Taylor Farms pulls iceberg lettuce linked to cyclosporiasis outbreak

Taylor Farms said Friday it is voluntarily removing iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico after it was linked to one of the largest cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the U.S. in recent years. The company said FDA’s traceback pointed to a specific independent farm that accounts for less than 1% of U.S. iceberg lettuce supply, and it removed all lettuce from the region indefinitely. The FDA also said consumers should avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico at Taco Bells in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia while its investigation continues. FDA said Taylor Farms would initiate a recall. Taylor Farms stated that none of its branded salads or kits contain iceberg lettuce or are associated with the outbreak. The CDC previously identified lettuce supplied to select Taco Bell restaurants as the source of a multistate outbreak. Taco Bell said it completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants as of July 17 and removed the ingredient from its nationwide supply chain.