FDA still focused on lettuce supplier as source of parasite, despite
faulty test result
[July 21, 2026]
By MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials said Monday they remain
focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a multistate
outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasite, despite inaccurate test results
that the government briefly publicized over the weekend.
Food and Drug Administration officials on Monday said a laboratory test
incorrectly identified a positive result for cyclospora on a sample of
lettuce from Taylor Farms. The FDA posted the finding to its website on
Saturday but then said Sunday that the result had been a false positive.
Federal and state authorities have been investigating a rise in cases of
the parasite, initially linking the outbreak in five states to lettuce
served at Taco Bell locations. On Saturday, Taylor Farms announced it
was recalling 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under
eight different brand codes. The products are used by a number of U.S.
food chains and suppliers.
“FDA’s traceback investigation and the outbreak data continue to
converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ locations in
central Mexico,” FDA's acting food chief, Donald Prater, told reporters
on Monday.
In addition to tracing the supply chain of lettuce, FDA staff have begun
testing samples of produce coming across the U.S. border.
FDA officials on Monday said the false positive result came from a rapid
test used to screen for traces of cyclospora. The sample that initially
appeared positive for the parasite came from Taylor Farms but was not
part of the company's lettuce recall. FDA officials said they felt
compelled to alert the public to the finding.
But a subsequent quality control check showed the positive finding was
an error. FDA officials notified Taylor Farms of that on Sunday.
The company touted the updated test results on social media and claimed
“FDA apologized to us.” Agency officials said there was no official
apology.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come
into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated
or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes
intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel
movements,” according to the CDC.
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A Taco Bell fast food restaurant is shown Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in
Taylor, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
 In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at
least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to
the FDA and CDC. The agencies are investigating five separate
clusters of illnesses, including the one traced to Taylor Farms.
FDA's acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas, said health officials
have continued to see new cases associated with the latest outbreak,
including some as recent as last week.
“Which means it’s imperative for us to take action to ensure that
contaminated product is not making its way to the market,” Diamantas
explained.
As of Friday, foot traffic was down at a number of dining chains
compared with the day-of-the-week averages between Jan. 1 and July
6, according to Placer.ai, which tracks people’s movements based on
cellphone usage.
Taco Bell suffered the biggest drop — an 18.9% decline — after
federal health officials named the chain in its investigation of the
cyclosporiasis outbreak. Foot traffic fell 14.3% at Chopt, Placer.ai
said. Both Chipotle and Panera Bread had close to a 7% drop in
traffic, while Cava’s drop was less — at 4.2% — according to the
firm.
Food safety investigators often cannot draw a direct biological
connection between recalled produce and outbreaks of foodborne
illness. 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.
Instead, investigators draw conclusions based on accounts of what
people ate, the proximity and timing of cases and other patterns.
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AP Business Writer Anne D'Innocenzio contributed from New York.
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