Taylor Farms is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, the company announced. The move follows a federal investigation linking shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations to a multi-state outbreak of the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and state officials traced the outbreak to lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The FDA's traceback investigation identified a single supplier from Mexico.
The company stated no Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are involved. Taylor Farms' website still listed "no active product recalls" as of Friday, though it was last updated on July 14.
The outbreak has sickened people across 34 states. Food safety lawyer Bill Marler, who filed a federal lawsuit related to the outbreak, noted that industry experts at a recent summit in Mexico had suspected Taylor Farms' involvement due to its role as a major Taco Bell supplier.