Overview
- Federal lab scientists reviewed a July sample and announced on Sunday that the earlier Cyclospora-positive result tied to Taylor Farms was a false positive and that no product tests are confirmed positive so far.
- Taylor Farms has kept its voluntary recall of shredded iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico in place and says it removed implicated lots while cooperating with authorities.
- FDA and CDC officials say epidemiology and traceback work still converge on shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell locations in five Midwestern states as the most likely vehicle for the outbreak.
- Official tallies show about 1,600 federal confirmed cases linked to the outbreak while state reports, led by Michigan, list thousands more suspected or probable illnesses, producing large discrepancies as testing and reporting lag.
- Cyclospora is hard to detect on produce because the parasite must mature in the environment and yields low DNA for tests, so investigators continue targeted sampling, interviews, and supply‑chain tracing while retailers, restaurants, and consumers adjust to ongoing uncertainty.