The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms as a potential source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting five states. As of July 16, 2026, nearly 7,000 individuals may have been affected, with 1,645 confirmed cases and over 5,100 under investigation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No fatalities have been reported.
The CDC has initiated an investigation into more than 400 cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, with Indiana also identified as part of the outbreak. It remains uncertain if the lettuce from Taylor Farms is linked to cases in other states, as health officials suspect multiple outbreaks across at least 34 states.
In response, Taco Bell has voluntarily removed the implicated lettuce from its supply chain indefinitely and plans to replace it in select states within the next day. The company emphasized the importance of public health and urged other food service operators to take similar actions.
Michigan has reported the highest number of cases, totaling 4,312 as of Thursday, with 102 hospitalizations. Health officials in Michigan had previously identified lettuce and salad greens as potential sources based on interviews with individuals who tested positive for the illness.
The investigation into the outbreak is complicated by the parasite's incubation period, which can last up to two weeks. This is not the first instance of Taylor Farms being associated with a cyclosporiasis outbreak; in 2013, a salad mix linked to the company resulted in 631 illnesses across 25 states. Additionally, Taylor Farms was connected to a 2024 E. coli outbreak involving slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, which sickened 104 individuals in 14 states, leading to hospitalizations and one death.