Taylor Farms has released a new statement amid an investigation into the source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak across the U.S.
The company, which remains at the center of U.S. health officials’ investigation, said it has taken added precautions despite no positive test results involving their product so far.
“We are passionate about helping people live healthier lives through fresh produce, and the safety of our food is paramount. We maintain best-in-class Cyclospora prevention protocols and invest more than $200 million annually into our independently audited and verified food safety protocols,” a spokesperson for Taylor Farms said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the company issued an urgent recall of potentially affected produce “out of an abundance of caution.”
“When questions were raised about the source of the recent Cyclospora outbreak, we immediately removed all potentially implicated product from the marketplace, and out of an abundance of caution we issued an even broader recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from the region. We have also voluntarily suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production from central Mexico,” the statement read. “We’ve commissioned independent experts to conduct a top-to-bottom review of food safety processes and protocols in our central Mexico facility. We continue to work with health authorities, customers, and independent farming partners to address this issue.”
The statement comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expand the number of states in their outbreak investigation to nine, including Illinois. The alerts came with a warning: “Do not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico” while noting the FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
Taylor Farms de Mexico, a supplier for Taco Bell, had previously been labeled a potential source for the outbreak, but officials later said a positive test result was actually a false positive. Still, public health officials said “cases with Taco Bell exposure” have been reported in each of the nine states they’re investigating.
“According to the FDA, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora as of July 19, 2026,” Taylor Farms said in its statement. “We are confident in our food and food safety systems and will continue to be transparent as more information becomes available.”
According to its latest update, the CDC reported at least 1,947 infections associated with the nine states, all of whom “reported exposure to Taco Bell.” At least 98 of those cases have required hospitalization but no deaths have been reported.
“This increase in cases is, in part, due to the identification and addition of four new states that are now considered part of this outbreak. We also expect to continue to see the number of confirmed cases rise, despite the recall, due to the fact that it can take as long as six weeks for CDC and state officials to determine if a sick person is part of this outbreak,” the CDC reported.
In Illinois, health officials reported 513 confirmed and probable cases as of July 23, but the health department said it is now “intensifying its investigation” after the state was added to the CDC’s investigation.
“IDPH has been closely monitoring the Cyclospora multi-state outbreak that has been happening across the United States and in Illinois,” Dr. Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “July case reports are rising at a level we have not seen since 2018.
Meanwhile, cases in Michigan have topped 8,000 as of Friday, their health department reported.
Where was the recalled lettuce sold?
Taylor Farms de Mexico initiated a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico on July 17, including products that were sent to grocery stores and restaurants in more than a dozen states.
According to the recall notice, iceberg lettuce from Taylor Fresh Foods was distributed to food service locations from June 29 through July 16 in the following states:
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
“Taco Bell has indicated they are no longer using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico,” the FDA reported Friday.
The recalled lettuce was also sold at select Walmart stores in:
Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Missour Mississippi Oklahoma Tennessee Texas Virginia West VirginiaHealth experts have stressed proper food hygiene practices as the outbreak continues to expand, but urged anyone in the impacted states not to eat the recalled lettuce.
Beyond that, Illinois experts said anyone experiencing symptoms should reach out to their healthcare providers right away.
“It is important our residents are aware of how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. We recommend Illinois residents, but especially our elderly, infants and those with weaker immune systems, reach out to their health care provider if they experience sudden, ongoing diarrhea,” Vohra said. “Important preventive measures include washing your hands before preparing or eating food, thoroughly washing produce, and when appropriate, cooking produce to a temperature of at least 158 degrees.”
The FDA offered the following advice:
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received recalled iceberg lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods should discard it immediately and not consume it. Full refunds are also available at the location of purchase. If you have symptoms of cyclosporiasis, contact your health care provider to report symptoms and receive care, especially if you ate shredded iceberg lettuce in the two weeks before you got sick. If you purchased or received recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Consumers should follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Restaurants and retailers should follow FDA’s Food Safety Tips.Hence then, the article about we are confident taylor farms releases statement amid cyclosporiasis outbreak was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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