Federal health officials said a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico tested positive for Cyclospora as the recall expanded. The lot was collected through targeted import surveillance and was not part of Taylor Farms' current recall, but the FDA said it has been detained.
The recall now covers 12-ounce and 24-ounce bags of Marketside iceberg salad and 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags of Marketside shredded iceberg lettuce. The products were distributed from June 29 through July 16 in 27 states, with best if used by dates from July 18 through Aug. 3.
Taylor Farms de Mexico sample
The FDA said the positive test came from shredded iceberg lettuce tied to Taylor Farms de Mexico, the supplier identified in its trace-back work. That sample was pulled through targeted import surveillance, a separate check from the recalled lot now moving through stores and homes.
Taylor Farms said it is removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from its Taylor Farms de Mexico operation from the U.S. market because of potential Cyclospora contamination. The company also said none of its branded salad kits are implicated.
Taco Bell trace-back
The FDA said its trace-back investigation identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce used at Taco Bell restaurants where infected customers reported eating before becoming ill. On Thursday, the FDA said Taco Bell would stop using lettuce from a supplier linked to the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak.
That outbreak has sickened 1,644 people and hospitalized 94, with no deaths reported. Consumers in four states were urged to avoid shredded lettuce, while the recall itself now reaches 27 states.
Recall and exposure
The practical issue for shoppers is whether the lettuce already bought is still in circulation. Taylor Farms and the FDA are working to determine whether any implicated lettuce remains in commerce or in consumers' homes, and the positive lot has already been detained.
For anyone with the recalled Marketside bags, the relevant details are the package size, the date range, and the use-by window: 12-ounce and 24-ounce bags of Marketside iceberg salad, plus 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags of Marketside shredded iceberg lettuce, distributed from June 29 to July 16 with dates from July 18 through Aug. 3. That is the food still to check against the recall notice.
