The CEO of Taylor Farms has issued a statement in the wake of the country’s largest ever Cyclospora outbreak this summer, which was linked to iceberg lettuce from the company’s operation in Central Mexico.
The outbreak sickened almost 13,000 people, with 560 requiring hospitalization and two deaths reported.
The Food and Drug Administration started investigating the outbreak in July and earlier this month reported that it found the Cyclospora parasite in water from the Taylor Farms processing plant and from a drainage ditch on the property of one of the company’s contract growers.
The agency said the findings provided a new link between the outbreak and Taylor Farms lettuce, stopping short of saying that the lettuce was the definitive cause of the outbreak. An FDA report stated that there is not enough evidence to show conclusively how the contamination occurred.
“This adds to the strong epidemiological data and traceback convergence supporting the link between this outbreak and recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico,” said the FDA.
The leadership of Taylor Farms has remained mostly silent on the outbreak and investigation, but released a statement today. In the statement Taylor said the company is thinking about the “people and families impacted by the Cyclospora outbreaks.”
Taylor also pointed to the FDA’s statement that it had not definitively found a cause of the outbreak.
Taylor his company has have taken the following steps:
Indefinitely suspending the harvest and processing of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for sale in the United States or Canada during the CDC’s defined U.S. Cyclospora season. The season is defined as beginning in May and running through August.Expanding year-round health monitoring and increasing irrigation water and crop testing in Central Mexico.Investing in new research and technology to improve Cyclospora detection and prevention.Participating in a public-private task force with the FDA, scientists, industry leaders and public health officials to help identify lasting prevention measures for fresh produce growers.
“We will continue to collaborate with the FDA as it implements its Cyclospora Prevention, Response and Research Action Plan and share relevant updates at www.taylorfarms.com,” Taylor wrote.
Taylor Farms was founded 31 years ago and has grown to be an international company with $1 billion in annual sales.