Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times,
U.S. lettuce supplier Taylor Farms expanded on July 17 its voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico due to concerns over its link to a cyclospora outbreak affecting Americans across the country.
Lettuce products that were possibly contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were sent to 27 states, according to the company. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said July 18 the outbreak was linked to iceberg lettuce across five states and more than 1,000 people in the United States have been sickened by it.
“Consumers who have purchased the recalled iceberg lettuce should discard it immediately and not consume it,” California-based Taylor Farms said in a statement.
“Full refunds are also available at the location of purchase.”
States that were sent potentially contaminated lettuce products include Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The company added that it is actively removing affected products and ceased sourcing lettuce from the implicated lot in central Mexico. Taylor Farms reiterated that it is continuing to cooperate with the Food and Drug Administration, the CDC, and other authorities.
Taylor Farms released a full list of its potentially affected products, including various shredded lettuce and salad mixes, accompanied with their lot codes and use-by dates.
According to an earlier statement July 17, the company said it was voluntarily removing from U.S. markets all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. That decision was based on information the FDA provided to Taylor Farms regarding its products, the statement 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,” Taylor Farms said.
“That trust is something we’ve worked for decades to earn, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence.”
U.S. health officials earlier this week announced it had traced “a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by Taco Bell locations where sick people ate before becoming ill.”
The popular fast-food chain addressed the issue in a statement on X, writing that it had removed all Taylor Farm products from its locations.
“We want you to hear it from us,” the company said. “So go ahead and enjoy your Taco Bell today.”
U.S. food distributor Sysco had also pulled all its Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora that stems from produce and water contaminated with human feces.
As of the latest update available from the CDC, the outbreak has resulted in 1,644 cases and 94 hospitalizations.
The agency noted that the true number of cases could be much higher, as many people are able to recover without medical care and are not tested for cyclospora.