Did the Food and Drug Administration really walk back its recall of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce? Can I eat romaine instead? And what can I do if I want to eat my favorite foods from Taco Bell?
As a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis continues, many people are confused about the investigation into the source of the illness that has sickened more than 7,000 people — and the status of the major recall from lettuce supplier Taylor Foods de Mexico, which is linked to the outbreak.
As investigators continue to dig into the outbreak, here’s what you need to know about which foods are under scrutiny, and what you should and shouldn’t eat.
FDA said some Taylor Farms lettuce didn’t test positive. Does that mean I can eat lettuce now?
Not necessarily. FDA issued a statement Monday after some reports suggested that the agency had backed away from its investigation’s link to Taylor Farms.
“To clarify, this false-positive lab sample DOES NOT change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms,” FDA wrote on X on Monday.
Over the weekend, FDA said it had alerted Taylor Farms that a new sample of shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico tested positive for cyclospora, the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis. That sample was from an examination of imported goods at the southern border. It turned out to be a false positive.
But FDA’s outbreak notice still warns consumers: “Do not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico.” That’s because the evidence linking Taylor Farms de Mexico comes from a separate batch of food that led the company to initiate a recall.
For weeks, investigators at FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local health departments have been working to piece together information from interviews with thousands of patients — interviews that are continuing — to trace back what sick people ate; from shipping records and distribution chains; and from genetic analysis of samples collected from patients, to identify a common source.
Investigators identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the single-source supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce used by Taco Bell locations where sick people ate before becoming ill. That hasn’t changed, FDA reiterated Monday.
“We encourage the public to continue to avoid all products listed in Taylor Farms’ voluntary recall,” the agency said.
Is Taylor Farms lettuce from Taco Bell the only suspected culprit?
The outbreak has been concentrated in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, where federal and state health investigators have identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used at Taco Bell restaurants.
But Taylor Farms supplies to more than just Taco Bell.
Sysco, one of the world’s largest food suppliers, on Thursday stopped distributing all Taylor Farms processed iceberg lettuce products from Mexico after the FDA said it was tracing where the contaminated lettuce may have been distributed throughout the food supply. Sysco distributes foods to cafeterias, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and more.
The company’s spokesperson said it had placed a hold on certain iceberg lettuce products from Mexico “out of an abundance of caution.”
Taylor Farms, which also supplies to grocery stores, said Sunday in a statement on its website that it has completed its voluntary recall. The company has not responded to questions about how many customers received recalled products.
What exactly is being recalled? What should I do if I have a recalled item?
Taylor Farms de Mexico published a detailed 27-state recall list covering all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and distributed between June 29 and July 16. The products — many of them bulk food-service packages — had “best if used by dates” extending to Aug. 3.
The recall covers dozens of bulk food-service products, including shredded, chopped and salad-mix iceberg lettuce and packaged blends of iceberg and romaine lettuce.
Several Marketside-brand lettuce products are sold at Walmart. They are described as “Iceberg Salad 12-oz or 24-oz” and “Shredded Lettuce 8-oz or 16-oz,” with “best if used by” dates marked as “7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026″ and “July 18th to Aug 3rd 2026,” respectively.
The shredded iceberg product was distributed in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
If you think you have products that may be part of the recall, check the code and date printed on the packaging and compare them with the details listed on the Taylor Farms recall site. Immediately stop consuming anything listed in the recall and throw it away, or go back to the store where it was purchased for a refund. Consumers with questions should call 855-455-0098 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time.
Walmart said there is no indication that products sold in its stores are affected by the current cyclosporiasis investigations, but the retailer removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution.
“We are working closely with our supplier and took immediate steps to remove the products from sale,” Walmart said in a statement.
Can I eat romaine lettuce? Are other veggies safer?
The latest developments surrounding Taylor Farms and iceberg lettuce do not mean that investigators have ruled out other sources of contamination.
“It may not be just Taco Bell, it may not be just Taylor Farms, it may not be just lettuce,” said Barbara Kowalcyk, director of George Washington University’s Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security. “Lots of products carry the risk of being contaminated with cyclospora.”
Other products could still be implicated, Kowalcyk said.
“Next week it could be something else. It could be blueberries or raspberries or basil … or a food vehicle that we haven’t identified as a way of transmitting this pathogen,” she said. “The bottom line is this investigation is not over.”
Past cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the U.S., according to the FDA, “have been linked to fresh produce such as raspberries, cabbage, basil, cilantro, parsley, broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and leafy greens.” People can also become infected when eating or drinking contaminated food or water during travel outside the U.S.
Kowalcyk says she prefers to avoid bagged leafy greens but isn’t strict about it. She urges consumers to ask about the recall if they’re buying salad right now, just to be sure.
“I prefer to buy heads of lettuce. I then discard leaves with damage — that’s how bacteria can get into them. I usually avoid buying bagged salad for home consumption but know that most salads purchased in restaurants are bagged. I’m healthy and not immunocompromised so I’m at lower risk.”
What if I really want to eat Taco Bell? Or I want to eat vegetables but am worried about salad?
Taco Bell has said it has voluntarily removed all affected Taylor Farms lettuce from every one of its restaurants in the country. If you’re really worried, food safety experts say you can reheat your takeout. Cooking to a temperature of at least 158 degrees is the safest option; that includes produce that can be cooked.
Also, not all produce is contaminated or at risk. If you’re concerned about leafy salad, there are plenty of other ways to eat your vegetables — grilled, roasted, crispy, charred. FDA’s advice during an outbreak is to avoid eating recalled or implicated raw lettuce.
Regardless of whether there is a cyclosporasis outbreak, you should always wash all produce thoroughly. Here’s what experts recommend.
And here is what Michigan officials have advised in the state’s southeastern region, where most cases have been reported:
- Lettuce/leafy greens: Buy whole heads of lettuce (rather than prewashed, bagged lettuce or salad mixes), throw away the outer two or three layers of leaves, and wash the inner leaves under running water.
