Overview
- Federal investigators announced Friday that patient interviews and supply‑chain tracebacks tied shredded iceberg lettuce served at select Taco Bell restaurants to a multistate Cyclospora cluster.
- The FDA traced the implicated shredded lettuce to a single supplier affiliated with Taylor Farms de Mexico and Taylor Farms said it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.
- Taco Bell said it removed the affected shredded iceberg lettuce from impacted restaurants and has replaced the ingredient in its supply chain while officials continue testing and tracing.
- Confirmed counts vary sharply because testing is slow and the parasite is hard to detect; the CDC lists about 1,644 confirmed cases across 34 states while Michigan has reported more than 5,000 cases and hospitalizations have been reported.
- Investigators stress not all illnesses have been linked to Taco Bell and they caution the public to follow health guidance because additional brands, retailers, or distribution channels may be identified as the probe continues.