FDA Maintains Taylor Farms as Likely Source of Cyclospora Outbreak
The FDA reiterated that its investigation still points to a Mexico-based supplier for Taylor Farms as the probable origin of the cyclospora outbreak, despite a recent false-positive test claim.
The Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that a recent false-positive test for cyclospora does not alter the agency’s ongoing investigation into the outbreak. Regulators said the probe continues to focus on a Mexico-based produce supplier for Taylor Farms as the most likely source of the parasite that has sickened more than 1,600 people in five states, including 94 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency emphasized that Taylor Farms is still recalling lettuce that may have been contaminated and that the company has been notified of the erroneous test result. While cyclospora is a parasite that can be difficult to detect, the FDA said its investigative methods remain reliable.
"The recent false positive results do not change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation," a spokesperson said at a press conference.
The FDA clarified that it has not issued an apology to Taylor Farms and that the investigation’s focus remains unchanged.