Taylor Farms is recalling iceberg lettuce distributed to 27 US states due to potential contamination with cyclospora, a parasite responsible for numerous diarrhea cases nationwide, reports BritPanorama.
The company has stated it is “actively removing” the affected products and has halted the distribution of iceberg lettuce sourced from Central Mexico to the US. It is no longer accepting products from the implicated lot.
“Consumers who have purchased the recalled iceberg lettuce should discard it immediately and not consume it,” the company added.
The recalled shredded iceberg lettuce was distributed between June 29 and July 16 in states that include Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The recall notice includes specific brand abbreviations and product descriptions, including use-by dates, but does not specify which retailers or restaurants sold the affected products. At present, Taylor Fresh Foods has not publicly disclosed distribution details or a list of customers who received the products that were voluntarily withdrawn from the market, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On Saturday, the FDA indicated that a Taylor Farms lettuce sample had tested positive for cyclospora; however, the agency later stated that this results “should be considered a false positive.” FDA and state partners continue to collect and analyze product samples, with no further positives to date.
Several brands confirmed they have already removed the recalled Taylor Farms lettuce products from their supplies and stores. Federal health officials have linked the cyclospora outbreak in the Midwest to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and served at certain Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Taco Bell has stated that it has removed the lettuce from its restaurants and nationwide supply chain.
Brands impacted by recall
As the FDA continues its investigation, it is possible that more states will be included in the recall. Jack in the Box reported that recalled lettuce had been distributed to its locations in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Upon notification, the company swiftly removed the affected items and replaced them with lettuce sourced from a different domestic supplier. “At this time, there have been no reported illnesses associated with food served at Jack in the Box in connection with the FDA’s ongoing investigation,” the company stated.
Sysco also reported that it proactively removed all Taylor Farms processed iceberg lettuce products from Mexico, instructing customers to destroy them following indications from regulators regarding a suspected link to the outbreak.
Walmart has stated that, while there is no evidence that its products are affected by the cyclospora outbreak, it removed four Marketside-branded bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution. US Foods has notified customers that a “limited number” of products under its Cross Valley Farms brand were impacted by the recall.
Symptoms and spread
The symptoms of cyclosporiasis include watery diarrhea, cramping, and bloating, which can persist for weeks and lead to dehydration. Reports indicate that nearly 7,000 cases of this intestinal illness, caused by the microscopic parasite, have been confirmed or are under investigation across 34 states since May 1, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Federal health officials have ongoing investigations related to the outbreak, some of which are focused on the Midwest, while others pertain to individual states and cases not yet linked to specific clusters. The outbreak associated with Taylor Farms lettuce is currently classified as a regional incident. The Michigan state health department has reported over 5,000 cases of cyclosporiasis during this investigation, though it cautioned that not all illnesses might stem from the same source. However, the sharp increase suggests a strong correlation to the outbreak, potentially making it the largest cyclospora outbreak recorded in the US.
Taylor Farms has previously been linked to illness outbreaks, including E. coli cases tied to slivered onions in 2024 and cyclospora cases related to lettuce in 2013.
The situation continues to evolve as health officials monitor and respond to the outbreak, reflecting ongoing public health vigilance in addressing food safety concerns.
