The CDC and FDA have confirmed that shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, served at Taco Bell restaurants, caused a multistate cyclospora outbreak — and a lab test has now found Cyclospora directly in a lettuce sample, prompting Taylor Farms to expand its recall beyond Taco Bell to grocery store products. As of July 18, 2026, the recall now covers Marketside-branded iceberg lettuce and salad sold in 27 states, not just the shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states. At least three lawsuits have also been filed. Here’s exactly what’s confirmed, what’s newly recalled, and what it means whether you’ve eaten at Taco Bell or have bagged lettuce in your fridge.
Quick facts:
- A lettuce sample has tested positive for Cyclospora in FDA lab testing — direct confirmation, not just an epidemiological link
- The recall has expanded to grocery stores — Marketside-branded iceberg lettuce and salad, distributed to 27 states, is now included
- At least 1,644 cases are tied to the Taco Bell cluster specifically, with nearly 7,000 cyclospora illnesses reported or under investigation nationwide this season, and at least three lawsuits already filed
What’s Confirmed vs. What’s Still Being Investigated
This cyclospora parasite outbreak keeps moving. Here’s the current, updated breakdown of what’s officially confirmed and what’s still unresolved:
| Confirmed / Official | Still Under Investigation |
|---|---|
| CDC and FDA officially link Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce to the outbreak (July 17) | Whether any of the newly detained lot reached consumers before detection |
| An FDA lab test found Cyclospora directly in a lettuce sample (announced July 18) | Whether additional states will be added to the advisory |
| The recall now includes Marketside-branded consumer lettuce products in 27 states | Whether every cyclospora case nationally (34 states, ~7,000 illnesses) traces back to this one source |
| At least 3 lawsuits filed against Taco Bell, its franchisees, and Taylor Farms | The exact number of Taco Bell locations that received the implicated lettuce |
FDA Lab Test Confirms Cyclospora in a Taylor Farms Lettuce Sample
Until now, the case against Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce rested on patient interviews and an FDA supply-chain traceback — strong evidence, but indirect. That changed on July 18, when the FDA announced that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico had tested positive for Cyclospora in laboratory testing.
The contaminated sample was collected through targeted FDA import surveillance and was not part of Taylor Farms’ original recall — meaning it came from a separate lot than the one already pulled. The FDA says the positive lot has been detained, and Taylor Farms is now working to determine whether any of that specific lettuce reached stores, restaurants, or consumers’ homes before it was caught.
The Taylor Farms Lettuce Cyclospora Link: How Investigators Traced It
Investigators built the case for the Taylor Farms lettuce cyclospora connection through patient interviews and an FDA traceback investigation. In Michigan, health officials interviewed roughly 190 people who got sick after eating at Taco Bell — 90% of them said they’d eaten iceberg lettuce. That pattern, combined with an FDA supply-chain traceback, pointed to a single supplier: Taylor Farms de Mexico.
According to the FDA’s traceback, the implicated lettuce came from what the company describes as a specific independent farm — one that represents less than 1% of the total U.S. iceberg lettuce supply. Not every Taco Bell location in the five affected states received the contaminated product, and officials say more locations or states could still be added as the investigation continues.
Where Is Taylor Farms Located?
Taylor Farms (formally Taylor Fresh Foods) is headquartered in Salinas, California, and is one of the largest producers of fresh-cut fruits, vegetables, and packaged salads in the country, supplying restaurants and grocery stores nationwide. The lettuce tied to this outbreak came from Taylor Farms de Mexico, an affiliated growing and processing operation sourcing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico — not from the company’s U.S.-grown products.
Has Taylor Farms Been Linked to a Cyclospora Outbreak Before?
This isn’t the company’s first brush with cyclospora. In a prior multistate outbreak, salads produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico were linked to more than 600 cyclospora illnesses at restaurant chains including Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Cyclospora outbreaks tied to imported fresh produce — lettuce, herbs, and pre-made salads in particular — have become a recurring seasonal pattern in the U.S., typically peaking between May and August.
The Recall Has Expanded: Check Your Fridge for Marketside Lettuce
This is the update that matters most if you don’t eat at Taco Bell but do grocery shop: the recall now reaches beyond restaurants and into store shelves. The FDA says the recall covers:
- Marketside iceberg salad — 12-ounce and 24-ounce bags
- Marketside shredded iceberg lettuce — 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags
- Numerous foodservice products distributed to restaurants and institutions
Marketside is Walmart’s private-label brand, so this recall affects grocery shoppers directly, not just Taco Bell customers. The recalled lettuce was distributed between June 29 and July 16, 2026, with “best if used by” dates ranging from July 18 through August 3, and reached stores in 27 states — far more than the five states tied to the confirmed Taco Bell illness cluster. If you have bagged Marketside iceberg lettuce or salad at home matching those dates, the FDA recommends throwing it away or returning it to the store for a refund rather than eating it.
What Taco Bell and Taylor Farms Have Said
Taco Bell confirmed it had removed all affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants and encouraged customers to return. Taylor Farms, for its part, has repeatedly stressed that none of its own branded salad kits are involved — only bulk iceberg lettuce sourced through its Taylor Farms de Mexico operation.
“We are actively removing the implicated products,” Taylor Farms said in its recall notice, adding that it has stopped receiving product from the affected lot and suspended distribution of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.
— Taylor Farms, recall notice, via Fox Business
“Do not eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell locations” in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, the CDC advised in its outbreak update.
— CDC, official outbreak advisory
The Cyclospora Outbreak by the Numbers
| Metric | Latest Figure (as of July 18–19, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Cases linked to the Taco Bell/Taylor Farms cluster | 1,644+ across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia |
| Hospitalizations in this cluster | 94; no deaths reported in this cluster |
| States reached by the expanded consumer recall | 27 |
| National cases (confirmed + under investigation) since May 1 | ~7,000 across 34 states |
| Lawsuits filed so far | 3+ (Ohio and Michigan federal/state courts) |
| Historical context | On pace to be the largest U.S. cyclospora season on record |
Figures from the CDC, Fox Business, and Forbes, changing daily.
Cyclosporiasis Symptoms: What the Lettuce Parasite Causes
Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite spread through food or water contaminated with feces — not through person-to-person contact. Symptoms typically start about a week after exposure (ranging from 2 days to 2 weeks) and include:
- Sudden, watery, sometimes “explosive” diarrhea
- Loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss
- Cramping, bloating, and gas
- Fatigue
- Low-grade fever (less common)
It’s not usually life-threatening, but without treatment, symptoms can drag on for weeks or even a month or longer, and can relapse. Cyclosporiasis is typically treated with a course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor, and dehydration from prolonged diarrhea is the main health risk to watch for.
Anyone who ate at Taco Bell and develops diarrhea “should go to the doctor,” says Dr. Donald Schaffner, a food science professor at Rutgers University who studies food safety — adding that people without symptoms are likely fine.
— Dr. Donald Schaffner, Rutgers University, via WRAL
Lawsuits Are Piling Up
At least three lawsuits have been filed against Taco Bell, its franchisees, and Taylor Farms so far. The first came from Mohammed Ayyad, who says he got sick after eating at a Taco Bell in North Olmsted, Ohio, in mid-June and later tested positive for cyclosporiasis. A second suit came from David Ott, a Texas resident who says he was bedridden for two weeks after eating Taco Supremes at an Ohio location and continues to experience symptoms weeks later. Both name the local franchise operators; Ott’s complaint also names Taylor Fresh Foods directly.
“Cyclospora outbreaks follow the same script every year, and every year we act surprised,” says Bill Marler, a food safety attorney representing one of the plaintiffs.
— Bill Marler, food safety attorney, via PR Newswire
Is It Safe to Eat at Taco Bell — and What About Lettuce at Home?
Taco Bell and Taylor Farms both say the originally implicated lettuce has been pulled from restaurants and the supply chain, and Taco Bell has publicly encouraged customers to return. The recall does not affect other Taco Bell food or menu items — only the specific shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from the implicated Taylor Farms de Mexico farm.
If you shop at Walmart, though, there’s now a second thing to check: any Marketside-branded iceberg lettuce or salad in your fridge matching the recalled sizes and dates above should be thrown out or returned, even if you never set foot in a Taco Bell. If you ate at an affected restaurant or ate recalled lettuce at home and later develop persistent watery diarrhea, see a doctor and specifically ask about Cyclospora testing, since routine stool tests can miss it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Cyclospora actually been found in Taylor Farms lettuce, or just linked to it?
Both, as of July 18. The original link came from patient interviews and an FDA traceback investigation. That’s now been reinforced by a direct laboratory test, in which a Taylor Farms lettuce sample tested positive for Cyclospora.
Does the recall affect grocery stores, or just Taco Bell?
Both now. The recall has expanded to include Marketside-branded iceberg lettuce and salad sold at Walmart in 27 states, in addition to the shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell in five states.
Which Taco Bell locations are affected?
Locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Not every restaurant in those states received the implicated lettuce, and the FDA says additional states could still be added as the investigation continues.
Where is Taylor Farms located, and where did the contaminated lettuce come from?
Taylor Farms is headquartered in Salinas, California. The specific lettuce linked to this outbreak came from Taylor Farms de Mexico, an affiliated operation sourcing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.
Has anyone sued Taco Bell or Taylor Farms over this outbreak?
Yes. At least three lawsuits have been filed so far in Ohio and Michigan, naming Taco Bell franchisees and, in at least one case, Taylor Fresh Foods directly.
The CDC and FDA have confirmed that Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce is behind a major cyclospora outbreak tied to Taco Bell — and now a direct lab test and an expanded recall covering Walmart’s Marketside brand mean this isn’t just a restaurant story anymore. If you’ve eaten at an affected Taco Bell or have recalled lettuce at home and develop persistent watery diarrhea, see a doctor and ask specifically about Cyclospora testing.
Also Read: Cyclospora Outbreak 2026: Symptoms, Causes & How to Protect Yourself
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This is a fast-moving investigation — details above are current as of July 19, 2026, and may change. Check the CDC’s outbreak page for the latest updates.
