Taylor Farms to reportedly recall ingredients linked to ‘explosive diarrhea’ parasite

California-based produce supplier Taylor Farms is reportedly preparing to recall ingredients linked to a fast-spreading parasite outbreak that has caused severe diarrhea and sickened thousands of people across the US.

Bloomberg News reports it has seen a document revealing the lettuce grower has told federal regulators it was preparing a recall tied to the widening cyclospora outbreak.

The cyclospora parasite, which spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, can cause severe 'explosive' diarrhea, cramping, fatigue and nausea, sometimes lasting for weeks.

Earlier this week, Taco Bell pulled certain lettuce from restaurants across the Midwest.

Federal health officials confirmed shredded iceberg lettuce served at the fast-food chain as a source of infections, pointing to a single supplier.

California-based produce supplier Taylor Farms is preparing to recall ingredients linked to a fast-spreading parasite outbreak that has caused severe diarrhea and sickened thousands (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

How many people have gotten sick from the Taylor Farms lettuce outbreak?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the shredded lettuce was traced to Taco Bell locations in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, with the agency confirming 1,644 cases and 94 hospitalizations as of its most recent update. Illnesses were recorded between May 13 and July 13, and the investigation remains ongoing.

More broadly, the US is on track for its worst year on record for cyclospora infections, with 1,645 confirmed cases and 141 hospitalizations reported across 34 states, according to the CDC.

The agency said it is also investigating more than 5,100 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite, though officials have cautioned that not every case nationwide is necessarily tied to the same source.

Michigan's state health department alone has reported more than 4,300 cases after interviewing over 1,000 people as part of its own investigation.

The Food and Drug Administration identified the lettuce as having been grown in Mexico and said it is working with the supplier to determine whether any potentially contaminated product remains on the market.

Federal health officials are investigating whether shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by California-based Taylor Farms was the source of a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people in 34 states, though no definitive link has been confirmed. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Has Taylor Farms been linked to previous food safety outbreaks?

Taylor Farms produce has been connected to prior outbreaks, including E. coli cases tied to slivered onions in 2024 and a separate cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce back in 2013, according to CNN.

Taco Bell said it had 'voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure,' adding that it would 'continue to closely monitor the situation and follow the guidance of public health authorities.'

The chain has since said the ingredient is being removed from its supply chain nationwide.

At least one lawsuit has already been filed over the outbreak, with attorneys representing a US Army veteran from Ohio who says he was hospitalized for two days after eating at a Taco Bell location in Youngstown in June, according to WAVE3 News.

Taco Bell told UNILAD: "Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.

"The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.

"While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests. Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same."

UNILAD has contacted Taylor Farms, Taco Bell and the FDA for comment.