Key facts
- Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms is a potential source of contamination in a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
- Thousands of people in the U.S. have been sickened by the outbreak.
- The CDC has identified a likely connection between cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
- Taco Bell has voluntarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.
- Lettuce or salad greens are considered a potential source for the outbreak by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Investigators have identified shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants by Taylor Farms as a potential source of contamination in a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated a likely connection between cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, suggesting a common source for the illnesses.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services stated that current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source, though other food items cannot be entirely ruled out. Taco Bell has voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure while authorities continue their broader review.
Neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor the Department of Health and Human Services have confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant, or retailer. The outbreak has led to over 2,600 cases in Michigan, making it one of the largest in the state's history and one of the country's largest in years. No deaths have been reported.