Lettuce at Taco Bell in 5 states confirmed as a source of
diarrhea-causing parasite
[July 18, 2026]
By BILL BARROW and MIKE STOBBE
ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials have identified lettuce from
Mexico served at Taco Bell locations across five U.S. states as a source
of a widespread outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned
consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants
in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. A record number
of cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and
experts have said not every recent U.S. illness might be caused by a
single source.
A Food and Drug Administration investigation so far has identified a
single supplier of the lettuce. The federal warnings to consumers did
not identify the company, but Taylor Fresh Foods, of Salinas,
California, said FDA testing indicated it was “a specific independent
farm” affiliated with the company.
The FDA was working with the supplier “to determine if potentially
contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market,” including
in other states, the CDC said. “Taco Bell has committed to stop using
any lettuce from the supplier identified by FDA’s traceback
investigation.”
Taylor Farms has been tied to foodborne outbreaks in the past. The
company said in a statement Friday afternoon that it was voluntarily
removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S.
market.
“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 statement
said.
Taco Bell says it will use a different supplier
CDC, FDA and public health officials in several states have been
investigating a multistate outbreak of cyclospora infections.
The illness is not usually life threatening and is typically treated
with antibiotics.
On Thursday, ahead of the federal government's confirmation, Taco Bell
issued a statement saying that it had taken “immediate action to
voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in
select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being
indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be
replaced within 24 hours in select states.”
It's possible other businesses could be linked to the outbreak
In a statement, federal health officials stressed that other “brands,
restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the
outbreak as the investigation continues.
Michigan investigators are trying to figure out if the lettuce went to
other restaurants or stores because many of the ill people said they
didn’t eat at Taco Bell, state health officials said Friday.
There is no evidence the outbreak “is related to poor food handling or
preparation at any single restaurant or fast-food chain,” Michigan
health officials said in a statement.
For that reason, they continue to recommend that consumers purchase
whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, bagged lettuce or
pre-mixed salad kits. Taylor Fresh Foods said in its statement that no
Taylor Farms-branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.
Some past outbreaks linked to the company involved products sold under
different brand names.
North Carolina health officials on Friday reported their count has now
surpassed 300 cases, but said the recent illnesses there are not
considered to be linked to the outbreak in and around Michigan. They
said the most commonly reported foods include parsley, cilantro and
lettuce, but it’s not clear if those ingredients were the source of the
infections, they said.
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A Taco Bell fast food restaurant is shown Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in
Taylor, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
 Cyclospora cases have been rising
for years
Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes
watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel
movements,” according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often
in the late spring and summer.
The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through
feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or
vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.
The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne
illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli.
Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and,
for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the
number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly
notable spike in 2018 and 2019.
Previously, 2019 saw the most reported U.S. cyclosporiasis cases,
with about 4,700. The current surge has far surpassed that. Michigan
— the apparent epicenter of the current outbreak — is reporting more
than 5,000 cases, and more than 2,000 additional probable and
suspected cases have been reported in other states.
No deaths have been reported. But Michigan officials say more than
100 people in that state have been hospitalized, and health
officials say dozens more have been hospitalized in other states.
Experts attribute the increasing trend in cases to climate change
and better detection. They also say it’s likely that cyclospora
cases historically were underreported, for several reasons.
Some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been
geared to detect cyclospora. Technicians aren’t able to grow the
parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated
produce. And it can be hard to figure out what food sick people had
in common because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that might be
common in multiple recipes — like basil or cilantro.
Taco Bell and Taylor Farms have been tied to past outbreaks
The FDA’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier of
iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell locations where
people who got sick ate, federal officials said.
The Mexican food chain is among the restaurants linked to foodborne
illness outbreaks in the past.
Taylor Farms also was tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked
to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at
McDonald's.
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Stobbe reported from New York.
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