Taylor Farms withdraws Mexican lettuce amid cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taco Bell
Michigan reports over 5,000 cases as regulatory agencies face staffing constraints and delayed traceability rules.
Food producer Taylor Farms has voluntarily removed all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market following a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed the outbreak across five states, with Michigan reporting more than 5,000 cases and 102 hospitalisations.
Taylor Farms confirmed the withdrawal on Friday, instructing customers including Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell, and food distributor Sysco to pull shredded lettuce produced in 5-pound bags at a facility in Guanajuato, Mexico. Taco Bell stated that the affected ingredient is being indefinitely removed from its supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.
While the FDA traceback has identified a specific independent farm as the potential source, representing less than 1% of the US iceberg lettuce supply, Taylor Farms is removing all lettuce from the region indefinitely. The company, which sells more than $7 billion in produce annually and manufactures two out of every five salad kits sold in US grocery stores, noted that its brand name rarely appears on retail products.
The investigation is occurring amidst reduced staffing at the FDA and CDC due to funding cuts. ProPublica reports that the tracing effort is operating with fewer than 240 consumer safety specialists, following staff departures. Additionally, the CDC has scaled back its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, which previously worked with 10 states.
Regulatory challenges are further compounded by a recent delay in the compliance deadline for the FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule, pushed back from January 2026 to July 2028. The CDC is also investigating illnesses in other states that may be unrelated to the Taco Bell outbreak, as cyclosporiasis symptoms can recur and have an incubation period of up to two weeks.
