Taco Bell Lettuce Outbreak Grows Into Worst Cyclospora Surge on Record

Federal investigators have linked shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states, to a cyclospora outbreak that has sickened nearly 7,000 people since May. More than 1,600 of those cases are confirmed, 141 people have been hospitalized, and nobody has died.

No recall has been issued. Regulators have not named the supplier publicly, only through anonymous officials cited by news organizations. The outbreak has grown into the country’s largest cyclosporiasis surge on record, arriving a year after budget cuts stripped the parasite from the government’s earliest warning system for foodborne illness.

FDA Traceback Lands on One Lettuce Supplier

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the federal agency that regulates food safety) traced the outbreak to a single supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico used at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, the federal public health agency) said Thursday. The CDC told people not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell in those five states.

Earlier in the week, the CDC had linked at least 400 illnesses to the outbreak across four of those states. By Thursday, the count had grown to more than 1,644 people who reported eating at the affected Taco Bell locations, after Indiana joined the list.

In a statement, Taco Bell said it acted “out of an abundance of caution” to pull the lettuce from its supply chain nationwide, indefinitely, and would replace it in the affected states within 24 hours.

The FDA said Taco Bell agreed to stop using lettuce from the supplier its investigators traced. Multiple news organizations, citing people familiar with the investigation, have identified that supplier as Taylor Farms, a major lettuce and salad producer based in Salinas, California. Neither Taylor Farms nor Yum Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, has confirmed it publicly.

What We Know:

• FDA’s traceback identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used at the Taco Bell locations tied to the outbreak, and the chain has agreed to stop using it.
• The outbreak spans five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
• Of the confirmed cases nationwide, 141 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
• No formal recall has been issued, even though Taco Bell has pulled the ingredient voluntarily.

What’s Unconfirmed:

• Federal regulators have not named the supplier publicly. The Taylor Farms identification comes from anonymous sources cited by news organizations.
• How far the same lettuce may have traveled beyond Taco Bell, to other restaurants or retailers, is still under investigation.
• Whether the wider national surge shares this same source or reflects separate, unrelated clusters of illness.

The Numbers Behind the Surge

The current pace is running at roughly six times last year’s speed. The CDC had confirmed just 249 cyclosporiasis cases nationally by this point in 2025, according to a health alert the agency issued this week, compared with 1,645 confirmed cases so far this year.

The current tally has already passed the prior U.S. record of about 4,700 cyclosporiasis cases, set in 2019, according to Canadian broadcaster CTV News, which cited state health data. Cyclospora infections normally run from May through August, but officials say this year’s pace is unusual for the season.

CDC Division of Foodborne Diseases deputy director Gwen Biggerstaff said case data show two separate peaks in illness onset, one around June 25 and another around July 7, suggesting two different batches of food may be involved. “We’re not seeing a slowdown in cases,” she said.

Michigan’s state health department runs its own count separately from the CDC’s national tally, which is why its number runs so far ahead of the federal figure. State data often includes probable cases still working through lab confirmation.

Which States Are Getting Hit Hardest?

Michigan and Ohio carry most of the confirmed illnesses, with Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia rounding out the five states tied specifically to the Taco Bell outbreak. Nationally, CDC surveillance data show the median patient is 44 years old, and 56% of confirmed cases are women.

Indiana was the most recent addition to the outbreak’s list, joining this week after officials matched its cases to the same pattern seen in the other four states. Kentucky and West Virginia have not published individual case totals.

Case-patients range from 2 to 95 years old, according to CDC data, and the agency has said the true number sick is likely higher than reported, since many people recover without seeking medical care or a lab test.

The Surveillance System That Missed Its Own Warning

The outbreak arrives a year after the CDC narrowed FoodNet, the sentinel network built to catch foodborne illness early, from eight pathogens down to two: salmonella and E. coli. Cyclospora was among the pathogens dropped, a change the agency attributed to inadequate funding.

A separate rule meant to make investigations like this one faster, the Food Traceability Rule, would require restaurants and suppliers to keep lot-level records that let investigators trace a batch of lettuce back to a single field. According to an analysis by epidemiologist Katrine Wallace, its start date was pushed from 2026 to 2028, a delay industry groups urged and Congress ratified.

By the time a case is confirmed, the product that caused it is usually long gone. Cyclospora can take up to two weeks to cause symptoms, and confirming a case can take weeks more, while shredded lettuce typically sells through in about three weeks. Investigators are often chasing a product that has already been eaten, composted or shipped by the time the dots connect.

University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm said the federal response has been “far short of what we need.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has pressed the CDC and FDA to restore funding and staffing for food safety programs.

Outbreaks like this, and possibly worse, will happen again and again until we change course.

Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut made that argument this week while pressing federal agencies over their handling of the outbreak.

The White House has pushed back. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration “has a handle on the situation,” while acknowledging the case count was higher than normal for this time of year and repeating CDC advice to wash and cook produce.

On Tuesday, FDA acting deputy commissioner for food Donald Prater told reporters the agency was still working through multiple produce items and had nothing specific to warn people away from. Two days later, the CDC was telling people not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell in five states.

Old Outbreaks Follow Taylor Farms Into Court

Taylor Farms describes itself as “the leading global producer of salads and healthy fresh foods,” with plants across North America and Western Europe. The company did not respond to requests for comment this week, and its own recall page listed no active recalls as of July 14.

Taylor Farms has faced outbreak investigations before. Its produce was previously linked to E. coli cases tied to slivered onions in 2024 and to a cyclospora outbreak connected to lettuce in 2013.

Taco Bell has its own history with contaminated lettuce. In December 2006, the chain was linked to an E. coli outbreak tied to lettuce in four Northeastern states. In a regulatory filing describing that incident, Yum Brands said it began requiring lettuce to be tested at the farm before entering its supply chain.

The legal fallout from this summer’s outbreak has already started. Law firm Marler Clark filed what it called the outbreak’s first lawsuit in federal court in Ohio, on behalf of a man who tested positive for cyclospora after eating at his local Taco Bell twice in mid-June. The suit names the restaurant’s operator along with growers and suppliers still unnamed.

What Should You Do to Avoid Cyclospora Right Now?

Buy whole heads of lettuce instead of bagged greens, wash them under running water, and discard the outer two to three leaves before eating, according to federal and Michigan health officials. Cooking produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit kills the parasite when rinsing alone cannot.

Cyclospora is unusually hardy. It clings tightly to produce and resists routine chlorine-based sanitizers, according to the FDA’s guidance on the parasite. Health officials recommend a short list of steps for the produce aisle:

• Buy whole heads, not bags. Precut and bagged greens go through more handling and are harder to trace back to one farm.
• Discard the outer leaves. Remove the outer two to three layers before washing what’s left.
• Rinse under running water, not soap. Soap, bleach and commercial produce washes aren’t built for food and won’t reliably remove the parasite.
• Cook when you can. Temperatures above 158 degrees Fahrenheit kill Cyclospora, since washing alone can’t guarantee removal.
• Watch for symptoms for up to two weeks. Watery diarrhea, bloating, fatigue and appetite loss can begin two to 14 days after exposure.

Symptoms lasting more than three days warrant a call to a doctor. The antibiotic Bactrim treats the infection effectively, though untreated cases can drag on for a month or longer in a relapsing pattern.

CDC officials consider cyclosporiasis season to run through August 31, and Biggerstaff has said the case count is likely to keep climbing into next month before this outbreak runs its course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Cyclospora and How Does It Spread?

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that, as far as researchers know, infects only humans. It spreads when feces from an infected person contaminate food or water, usually through irrigation water or unwashed hands during harvesting or food prep, not through contact between people.

How Long Do Symptoms Last?

Untreated cyclosporiasis can follow a relapsing pattern, with symptoms fading and returning over a span that stretches from a few days to a month or longer. Most people feel sick about a week after exposure, though onset can range from two days to two weeks.

Has Any Lettuce Actually Been Recalled?

No formal recall has been issued as of this week. Some Taco Bell locations, including in the Detroit area, posted signs telling customers that lettuce and other toppings were unavailable because of a nationwide recall, but no such recall exists, and Taylor Farms’ own recall page listed nothing active as of July 14.

Is Cyclosporiasis Treatable?

Yes. A course of the antibiotic Bactrim clears the infection in most patients. Doctors advise anyone with diarrhea lasting more than three days, especially people who are immunocompromised, elderly or very young, to seek care rather than wait it out.

Could the Outbreak Spread to More States?

Health officials say the investigation is ongoing and that additional suppliers, restaurants, retailers or distribution channels could still be identified as they trace the contaminated lettuce further through the supply chain.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Cyclosporiasis carries real health risks, particularly for immunocompromised people, young children and older adults. Consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis or treatment, and check CDC and FDA advisories for the latest guidance. Figures are accurate as of publication on July 17, 2026.