Iceberg lettuce contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite was distributed in New Jersey between June 29 and July 16, according to the FDA's published recall notice, after Taylor Farms de Mexico expanded a voluntary recall to 27 states.
The recall covers all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico by Taylor Farms de Mexico, based in Guanajuato. Nationally, at least 1,644 people have been sickened and 94 hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Summit-area residents should know that while recalled lettuce was distributed in New Jersey, the FDA's outbreak investigation has traced illnesses to Taco Bell locations in five other states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. No New Jersey locations have been specifically named. The recalled products distributed in New Jersey went primarily to food-service customers such as restaurants and cafeterias, not retail grocery shelves. The only retail consumer product in the recall is Walmart's Marketside brand, and the FDA's distribution list for those items does not include New Jersey.
Taco Bell confirmed it stopped using Taylor Farms lettuce on July 17. Sysco, the nation's largest food distributor, halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from Mexico and told customers to destroy remaining stock.
What the FDA says happened
The FDA's outbreak investigation traced the contamination to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell locations in the five affected states. On July 19, the agency disclosed that a lab sample initially reported as positive for Cyclospora was actually a false positive.
The FDA said the retracted test "does not change the basis for FDA's ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall."
Donald Schaffner, a food science microbiologist at Rutgers University, told NPR on July 20 that every summer since the 1990s has brought cyclosporiasis outbreaks, though few have been this significant in size. He noted that separate clusters of illness do not necessarily share a common source.
What Taylor Farms says
In a July 17 statement, Taylor Farms said it is "no longer sourcing iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico for the remainder of the growing season." The company emphasized that no Taylor Farms-branded salads or kits are associated with the outbreak and that none of its branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.
Symptoms and what to do
Cyclosporiasis symptoms appear about one week after infection, according to the CDC. They include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, bloating, and fatigue. Without treatment, symptoms can last a month or longer.
Anyone who purchased recalled iceberg lettuce should discard it and not eat it, the FDA said. Full refunds are available at the place of purchase. Residents who develop symptoms should contact a healthcare provider.
Taylor Farms customer care: 855-455-0098, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. The FDA's full recall notice, including all affected lot codes and use-by dates, is posted at the FDA's recall page.
