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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Sunday that lettuce from a key supplier linked to the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak has not tested positive for the parasite, reversing an earlier finding by the agency.
The FDA previously identified contamination in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, but after retesting, said the finding was inaccurate.
“Due to the complexity in detection of Cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and have concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive,” the agency said in a statement.
Despite the update, Taylor Farms de Mexico, part of the larger Taylor Farms brand, continues to be at the center of the FDA’s investigation into the outbreak after the agency last week linked iceberg lettuce from a single supplier in Mexico to more than 1,600 cases of cyclosporiasis across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. That subset of cases in the larger outbreak occurred among people who reported eating at Taco Bell before becoming ill.
Taco Bell said Friday it had removed all Taylor Farms lettuce from its U.S. restaurants and supply chain.
Taylor Farms, meanwhile, has voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico and will no longer source from the region for the remainder of the growing season, the company said Monday. The recalled items included private-label shredded lettuce and iceberg salad packs sold at Walmart, but no Taylor Farms-branded products were involved, according to the company.
