Major U.S. Outbreak Traced to Taco Bell Lettuce

A major federal food safety investigation is underway after health officials linked shredded iceberg lettuce served at select Taco Bell restaurants to a growing multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis. The CDC and FDA say the contaminated produce was imported from Mexico and distributed through a common supply chain before reaching affected restaurants.

The outbreak has expanded into one of the largest Cyclospora incidents in recent years. As of July 2026, more than 1,644 laboratory-confirmed illnesses and at least 94 hospitalizations have been reported across five primary states. No deaths have been linked to the outbreak.

After weeks of traceback investigations, federal officials isolated a single supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico. Sources familiar with the investigation identified California-based Taylor Farms as the processor responsible for distributing the implicated lettuce to the affected Taco Bell locations.

The overwhelming majority of illnesses have been reported in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. While the Taco Bell-related cluster remains concentrated in those states, health officials are also monitoring a broader increase in Cyclospora infections reported across more than 30 states.

Taco Bell says it is cooperating with federal investigators and has removed the implicated lettuce supplier from its nationwide supply chain. In some of the hardest-hit regions, restaurants have also temporarily stopped serving fresh ingredients such as cilantro, onions, pico de gallo and guacamole while replacement supplies are secured.

The FDA has expanded inspections and import controls targeting Mexican produce facilities connected to the contaminated shipments. Officials hope the enhanced screening will prevent additional contaminated lettuce from entering the United States while investigators continue tracing every step of the supply chain.

Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis and typically develops one to two weeks after contaminated food is consumed. Symptoms often include severe watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue and weight loss, with untreated infections capable of lasting for weeks or even months.

The CDC advises anyone who recently ate shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in the affected Midwest states and later developed severe diarrhea to seek medical care immediately. Because symptoms resemble other gastrointestinal illnesses, laboratory stool testing is generally required to confirm a Cyclospora infection before treatment begins.

The outbreak has also become a political issue, with critics arguing the Trump administration weakened the nation’s foodborne disease surveillance system. Much of the criticism has focused on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and recent reductions to routine Cyclospora monitoring through the CDC’s FoodNet surveillance program.

Epidemiologists stress that the surveillance cuts did not contaminate the lettuce itself. However, many public health experts believe reduced staffing and fewer monitoring resources likely slowed the government’s ability to detect the outbreak, allowing it to spread across multiple states before investigators identified the contaminated supply chain.

Federal officials continue working with state health departments, import inspectors and industry partners to determine whether additional products or distributors were involved. As investigators gather new evidence, the CDC and FDA say they will continue updating the public while Taco Bell maintains the removal of the implicated lettuce supplier from restaurants nationwide.