Key facts
- FDA inspectors found cyclospora in a wastewater tank and drainage ditch at a Mexican farm.
- The farm is linked to the largest foodborne illness outbreak of cyclospora in US history.
- The outbreak infected nearly 13,000 people across 21 states, causing 570 hospitalizations and two deaths.
- Mexican regulators previously stated cyclospora was not detected at the facility.
- The FDA's findings come more than six weeks after investigators visited the farm.
US Food and Drug Administration inspectors found cyclospora in a wastewater tank and a drainage ditch at a Mexican farm that has been linked to a significant foodborne illness outbreak. The agency stated on Friday that these findings provide "strong epidemiological data" connecting the outbreak to the Taylor Farms site in Guanajuato, Mexico.
The announcement comes after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared an end to the multi-state outbreak of the parasite, which infected nearly 13,000 people, led to 570 hospitalizations, and caused two deaths. This marks the largest outbreak of cyclospora in US history.
However, the FDA's conclusion contrasts with an earlier announcement from Mexico's food safety authority, which stated that cyclospora was not detected in the lettuce or water at the facility. The FDA's visit to the farm in Guanajuato was its first in over seven years, following a reduction in international food safety inspections after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taylor Farms, in a separate statement, attributed the contamination cited by the FDA to an independent grower who is no longer part of their supplier program. The company stated its facility in central Mexico remains closed as they work to implement enhanced safety protocols.