Taylor Farms, a major global producer of salads and healthy fresh foods with approximately $7 billion in annual revenue, has voluntarily removed all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. This decision came after federal investigators, primarily the FDA, identified some of its lettuce as linked to a significant cyclosporiasis outbreak. The investigation traced the outbreak to a specific independent farm in Mexico, which represents less than 1% of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply.
The outbreak has largely affected Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Michigan alone reported over 5,000 cases. Although the FDA identified a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, Taylor Farms has removed all iceberg lettuce from the central Mexico region indefinitely "out of an abundance of caution." Taco Bell has also confirmed the removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants nationwide.
Sysco, one of the world’s largest food suppliers, also ceased distributing Taylor Farms processed iceberg lettuce products from Mexico at the supplier's request. Sysco's reach is extensive, with its U.S. arm generating $14.2 billion in sales in the third quarter of 2026. Despite the broad impact, Taylor Farms stated that no other Taylor Fresh Foods products or branded salad kits are affected by this specific outbreak. Taylor Farms has been involved in previous foodborne illness outbreaks, including a cyclosporiasis outbreak in 2013 and an E. coli outbreak linked to onions in 2024 that resulted in 104 illnesses.
