FDA Maintains Taylor Farms Lettuce as Likely Source in Cyclospora Outbreak After Lab Error
The FDA says a false-positive lab result does not alter its investigation into a multistate Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, which remains under voluntary recall.
The Food and Drug Administration said a laboratory test that had previously indicated Cyclospora contamination in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico was a false positive, but the agency stressed that the error does not change the basis of its ongoing outbreak investigation. The FDA reiterated its recommendation that consumers avoid iceberg lettuce grown or processed by Taylor Farms in central Mexico, which was sold at Taco Bell locations in five states and distributed through Walmart and other retailers in dozens of states.
Health officials have advised anyone who purchased the recalled lettuce to discard it. The guidance is based on interviews with ill individuals, many of whom reported eating at Taco Bell. To date, more than 1,600 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported, with 94 hospitalizations and no deaths.
Taylor Farms issued a statement noting that the FDA has not identified any positive product test for Cyclospora and that the company voluntarily recalled the lettuce on July 17. The firm also said it will not source iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for the remainder of the growing season and is cooperating with public-health authorities.
The FDA continues to test lettuce samples and other produce at the southern border, though no additional positive results have been found. Experts said that while the current outbreak is larger than typical summer spikes, Cyclospora cases often occur in multiple, unrelated clusters each year, making source identification challenging.