Taco Bell said on Tuesday that it had voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants while federal and local health officials investigate whether some customer illnesses are tied to a broader cyclosporiasis outbreak. The company said the change was a precautionary measure, and the investigation has not linked the restaurants to any specific ingredient or supplier.
Cyclosporiasis is a diarrheal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite. It can cause long-lasting bouts of explosive diarrhea that can lead to severe dehydration, and young children, older adults and people who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable. Taco Bell trims menu items as Cyclospora cases surge, Guacamole disappears.
Michigan July 13 alert
On July 13, Michigan said current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for the outbreak. The state also said other food items cannot be completely ruled out, and it urged consumers to buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed bags of greens.
That leaves consumers with a narrow set of practical choices: avoid raw produce that cannot be peeled or cooked, and assume the source has not been pinned down. Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical correspondent and editor-at-large for Public Health at KFF Health News, said, "This isn't a problem consumers can solve," and added, "We basically have to revert to what you'd tell someone traveling to a developing country: Don't eat fresh produce that isn't cooked and can't be peeled."
What Taco Bell changed
Taco Bell said it removed limited ingredients at select restaurants after some customers reported illnesses that prompted the broader review. The company said public health officials have not confirmed a link to its restaurants or to any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer, so the menu change is limited rather than a full recall.
Dr. Celine Gounder also said, "No recall has been issued for this outbreak," which matters for shoppers trying to separate a precaution from a formal removal of food from the market. Public health officials have not identified the source, and that means the menu changes are aimed at reducing exposure while investigators keep testing possible links.
Consumers and cyclospora
Michigan reported some 2,600 cases, showing the outbreak has moved beyond a small cluster. Dr. Nuwan Gunawardhana, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said, "Until the culprit is found, we really can't put the blame on a certain farm or processing company," which is why the advice now centers on food handling instead of a single named source.
The most direct takeaway for consumers is to avoid fresh produce that is not cooked and cannot be peeled, especially while the source remains unresolved. The outbreak comes about one year after the CDC scaled back monitoring of cyclospora, and before July 2025 the CDC mandated reporting of cyclosporiasis through FoodNet.
For now, Taco Bell has changed what some restaurants keep on hand, Michigan has pointed investigators toward lettuce or salad greens, and consumers are being told to be careful with raw produce while the investigation continues.
