The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concluded its investigation into a large cyclosporiasis outbreak, finding the parasite at a Taylor Farms of Mexico facility where implicated lettuce was grown and processed. The agency stated it could not determine how the contamination occurred.
The FDA's findings at the Taylor Farms facility in Mexico provide strong evidence linking the outbreak to the grower's field or processing plant, impacting consumer confidence in food supply chains and highlighting the need for robust traceability and regulatory oversight.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concluded its investigation into the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak in U.S. history, finding the parasite Cyclospora at a Taylor Farms of Mexico facility where implicated lettuce was grown and processed. The agency announced Friday that it could not determine how the contamination occurred, despite finding the parasite in a wastewater tank and a drainage ditch.
The outbreak sickened 10,930 people across 17 states and was associated with two deaths. The FDA confirmed that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific outbreak was off the market.
Beyond this outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 17,180 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases of cyclosporiasis and is investigating thousands more. The FDA is also investigating six additional cyclosporiasis clusters with unknown food vehicles.
Legislators and food safety stakeholders have questioned Taylor Farms' response to the outbreak and are urging the FDA to expedite its Food Traceability Rule and ensure adequate funding and staffing for surveillance.
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