Taylor Farms lettuce supplied to Taco Bell linked to cyclosporia outbreak
The fast-food Mexican chain has removed “potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.”
July 17, 2026
Shredded lettuce sourced by Taylor Farms and supplied to Taco Bell restaurants in four states — Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky — has been identified as the potential source of the week-plus-long cyclosporia outbreak that has sickened thousands and hospitalized at least 100 people across more than 30 states.
“The signal we have gotten is that there is a very high percentage of people who got sick at Taco Bell, and when investigators asked what their menu items were in common, lettuce came up frequently,” an anonymous source told the Washington Post Thursday.
Michigan has been hit the hardest by this intestinal illness, which is caused by a microscopic parasite, Cyclospora, that can be transmitted through contaminated fresh produce or water. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps and bloating, nausea, and fatigue.
In a statement provided Thursday evening, Taco Bell said, “Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.
“While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests. Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.”
Taylor Farms has not yet responded to our request for a comment.
On its website, the California-based company said it is the “leading global producer of salads and healthy fresh foods, with production facilities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe.”
If the company sounds familiar, that’s because it was the supplier of McDonald’s slivered onions that were the source of the company’s E. coli outbreak in late 2024, which impacted 900 restaurants in 12 states.
A food-safety attorney representing several people sickened by another E. coli outbreak last year also cited Taylor Farms as the source, though the company denied any connection with that case.
This latest outbreak has already led to a lawsuit. A complaint has been filed in the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, against Taco Bell franchisee Pacific Bells, as well as unidentified growers, suppliers, and distributors.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
Follow her on TikTok: @aliciakelso
About the Author
Alicia Kelso
Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News
Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com, and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America, and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.
Follow her on TikTok @aliciakelso
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