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Taco Bell has voluntarily removed lettuce from select states and taken the affected ingredient out of its nationwide supply chain while arranging replacements within 24 hours at impacted locations. The fast-food chain acted after discussions with public health officials who traced shredded iceberg lettuce from supplier Taylor Farms to a parasitic outbreak centered in the Midwest. In a statement the company said it made the decision out of an abundance of caution as federal agencies continued their traceback work. FDA investigators identified the Taylor Farms product served at Taco Bell restaurants as a potential source according to multiple reports citing officials familiar with the probe.
CDC figures show 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis reported since May 1 with more than 5,100 additional cases still under analysis for confirmation as domestically acquired. The agency has recorded at least 141 hospitalizations and no deaths from the surge that has affected multiple states including Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana. Michigan health officials alone have documented more than 4,300 cases during their investigation and noted that interviews with over 1,000 patients pointed to lettuce or salad greens as a likely vehicle. The CDC assessment found cases this year running more than six times higher than the same period in 2025.
Federal health officials have tied the regional outbreak to Taco Bell locations in the five states where the majority of illnesses occurred according to a Washington Post report on the investigation. FDA traceback efforts confirmed the lettuce supplier while Taylor Farms has not issued a public comment on the findings. The agency previously linked Taylor Farms products to other outbreaks including cyclospora cases in 2013 and E. coli tied to onions in 2024. Investigators continue to examine whether the produce reached additional restaurants or retailers beyond the Taco Bell chain.
Cyclosporiasis produces symptoms including watery diarrhea that can become explosive along with cramping bloating fatigue and weight loss with an incubation period of about two weeks. The parasite spreads through contaminated food or water rather than person-to-person contact and has historically been associated with imported fresh produce such as raspberries basil and snow peas. A food safety analysis by attorney Bill Marler highlighted that the current outbreak ranks as one of the largest cyclosporiasis events on record in the United States. Public health departments in the affected states have urged consumers to seek medical care if symptoms appear after consuming suspect items.
Taco Bell has encountered produce-related outbreaks before with CDC records linking the chain to an E. coli event in 2006 that sickened 71 people across the Northeast and initially focused on green onions before settling on shredded lettuce. Additional Salmonella outbreaks in 2010 and 2011 also traced to lettuce at the chain according to the Marler Blog review of historical data. Those earlier incidents prompted changes in supplier protocols yet the current event demonstrates persistent challenges in tracing and preventing parasite contamination in fresh produce. Federal officials have not yet determined whether similar lettuce reached grocery stores supplied by Taylor Farms.
Notices at some Michigan Taco Bell locations informed customers that several fresh ingredients including lettuce cilantro onions pico de gallo and guacamole were temporarily unavailable due to the situation. The menu adjustments affect items such as Crunchwrap Supremes and Cantina Chicken Mexican Pizzas that normally feature those components though modified versions remain available. Industry observers have noted that such precautionary removals can disrupt operations at thousands of locations but typically aim to preserve customer confidence during active investigations. Taco Bell parent company Yum Brands has not released broader comments on potential sales effects from the ingredient pull.
