WASHINGTON, United States — Federal health authorities have linked shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants to a parasitic illness outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people in five states.
The outbreak has prompted a public warning and the withdrawal of lettuce supplied from central Mexico.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, advised consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
The Food and Drug Administration said additional states, restaurants or distribution channels could be identified as investigators continued tracing the product.
Taylor Fresh Foods, the supplier identified in reports about the investigation, said it was removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the United States market.
The company said the farm being examined represented less than 1 per cent of the country’s iceberg lettuce supply.
On Thursday, July 16, 2026, the CDC and FDA said epidemiological and supply-chain evidence showed that contaminated lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants was making people ill.
The agencies said 1,644 people with confirmed Cyclospora infections had reported eating at Taco Bell locations in the five affected states.
Ninety-four people were admitted to hospital, and no deaths were reported. Illnesses began between May 13 and July 13.
Investigators Trace Lettuce to One Supplier
The FDA said its investigation had converged on a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell restaurants where patients reported eating before they became ill.
Not every Taco Bell restaurant in the affected states received lettuce from that supplier, the agency said.
Michigan health officials reviewed detailed food histories from 190 patients who said they had eaten at Taco Bell. Ninety per cent reported consuming iceberg lettuce, according to the federal investigation.
The FDA was working with the supplier to determine whether potentially contaminated lettuce remained in circulation or had been delivered to other businesses.
Federal and state investigators were also collecting samples for laboratory testing, while border screening was increased for products connected to the inquiry.
Taylor Fresh Foods said no other company products were affected and that none of its Taylor Farms-branded salad kits contained iceberg lettuce.
The company said it had removed lettuce from the region indefinitely as a precaution.
Taco Bell Removes Supplier’s Lettuce
Taco Bell said it had voluntarily removed potentially affected lettuce from a supplier in selected states after consulting public health authorities.
The restaurant chain said the ingredient was being removed indefinitely from its nationwide supply chain and would be replaced at affected restaurants.
Federal officials said Taco Bell had committed to stop using all lettuce supplied by the company identified through the traceback investigation.
The CDC’s food safety alert said no formal recall had been issued.
The warning applied specifically to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in the five states, rather than to every Taco Bell location or all lettuce sold nationally.
Customers who ate the lettuce and developed symptoms were advised to contact a health care provider.
The FDA also recommended cleaning and sanitising surfaces or containers that may have touched affected food.
Cases Rise Across the United States
The Taco Bell-linked illnesses form part of a broader rise in cyclosporiasis cases under investigation across the country.
Since May 1, the CDC has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestically acquired infections from 34 states.
The agency was also reviewing more than 5,100 additional cases to determine whether they were acquired within the United States.
Among confirmed patients whose medical information was available, 141 were hospitalised and none had died.
The national figures include illnesses associated with several investigations and should not all be attributed to Taco Bell or the lettuce identified in the five-state outbreak, federal officials said.
Michigan has reported 5,002 cases during its outbreak investigation, including probable and confirmed illnesses, and 102 hospitalisations.
State officials cautioned that they could not yet connect every reported case to one exposure.
Differences between federal and state totals reflect varying methods of counting cases.
The CDC and FDA include laboratory-confirmed infections in their outbreak figures, while states may also report probable cases that remain under review.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis.
It is generally contracted through contaminated food or water and is not usually transmitted directly between people.
Previous outbreaks have been associated with fresh produce.
Symptoms commonly include watery diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue.
They generally begin about a week after exposure and can persist for a month or longer without treatment.
