Taylor Farms lettuce recall overview:
- Who: Taylor Farms de Mexico, based in Guanajuato, Mexico, is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.
- Why: The lettuce may be contaminated with Cyclospora, a parasite that causes gastrointestinal illness.
- Where: Recalled shredded and chopped lettuce products were distributed to food service customers across more than two dozen states, including Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Taylor Farms de Mexico announced on July 17 that it is pulling all iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico from U.S. shelves and food service supply chains after health officials linked the product to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted the recall notice on July 18.
The recalled lettuce was sold under several brand names, including CV, JB, Mark, PK, SUB, SY, TF and MKTSD. It was packaged as chopped, shredded and blended lettuce for food service accounts, plus retail bags of iceberg salad and shredded lettuce in 8-, 12-, 16- and 24-ounce sizes.
Affected lots were shipped between June 29 and July 16, with best-by dates extending into early August, to distributors in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The recall follows a CDC and FDA investigation into a five-state Cyclospora outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants.
Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce sickens more than 1,900, hospitalizes 98
According to the CDC’s outbreak update, 1,947 illnesses have been reported in nine states, with illness onset dates between May 13 and July 20. The agency says 98 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
The FDA’s traceback investigation identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the single supplier whose lettuce converged across the Taco Bell locations linked to illnesses.
Taco Bell has committed to discontinuing use of lettuce from the identified supplier, and the FDA has increased border screening for implicated products while continuing to collect samples for testing.
Cyclospora infection typically causes watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, gas, nausea and fatigue. Some people also experience vomiting, body aches, headache or fever. Left untreated, symptoms can persist for weeks and may relapse.
Consumers who purchased the recalled lettuce should discard it immediately and not eat it. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.
Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact a physician. Questions can be directed to Taylor Farms’ customer care line at 855-455-0098, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, or by email to [email protected] for media inquiries.
Taylor Farms hit with multiple lawsuits following iceberg lettuce recall
On July 16, two plaintiffs, Kait Gelbspan and Victor Granados, filed a class action lawsuit against Taylor Farms in California federal court, alleging negligence among other commercial law violations.
According to Law 360, Gelbspan and Granados filed a motion on July 17 with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation asking it to centralize three additional lawsuits — two from Ohio and one from Michigan — into the Northern District of California.
Did you or someone you know get sick after eating iceberg lettuce at an affected Taco Bell location? Let us know in the comments.
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