CDC links Taco Bell lettuce to multistate cyclospora outbreak
The CDC warned consumers to avoid shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in five states after federal investigators traced the parasite outbreak to a single supplier.
Federal health officials have traced a multistate outbreak of the diarrheal parasite cyclospora to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning on Thursday advising the public not to eat the lettuce, while the Food and Drug Administration’s investigation identified a single supplier, later reported by a briefed official as Taylor Farms of Salinas, California.
"FDA is working with the supplier of iceberg lettuce to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market," the CDC said, adding that Taco Bell has stopped using lettuce from the identified source.
Taco Bell said it had voluntarily removed the ingredient from select restaurants as a precaution and would continue to monitor the situation. The outbreak, which has affected more than 30 states and surpassed the previous U.S. record of about 4,700 cases set in 2019, is being investigated by CDC, FDA and state health officials. Cyclospora infections are typically treated with antibiotics and are not usually life-threatening.
Taylor Farms, which has been linked to previous foodborne incidents, did not immediately comment on the investigation.