 1,000 infected individuals. The incubation period for the parasite can be up to two weeks, complicating source identification.
Taylor Farms did not immediately comment on the investigation. The company was also linked to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak that sickened 631 people in 25 states, traced to a salad mix processed at a facility in Mexico.