A month after it became apparent that the facility was linked to a Cyclospora outbreak that has now sickened almost 10,000 people, the FDA has begun inspecting a Taylor Farms lettuce growing and production operation.
The Taylor Farms operation in question is in Central Mexico and had not been inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for seven years prior to this year’s outbreak. The facility’s production line includes a wash step, but the FDA reports that washing produce does not remove the parasites. And, chlorine does not kill the parasite.
Iceberg lettuce from the Mexico operation has been linked to an ongoing outbreak from the Cyclospora parasite that has sickened 9,481 from 17 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the patients with the information available, 398 have required hospitalization. Two patients in Michigan have died.
The outbreak includes people who reported exposure to processed iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served or purchased at various locations, including people who reported eating at Taco Bell. Many of these illnesses began before the Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce recall on July 17. The FDA reports that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific Cyclospora outbreak is off the market.
The implicated lettuce is confirmed to have been distributed to Taco Bell and other companies in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
The lettuce may have also been distributed to California, Washington D.C., Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
Consumer Reports says the inspection should have been initiated weeks ago.
“It’s alarming that it took this long for the FDA to go down there and identify the potential factors that could have contributed to this outbreak. They should have sent investigators down there right away once an initial link was established,” said Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Reports.
“Being on the ground gives investigators an up close look at the operations that testing alone can’t replicate and an opportunity to identify conditions that could have contributed to this outbreak. There is also the potential for investigators to learn important lessons that could help prevent future outbreaks.”
The CDC is also tracking several smaller outbreaks that have a total of almost 14,000 people with another 10,000 cases unconfirmed. The number of infections this year is vastly higher than 2025 when a total of 1,180 cases were reported in the United States between May 1 and Aug.31.
There are likely many more people infected in the current outbreaks because for every confirmed patient up to 83 can go undiagnosed. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not specifically tested for Cyclospora.
About Cyclospora
Food that is contaminated with Cyclospora parasites does not look, smell or taste bad.
Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite.
Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it’s rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections.
Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated.
Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Microscopic amounts of human feces contaminated with the parasite are enough to cause infections.
Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas.
The Food and Drug Administration says there’s no evidence that washing produce will remove the parasite. Chlorine does not kill Cyclospora. The only way to kill the parasites is to cook food thoroughly.