Federal health officials are warning consumers to avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce served at certain Taco Bell restaurants as investigators continue to examine a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that can cause weeks of severe diarrhea.
In an alert issued Friday, the Food and Drug Administration advised the public not to consume shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. While the FDA did not identify the supplier in its public notice, two sources familiar with the federal investigation said the lettuce came from Taylor Farms.
Authorities have not determined whether produce from Taylor Farms is connected to cases reported in other states. Health officials have said it appears that multiple outbreaks are occurring simultaneously across at least 34 states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that shredded lettuce sold in grocery stores or served at other restaurants is not included in the current warning.
Nationwide, officials estimate that nearly 7,000 people may have been sickened by the parasite. As of Friday, the CDC had confirmed 1,644 cases while continuing to investigate more than 5,100 additional reports. No deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak.
Taco Bell said in an emailed statement that it has voluntarily removed the lettuce believed to be associated with the outbreak from its nationwide supply chain indefinitely. The company also said replacement lettuce would be available in selected states within the next day.
Although Taco Bell did not identify Taylor Farms by name, the company emphasized that protecting public health requires cooperation among restaurants, suppliers, and government agencies.
“We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” the company said. Taco Bell also encouraged other restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to take similar steps.
Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Washington Post was the first to report the connection between Taylor Farms and the ongoing investigation.
Michigan has reported the largest number of illnesses, with 4,312 cases as of Friday. State health officials noted that 102 people have required hospitalization. The CDC’s national totals often trail state reporting.
Michigan investigators previously identified lettuce and salad greens as possible sources of the outbreak after conducting more than 1,000 interviews with individuals who tested positive for the parasite.
Health officials say tracing the outbreak has been especially challenging because symptoms can take up to two weeks to develop after exposure.
This is not the first time Taylor Farms has been connected to a cyclosporiasis outbreak. In 2013, health officials concluded that a salad mix linked to the company sickened 631 people across 25 states. Many of those cases involved customers who had eaten at Olive Garden and Red Lobster, and investigators eventually traced the outbreak to a Taylor Farms processing plant in Mexico.
Taylor Farms was also identified by health officials as being at the center of a 2024 E. coli outbreak involving slivered onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. According to the FDA, that outbreak sickened 104 people across 14 states. Nearly three dozen people were hospitalized, four individuals—including at least one child—developed severe kidney problems, and one older adult from Colorado died.
