Taylor Farms CEO addresses lettuce-linked Cyclospora outbreak as lawsuit filed
Taylor Farms and Taco Bell are facing a class-action lawsuit after shredded iceberg lettuce from central Mexico was linked to a multi-state Cyclospora outbreak, prompting a voluntary recall and suspension of production.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has been traced to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The agency’s traceback identified the lettuce used at several Taco Bell locations as the common source.
Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor said the company had been excluded from the investigation and warned that "Americans are afraid and avoiding healthy fresh food to their own detriment." He added that the firm acted quickly, removing the implicated product and issuing a broader voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.
The FDA confirmed that a later laboratory test produced a false-positive result but stated that this does not alter the ongoing investigation or the epidemiological evidence supporting the recall. "FDA’s traceback investigation and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms from growers in central Mexico," the agency wrote.
Taco Bell has removed the affected lettuce from its restaurants, and Taylor Farms has suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production in the region while an independent review of its food-safety procedures is conducted. As of July 24, 2026, the FDA reported no confirmed positive test results for Cyclospora in product samples.
On July 23, two plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Taylor Farms and Taco Bell, alleging that the lettuce sold to consumers was adulterated under federal law and unfit for sale.