WASHINGTON — U.S. health authorities have expanded a recall of shredded iceberg lettuce products as they continue investigating a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, urging consumers, restaurants and retailers to discard affected products even though no food sample has yet tested positive for the parasite after additional laboratory review.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the recall covers additional shredded iceberg lettuce products distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods after traceback investigators linked illnesses to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The recalled products were distributed to food-service customers across more than two dozen states, while certain Marketside-branded iceberg lettuce products sold at Walmart in multiple states are also included in the recall.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they are investigating a five-state outbreak involving 1,644 confirmed illnesses and 94 hospitalizations, with no deaths reported. Most patients reported eating at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia before becoming ill, and epidemiological analysis identified shredded iceberg lettuce as the common exposure.
Federal officials said laboratory experts re-examined an earlier lettuce sample that had initially appeared to contain Cyclospora and determined the result was a false positive following quality-control review. The agency said there are currently no confirmed positive product test results for Cyclospora but added that the revised laboratory finding does not alter the broader epidemiological and traceback evidence supporting the recall.
The FDA said Taylor Farms de Mexico voluntarily removed all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market on July 17 and that Taylor Fresh Foods initiated a recall of affected products. Taco Bell has stopped using lettuce supplied by the company identified in the FDA's traceback investigation, according to the agency.
Consumers who purchased recalled products are advised not to eat them and to discard the lettuce or return it to the place of purchase. The FDA also recommends cleaning and sanitizing surfaces that may have come into contact with the recalled products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. People experiencing symptoms consistent with cyclosporiasis, including prolonged diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue, should contact a healthcare provider, particularly if they consumed shredded iceberg lettuce in the two weeks before becoming ill.
The FDA said its investigation remains ongoing and that additional products, retailers or distribution channels could be identified as investigators continue tracing the source of the outbreak.
