A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday.
A traceback investigation by the Food and Drug Administration identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico that was used by Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, the CDC said.
The FDA said in a statement that its traceback investigation identified a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, and that consumers should avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico at Taco Bells in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia while its investigation continues.
Taylor Farms, based in Salinas, California, is a supplier to several major restaurant chains across the U.S.
The company said in a statement Friday that based on information provided by the FDA, it is “voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.”
“As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken,” Taylor Farms said, adding, “We are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence.”
The company noted that no Taylor Farms-branded salads or kits are associated with the outbreak.
The FDA said Friday night that Taylor Farms informed them “they would initiate a recall,” adding, “More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
Taco Bell said that as of Friday, July 17, it “has completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants.”
“Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide,” Taco Bell Corp. said Friday in its statement. “We took this action to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely.”
“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,” Taco Bell Corp. said. “Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.”
Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department, said, “The investigation remains active, and additional states, restaurants, retailers, or products may be identified as more information becomes available.”
The outbreak, a diarrheal illness caused by the parasite cyclospora, was first reported in early May and has since spread to 34 states, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It has sickened at least 1,644 people, per CDC data, including at least 94 hospitalizations. But the CDC’s tally lags behind state health departments, which have reported much larger numbers of cases. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 5,000 confirmed cases as of Friday, including 102 that required hospitalization.
Last year, an E. coli outbreak was linked to onions provided to several restaurants from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado. As a result, McDonald’s was briefly forced to stop using onions on its Quarter Pounders at some locations.
On its website, Taylor Farms bills itself as the “leading global producer of salads and healthy fresh foods, with production facilities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe.”
According to the CDC, cyclosporiasis symptoms usually begin about a week after infection, and the illness can last anywhere from two days to two weeks or more. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, nausea and fatigue.
Cyclosporiasis spreads when infected feces contaminate food and water. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, previous outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada were linked to bagged salad mixes and kits, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions.
Experts say people are advised to wash all fresh produce and cook all food when possible.
“The best way to avoid ingesting it is to cook your food,” Dr. Nuwan Gunawardhana, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, told CBS News, adding that brushing or scrubbing vegetables can also help get rid of it. “But it’s also known to be extremely adherent to surfaces, so it won’t protect you 100%.”