ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health authorities have identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in five U.S. states as the source of a wide-ranging cyclosporiasis outbreak, a parasite that causes diarrhea.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Thursday consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
So far, a record number of cyclosporiasis cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts say that not all of the recent illnesses recorded nationwide may stem from a single source.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released findings of an investigation that has identified a single lettuce supplier to date.
The federal consumer advisories did not name the company, but a federal official familiar with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was Taylor Farms, a company based in Salinas, California.
Taylor Farms, which has been linked to foodborne outbreaks in other instances, did not respond to a request for comment at this time.
“The FDA is already working with the iceberg lettuce supplier to determine whether additional shredded iceberg lettuce potentially contaminated is present in the market, including in other states,” the CDC stated. “Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by the FDA’s trace-back investigation.”
Taco Bell Announces Supplier Change
The CDC, the FDA, and public health officials in several states have been investigating a cyclosporiasis outbreak across multiple entities in the country.
The illness typically does not threaten life and is usually treated with antibiotics.
Before the federal government’s confirmation on Thursday, Taco Bell issued a statement saying it had taken “immediate steps to voluntarily withdraw potentially affected lettuce from a supplier in selected states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being removed indefinitely from our nationwide supply chain and will be replaced within 24 hours in selected states.”
Other Businesses May Be Linked to the Outbreak
Health agencies stressed in a release that other “brands, restaurants, retailers or distribution channels” could be linked to the outbreak as the investigation continues.
Researchers in Michigan are trying to determine whether the lettuce reached other restaurants or stores, because many of the infected individuals reported that they did not eat at Taco Bell, according to state health authorities on Friday.
There is no evidence that the outbreak is tied to improper handling or preparation of food at a single restaurant or fast-food chain, Michigan health officials said in a statement.
For that reason they maintained their recommendation that consumers buy whole heads of lettuce rather than bagged lettuce or salad kits.
Cyclosporiasis Cases Have Been Rising for Years
Cyclosporiasis is a microscopic parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent bowel movements and sometimes explosive stools,” according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur more often in late spring and summer.
This parasite, thriving in warmth, causes an intestinal infection and is spread through feces. People have become infected on other occasions by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to water used for irrigation contaminated with feces.
The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, such as Salmonella and E. coli. Many cases never get linked to a specific food or source, and for years there were few cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the United States. But the number has been rising for about a decade, with a particularly notable uptick in 2018 and 2019.
In 2019 there were the largest number of cyclosporiasis cases reported in the United States, at around 4,700. The current increase has far surpassed that figure. Michigan — the apparent epicenter of the outbreak — has reported more than 5,000 cases, and more than 2,000 probable and suspected cases have been reported in other states.
There have been no deaths reported. But Michigan authorities say more than 100 people have been hospitalized in the state.
Experts attribute the rise in cases over the past decade to climate change and improved detection. They also contend that the actual number of cyclosporiasis cases may be much lower than the reported figure for various reasons.
Some common tests used to detect food poisoning were not designed to detect cyclosporiasis. Technicians cannot cultivate the parasite in laboratories, which makes it difficult to obtain evidence from contaminated products. And it can be hard to determine what food the sick people had in common because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that can be common across different recipes — such as basil or cilantro.
Taco Bell and Taylor Farms Have Been Linked to Previous Outbreaks
FDA trace-back investigations identified a single iceberg lettuce supplier used by the Taco Bell locations where infected people ate, federal officials said.
The Mexican fast-food chain is one of the brands that has previously been linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness.
Taylor Farms was also tied to a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to a salad mix in 2013 and to an E. coli outbreak linked to onions served at McDonald’s in 2014.
