The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are concluding a multistate investigation into a Cyclospora outbreak that was traced to shredded iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico. The outbreak, first detected in late, prompted a voluntary recall by Taylor Farms de Mexico on July 17, 2026. By early October the agencies announced that the recall has been fully executed and that the public-health emergency is considered over, although post-outbreak monitoring will continue through the 2027 growing season.
Taylor Farms de Mexico’s recall covered several Marketside-brand packages sold at Walmart and lettuce supplied to food-service customers, including Taco Bell. The products affected were 12-oz and 24-oz “Iceberg Salad” containers and 8-oz and 16-oz “Shredded Lettuce” bags, all bearing best-if-used-by dates ranging from July 18 to August 3, 2026. A complete lot-code list was released in the original notice, and the company has instructed retailers to remove any remaining stock and to follow disposal guidelines.
Recall scope and distribution
The recalled lettuce was distributed between June 29 and July 16, 2026. Food-service shipments reached at least 30 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Additional tracking suggests the product may also have appeared in the District of Columbia, Delaware, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington.
On the retail side, select Walmart locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia carried the affected items. All stores have reported that the best-by dates have now expired, meaning the product should no longer be on shelves. Taco Bell confirmed that, as of July 17, 2026, it stopped using lettuce from the identified supplier.
Health impact and symptoms
Infection with Cyclospora (the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis) typically produces watery diarrhea, frequent bowel movements, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and occasional fever. Some patients also report weight loss, loss of appetite, increased gas, vomiting, body aches and headache. While many individuals recover without treatment, dehydration can become severe, especially in children, the elderly or people with weakened immune systems. Untreated cases may experience relapsing episodes that last weeks to months, and hospitalization was required for 570 of the 12,883 confirmed illnesses.
The CDC recommends that anyone who consumed shredded iceberg lettuce in the two weeks before falling ill and now shows gastrointestinal symptoms contact a health-care provider promptly. Consumers who still possess recalled packages should discard them, clean any surfaces the lettuce touched, and follow the FDA’s food-handling guidance to avoid cross-contamination. Restaurants and retailers are urged to adhere to the agency’s Food Safety Tips and to sanitize equipment thoroughly.
Traceback work identified a single supplier—Taylor Farms de Mexico—as the common source for the contaminated lettuce. FDA inspectors, together with Mexican authorities, visited multiple farms and the processing plant, collecting water, soil, sediment and lettuce samples. Two environmental specimens tested positive for Cyclospora one from wastewater exiting the processing facility and another from a drainage ditch at a grower’s field. Genotyping of these samples is ongoing to compare them with clinical isolates.
Although definitive proof of how the parasite entered the food chain is still pending, the presence of the parasite in the growing and processing environment, combined with strong epidemiological links, substantiates the recall decision. The CDC declared the outbreak over on September 11, 2026, and the FDA now focuses on post-outbreak activities, including research on prevention measures for the 2027 season. Officials remain confident that all lettuce linked to this specific outbreak has been removed from the market.
