Shredded lettuce supplied to Taco Bell identified as a source of cyclospora that causes watery diarrhea

July 2026 · 9 minute read

Shredded lettuce supplied to Taco Bell identified as a source of cyclospora that causes watery diarrhea

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Hilary Brueck

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Alex Bitter

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Amanda Goh

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chopped lettuce

A culprit has been identified in the cyclosporiasis outbreak: shredded lettuce.

Oksana Karuniene/Getty Images

They found it: guilty lettuce.

On Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration linked shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants in five states to an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak.

The FDA said shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia was responsible for 1,644 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases.

The FDA's update did not name the company, but said its investigation identified a "single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico" used by Taco Bell locations where sick people ate before becoming ill.

A person familiar with the matter told Business Insider the outbreak was linked to Taylor Farms.

The investigation is ongoing, meaning other potential sources of the outbreak could yet be identified.

The true number of people who've been sickened this summer is likely much higher, and the outbreak goes beyond Taco Bell's shredded lettuce supply.

Cyclospora infections have spread across 34 states since May 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of July 13, the agency had confirmed 1,645 cases and 141 hospitalizations, with no confirmed deaths.

Hard-hit Michigan has reported more than 4,300 cyclosporiasis cases in that state alone. Michigan health authorities said on Monday that their investigation was also pointing to "lettuce or salad greens" as a potential source of contamination.

Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment about cyclospora contamination from Business Insider. As of Friday early morning, the company's product recall page listed "no active product recalls" for any Taylor Farms products.

Taylor Farms is one of the largest suppliers of lettuce in the world, serving restaurants, fast food chains, and grocery stores

taylor farms

Taylor Farms is the biggest producer of salad greens in North America. They supply Taco Bell, among many others. 

: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Taylor Farms is the world's largest producer of salad, supplying chain restaurants like Chipotle and McDonald's, and big grocery stores, including Costco, Walmart, and Trader Joe's. The company says it operates 30 processing facilities across North America. It's unclear whether this particular outbreak is limited to Taylor Farms chopped lettuces only, or includes other products and brands.

On Thursday night, Taco Bell said that "based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states."

Health experts have recommended avoiding bagged lettuce and salads until the outbreak is over, advising consumers choose whole heads of lettuce and remove the outer layer of leaves, and wash all produce thoroughly. There is no surefire way to wash cyclospora off produce, so the safest move is to cook foods to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cyclospora thrives in summer heat. Gwen Biggerstaff, the CDC's deputy director of foodborne, waterborne, and environmental diseases, said Tuesday that "we anticipate continuing to see cases increase possibly through the end of August, which is the end of the cyclosporiasis season."

Watery diarrhea is a hallmark of the illness

diarrhea

Cyclosporiasis can take about a week to incubate before people feel sick. Cramps, gas, and watery diarrhea are common symptoms. 

DBenitostock/Getty Images

People who have gotten sick with cyclosporiasis this summer have complained of watery diarrhea, cramping, and gas. The illness can last for several weeks if left untreated. A combination antibiotic, Bactrim, can treat it.

Pre-washed salad kits and bagged salads from various brands have been identified as common sources of cyclospora contamination in recent years. But cyclosporiasis outbreaks have also been linked to other leafy and soft vegetables, including raspberries, snow peas, and fresh herbs including cilantro.

Cyclospora outbreaks are notoriously hard to pin down, because it takes about a week for symptoms to develop. By that time, it can be hard to zero in on the specific meal or food that made someone sick. The parasite itself also has more complex genetics than other pathogens like E. coli or salmonella, which can make traceback efforts even more challenging.

Amira Roess, a professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason University and former CDC "disease detective," said that it's possible the contamination could have been introduced when the produce was washed at production facilities, or at the farm.

"Typically, it's the contaminated water that is leading to the contaminated produce," she said. "In this country, our drinking water is generally not contaminated with parasites. But what is contaminated with parasites is the produce that is exposed to the environmental waters that are contaminated."

Taylor Farms has recalled onions and salad kits in recent years

Taylor Farms has been involved with other food recalls over the past few years.

In 2024, Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions, including some sent to McDonald's restaurants, over potential E. coli contamination. That outbreak of E. coli killed one person and sickened over 100 others across over a dozen states, according to the CDC.

Another recall in 2020 focused on onions sold at Kroger and Walmart, some of which were contaminated with salmonella, the FDA said at the time.

The company has also recalled mislabeled products. Last year, it recalled salad kits that did not disclose that they included soy and sesame, according to the FDA.

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Hilary Brueck

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Hilary Brueck is a Health Correspondent at Business Insider, where she covers longevity and the quest to improve human aging. She also writes regularly about the complexities of diagnosing and treating cancer, the evolving landscape of GLP-1 drugs, new developments in exercise science, and expert-backed nutrition advice. In general, she relishes any opportunity to unpack scientific discoveries or examine the latest consumer trends. Her reports have ranged from exploring how sherpas effortlessly climb into the thin air 29,029 feet above sea level to summit Mount Everest, to trudging along a Jersey shore beach with scientists fighting killer pandemic flu viruses by studying bird butts.She spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci about his vitamin and supplement routine over a cold slice of pizza, and chatted with the world's oldest Nobel Prize winner in his basement solar lab. She also went an entire month without eating any ultra-processed foods (yes, it was time-consuming and challenging). A graduate of Columbia Journalism School and former Peace Corps Volunteer, Hilary speaks English, French, and Malagasy. Previously, Hilary reported for ABC News Radio, Fortune, Forbes, and Al Jazeera America. In her spare time, she likes to run, hike and she is also an aspiring (but very bad) surfer. If you've got a pressing health question, tip, or concern, reach out to [email protected]Expertise

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Alex Bitter

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Alex Bitter is a senior retail reporter covering the gig economy, food, and retail. His work focuses major gig delivery and ride-hailing apps, including Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and Walmart's Spark. He is interested in everything from what it's like to work on the apps to the companies' business strategies.Some of his recent stories feature gig workers who have been deactivated on the apps, DoorDash hiring traditional employees to make deliveries, gig workers' use of bots, and gig work expanding into new professions, such as nursing.Alex has also written about Aldi's US expansion, Starbucks' turnaround efforts, and the fallout from Kraft-Heinz's budget cutting. Convenience store chain Sheetz ended its "smile policy" after his reporting.Before joining Insider in September 2020, he wrote about consumer and retail companies for S&P Global Market Intelligence. He's a graduate of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and grew up on the Big Island.Alex lives in the Washington, DC, area, where you can find him studying ancient coins or searching for Civil War artifacts with his metal detector in his free time.Got a tip? Reach out at [email protected] or via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (808) 854-4501.

Amanda Goh

Amanda Goh

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Amanda is a senior lifestyle reporter at Business Insider's Singapore bureau.Her reporting explores how people navigate major life transitions, including career changes, relocation, and retirement, with a particular focus on the experiences of those living in Asia. She also writes about travel, culture, wellness, and relationships.In 2025, she won the Singapore Press Club's Rising Stars Young Digital Journalist Award.She previously worked as a writer and video producer at a content marketing agency in Singapore. She graduated from the University at Buffalo with a BA (Hons) in Sociology.Got a tip? Reach her at [email protected] stories: