Food & Beverage

5-state Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taco Bell shredded lettuce

The Cyclospora illness is being linked to Taco Bell locations in the Midwest. The brand is taking precautions and removing the affected producer's products from its lineup.

Photo: YUM! Brands

July 17, 2026 by Valerie Gritton

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The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention have linked more than 1,600 cases of the cyclospora illness to Taco Bell locations in Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, according to a July 16 update from the CDC. To date, more than 7,000 cases of the foodborne illness have been reported.

As it stands, the Food & Drug Administration, through its traceback investigation, has identified a single supplier of the iceburg lettuce from Mexio and is working with the supplier to determine if the contaminated produce was also sent to other places.

In a July 16 statement sent to QSRweb, Taco Bell said was working to remove all impacted lettuce from its restaurants:

"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."

Earlier this week, Taco Bell stated it was voluntarily removing at-risk ingredients from certain locations as outbreaks of cyclospora widended to 34 states. It is the first major restaurant chain to make that move.

Cyclospora is microscopic protozoan parasite that causes an intestinal illness lasting anywhere from a few days to several weeks and symptoms generally begin within one or two weeks after exposure, said Gwen Biggerstaff, Deputy Director of the CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, in a July 14 briefing (Read the full transcript here).

The illness is spread when people consume food or water contaminated with the parasite — typically fresh produce that has not been adequately washed or cooked.

"The investigation remains active, and additional states, restaurants, retailers, or products may be identified as more information becomes available," said Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department, in a July 16 article in The Washington Post. The Post, through anonymous sources, has linked the outbreak to Salinas, California-based Taylor Farms; however, those claims have not been substantiated.