A summer outbreak of a stomach parasite has led one of the country's largest produce suppliers to pull a staple salad ingredient off the shelves.
The recall
Taylor Farms said it is removing all iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico from the U.S. market after federal investigators identified the company as the supplier of shredded lettuce tied to a cluster of illnesses. The Food and Drug Administration named Taylor Farms as the source of contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in several states. The company said the implicated farm accounts for a very small share of the nation's iceberg supply and that its other products and branded salad kits are not affected.
The outbreak
The recall comes amid an unusually large outbreak of cyclosporiasis. Health authorities have reported more than 6,700 confirmed or probable cases across some 30 states this season, far above a typical year. The specific cluster linked to Taco Bell, according to federal officials, has sickened about 1,644 people across five states, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, with more than 90 hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
What cyclospora is
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that people catch by eating or drinking something contaminated with it; unlike some germs, it does not spread person to person. Symptoms usually appear a week or more after exposure and include watery diarrhea, cramping, bloating and nausea, and can drag on for weeks without treatment, though antibiotics can shorten the course. Most healthy people recover, but the illness can be especially hard on young children and people with weakened immune systems.
What to do
The immediate government guidance has focused on the affected products: consumers were advised not to eat the shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in the outbreak states, and to throw out any recalled central-Mexico iceberg lettuce they may have at home, checking labels for origin where possible. Iceberg lettuce from other regions remains on shelves and is not part of the recall.
The California angle
For Southern California, a region built on both a love of fresh produce and a vast restaurant scene, the episode is a reminder of how far a single contaminated field can reach. California is one of the country's great salad bowls, and food-safety scares tend to ripple through its grocery aisles and taquerias alike. Officials stressed that the answer is not to swear off vegetables but to wash produce well, buy from trusted sellers, and watch for symptoms after eating anything that may have come from the recalled supply. Federal agencies said they were still working to pin down exactly how the contamination reached American plates.
