The culprit likely behind the outbreak of the explosive diarrhea parasite across the country: shredded iceberg lettuce! And it reportedly comes from a popular produce supplier for Taco Bell, other restaurants, and grocery stores!
As we’ve been reporting, a parasite identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as cyclosporiasis, has been causing chaos in the United States since May. More than 1,644 people reportedly have the illness, which causes nausea, vomiting, and intense explosive diarrhea, at this time.
Health officials from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services suspect lettuce or salad greens caused the outbreak — but didn’t know which exact product, grower, or supplier it was. And while trying to solve the mystery, federal and state health officials zeroed in on the fast food chain, Taco Bell, after some people who became sick with cyclosporiasis reported they had recently eaten there. They have been investigating the connection between the restaurant and cyclosporiasis, and we now have more answers!
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According to a notice from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday night, the outbreak has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from a single supplier in Mexico sent to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. It is important to note that the investigation is still ongoing, especially into other cyclosporiasis cases in other states, where people who have gotten sick said they did not eat at the fast food spot. Not all Taco Bell locations in the five states also received the affected lettuce. That said, the agencies warned people not to eat the lettuce served at those Taco Bells just in case. FDA officials also said they’ve increased border inspections for the products implicated in the outbreak.
In a statement, Taco Bell revealed it is voluntarily removing all potentially affected lettuce it received from a supplier in certain states. The company did not say who the supplier is, but insisted that the brand’s lettuce would be “indefinitely removed” from its supply chain nationwide and replaced.
That is great, but which supplier are they talking about here? While the CDC has not officially named the brand yet, two federal officials claimed to The New York Times that Taylor Farms supplied the affected iceberg lettuce to Taco Bell. One official said it is unknown if Taylor Farms sent lettuce to other vendors. However, the FDA warned that other restaurants and stores might have been implicated.
Taylor Farms is one of the largest producers of lettuce and vegetables for businesses in the country. Their chopped salad kits are even found in Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, and other grocery stores. So, there is a chance it’s not only Taco Bell! The CDC noted that the “FDA is working directly with the supplier to determine if contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce went to other places.” Taylor Farms hasn’t commented on its potential connection to the outbreak.
For now, it’s best to take precautions! In addition to not eating the lettuce from the possibly impacted Taco Bell locations, health officials previously advised people to buy whole heads of lettuce, remove and throw out the outer two or three leaves, and thoroughly wash the remaining layers. And, of course, wash and/or cook any other produce purchased.
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