The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday classified recalled lettuce linked to a widespread cyclospora outbreak at the highest possible risk level, as it confirmed illnesses in three additional states. The agency classified the iceberg lettuce products recalled by California-based produce giant Taylor Farms for possible cyclospora contamination as “Class 1,” which the agency defines as “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” The company in July recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico. The recall listed shredded lettuce and salad mix products that were sold under several different brand codes and were shipped to 27 states through July 16, with “best by” dates as late as August 3.
A Taylor Farms spokesperson told Newsweek that all affected lettuce is off the market. Newsweek has contacted the FDA for comment. The FDA on Thursday said three new states—Georgia, Tennessee and Texas—have been added to the list of states tied to the outbreak, bringing the number of states affected to 20.
The list already included: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The number of confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis—the gastrointestinal illness caused by the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora—in those states was 11,458 as of Thursday, including 495 people who had to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Michigan, the state hardest hit by the outbreak, reported the first two deaths tied to the outbreak earlier in August.
The FDA linked shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell to the outbreak, and said it was focused on Taylor Farms as the source of the lettuce. On Thursday, the FDA said it is continuing to inspect and test produce at the farms and processing facility in Mexico in cooperation with officials from the Mexican government. We have also voluntarily suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production from central Mexico.
We continue to work with health authorities, customers, and independent farming partners to address this issue.” There have been "no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora as of August 13, 2026,'" the spokesperson added. "We are confident in our food and safety systems and will continue to be transparent as more information becomes available." Taco Bell said in a statement on July 17 that it had "completed removal" of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants. "Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide.
We took this action to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely," it said. Federal and state health authorities are also investigating several other clusters of cyclosporiasis to determine how many could be linked to a common contaminated source. In its latest update, the CDC said it has received reports of 17,180 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the U.S. since May 1, including 922 hospitalizations and two deaths.
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