Taylor Farms pulls iceberg lettuce, says it’s ‘deeply concerned’ after cyclospora outbreak

• Taylor Farms, a major produce supplier, is removing lettuce related to the cyclospora outbreak.
• The company said it will pull iceberg lettuce from central Mexico that could be contaminated with the parasite.
• Diarrhea-causing cyclospora has sickened over 1,600 people in almost three dozen states.

A major produce supplier is pulling lettuce linked to the Cyclospora outbreak from shelves and kitchens.

Taylor Farms said in a statement onFriday that it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico that was for sale in the US. The company said it was pulling the lettuce from the region “indefinitely,” though an FDA investigation showed that cyclospora-contaminated lettuce originated at one farm that supplied “less than 1%” of the US’s iceberg lettuce.

Other Taylor Farms products, including salad kits sold under the company’s name, are not affected by the removal, the company said.

“As a family-owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken,” the company said in the statement.

The parasite outbreak has affected at least 1,644 people in 34 states since May 1, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The tainted lettuce reached some Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, the FDA said on Thursday. Later on Thursday, the fast-food chain said it was removing shredded lettuce at affected restaurants and would replace it.

Taylor Farms has recalled produce before

The iceberg removal is not the first for Taylor Farms, which supplies produce to major restaurants and grocery stores.

The supplier recalled yellow onions in 2024, citing potential E. coli contamination. Some of those onions were sent to fast-food chains, including McDonald’s. The resulting outbreak sickened over 100 people, one of whom died, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at the time.

Another recall in 2020 focused on Taylor Farms onions sold at Kroger and Walmart, according to FDA records.

Last year, the company also recalled some salad kits after their labels failed to disclose that they included soy and sesame, two potential allergens, the FDA said.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.