Taylor Farms widens lettuce recall after FDA detects Cyclospora in imported sample
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed a positive Cyclospora test in a shredded iceberg lettuce sample from Taylor Farms de Mexico, prompting the company to expand its recall and work with authorities to locate any remaining product.
The Food and Drug Administration said a shredded iceberg lettuce sample collected through targeted import surveillance tested positive for the parasite Cyclospora. The lot, which was not part of Taylor Farms' existing recall, has been detained while the California-based producer assesses whether any of the product remains in commerce or in consumers' homes.
Taylor Farms had earlier announced a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and removed the product from U.S. stores. The company said it has stopped receiving the implicated lot, suspended distribution, notified customers and is cooperating with the FDA, CDC and state authorities.
The recall covers 12-ounce and 24-ounce bags of Marketside iceberg salad and 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags of Marketside shredded iceberg lettuce packaged between June 29 and July 16, with "best if used by" dates from July 18 through August 3. The affected items were distributed to retail and food-service customers in 27 states.
The FDA also warned that Taco Bell is discontinuing lettuce from the same supplier after linking it to a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened 1,644 people and hospitalized 94 across five states. The agency advised consumers in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms. The FDA urged anyone who purchased the recalled lettuce to discard it or return it for a refund.