Taco Bell: Chain Removes Lettuce After Parasite Outbreak Investigation
The fast-food giant pulls shredded lettuce from selected restaurants as US health authorities investigate a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people.
A Taco Bell restaurant removes shredded lettuce as health officials investigate a parasite outbreak.
WASHINGTON: Taco Bell has removed shredded lettuce from restaurants in several US states after health authorities linked the ingredient to a widespread outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that causes severe diarrhoea.
The fast-food chain said it took the step “out of an abundance of caution” after consulting public health officials. The company also confirmed that it has removed lettuce supplied by one of its vendors and will replace it with an alternative source.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 1,645 people in five states who had exposure to Taco Bell have contracted cyclosporiasis, an illness that spreads through contaminated food or water.
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised consumers not to eat food containing shredded iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia while the investigation continues.
Health officials said they first detected the outbreak on May 13. Although no deaths have been reported, authorities have hospitalised 94 people with the infection.
Taco Bell said it acted voluntarily even though regulators had not issued an official advisory requiring the company to remove the lettuce.
“We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, suppliers and health authorities,” the company said.
The restaurant chain did not specify which locations removed the lettuce from their menus. However, Michigan has recorded the highest number of reported infections, with more than 3,300 cases linked to the wider outbreak.
Taco Bell also declined to identify the supplier linked to the investigation. However, several US media outlets reported that Taylor Farms supplied the lettuce under review.
Health experts said cyclosporiasis remains difficult to trace because symptoms often appear up to two weeks after exposure. The illness commonly causes prolonged watery diarrhoea, sudden weight loss, stomach cramps, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Food safety experts also warned that tracing the parasite presents a major challenge because investigators must identify microscopic contamination within a complex food supply chain.
Authorities continue to investigate the source of the outbreak while monitoring additional cases across the affected states.
