FDA, CDC Tie Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak to Taco Bell Lettuce

After weeks of rising Cyclospora case counts across the country without an identified source, federal health officials have linked a multistate outbreak affecting 1,644 people to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) traceback investigation identified a single supplier in Mexico, unnamed by the agency, that provided iceberg lettuce to Taco Bell locations where people reported eating before becoming ill.

The illnesses included in this outbreak are a subset of the Cyclospora illnesses identified nationwide, said FDA.

Based on epidemiological information collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,644 people infected with Cyclospora and reporting exposure to Taco Bell have been reported by five states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 13 to July 13, with 94 hospitalizations and no deaths reported.

The federal count is substantially lower than totals reported by individual states. Michigan alone has reported 5,002 cases as of July 17, including 102 hospitalizations. However, Michigan’s total includes all cases reported during the state’s outbreak investigation period, not only confirmed illnesses involving Taco Bell exposure. FDA said state figures may also include probable cases and reports that have not yet been confirmed by or transmitted to CDC.

Michigan health officials analyzed food exposure details from 190 patients who reported eating at Taco Bell and shared these findings with CDC. Ingredient level analyses on meals eaten by these cases indicate that 90% of those interviewed reported eating iceberg lettuce, said FDA.

FDA said it is working directly with the identified supplier to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market.

Multiple news outlets, including The Associated Press and The Washington Post, identified the supplier as Taylor Farms of Salinas, Calif., citing a federal official briefed on the investigation and individuals familiar with the inquiry. FDA and CDC have not publicly named the company.

As part of the investigation, FDA and state partners have initiated collection of product samples for testing and analysis. FDA also has increased screening at the U.S.-Mexico border for products implicated in the outbreak.

FDA is also working with Taco Bell, and the chain has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by FDA’s traceback investigation, the agency said.

FDA and state partners continue to investigate the source and scope of the contamination. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional implicated brands, restaurants, retailers or distribution channels may be identified as it continues, said FDA. This advisory will be updated as new information becomes available.

The 2026 national surveillance numbers reported by the CDC track laboratory-confirmed cases in the U.S. overall, which include this outbreak as well as illnesses that are not a part of this outbreak.