Taylor Farms recalls iceberg lettuce in 27 states due to cyclosporiasis outbreak

Taylor Farms is voluntarily recalling iceberg lettuce in 27 states because the greens potentially could be contaminated with cyclosporiasis.

The fruit and vegetable producer announced the move late Friday evening, saying in a media statement that it is “voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.” 

The tainted lettuce has been at the center of a cyclosporiasis outbreak that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has traced to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in 5 states, including Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan.

The Food and Drug Administration has said that people who are infected by the cyclospora parasite may experience flu-like symptoms and “watery diarrhea, with frequent bowel movements.”

Taylor Farms said that the potentially tainted “shredded iceberg product” was distributed June 29 through July 16 in states including Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts and Texas.

California and New York were among the states not included in the recall notice.

“Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market,” the company said in a statement. “While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely.”

Before Taylor Farms issued the recall, Yum Brands‘ Taco Bell said it had removed the potentially contaminated lettuce from its restaurants.

Walmart on Saturday posted a message on its website about the FDA’s latest announcement on the Taylor Farms recall, noting that the greens may have been sold at its stores in states including Alabama, Indiana, and West Virginia.

“The health and safety of our customers is a top priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC in an emailed statement. “Although there is no indication that products sold in our stores are affected by the current Cyclospora investigations, we have removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution after receiving notice from our supplier.”

The spokesperson added: “There have been no confirmed illnesses associated with these products at this time,” and that the company is “working closely with our supplier and took immediate steps to remove the products from sale.”