Which Restaurants Use Taylor Farms Lettuce? What We Know Amid the Cyclospora Investigation

Federal investigators have identified Taylor Farms as the supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce tied to a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak, according to two people familiar with the investigation cited by The Washington Post on July 16. The lettuce was traced to Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, the newspaper reported.

Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite spread through food or water contaminated with human feces. Symptoms include prolonged watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue, according to health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded nearly 7,000 confirmed or suspected cases since May 1, more than six times the total reported at the same point last year, and at least 141 hospitalizations, CNN reported, citing CDC data published July 14. Michigan’s health department has reported more than 4,300 cases tied to the investigation, and the CDC has linked at least 400 cases across Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky specifically to the Taco Bell-related cluster, CNN reported.

Taco Bell is the only restaurant named so far

Taco Bell is the only chain publicly identified in connection with the current outbreak. The company said it voluntarily pulled the potentially affected lettuce from menus in the affected states “out of an abundance of caution” and is removing the ingredient from its supply chain nationwide, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. Neither Taylor Farms nor Yum Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, had publicly commented on the investigation as of Thursday, ClickOnDetroit reported.

The FDA and CDC have not confirmed Taylor Farms as the source on the record officials still describe the supplier as “potential,” according to the Marler Blog, which tracks foodborne illness litigation. Officials have cautioned that additional restaurants or distribution channels could still be identified as the trace-back continues, ClickOnDetroit reported.

This is not the first time Taylor Farms products have been linked to an outbreak. In 2013, the FDA traced a cyclosporiasis outbreak in Iowa and Nebraska to salad mix from Taylor Farms de Mexico served at Olive Garden and Red Lobster, both owned by Darden Restaurants, according to CIDRAP. In 2015, the company recalled a celery-and-onion mix tied to an E. coli outbreak linked to Costco chicken salads. In 2024, Taylor Farms sliced onions were identified as the likely source of an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, sickening more than 100 people across 14 states, according to the Marler Blog.

Food safety attorney Bill Marler, who has previously sued Taylor Farms and represents people sickened in the current outbreak, said reduced federal surveillance has made outbreaks harder to catch quickly. He noted the CDC made cyclospora reporting optional under its Food Net program in July 2025, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.

Taylor Farms supplies lettuce and other produce to restaurants and grocery stores nationwide, meaning any confirmed contamination could extend well beyond the four states currently under scrutiny. The outbreak’s scale, combined with reduced federal disease surveillance, has renewed scrutiny of how quickly regulators can identify and contain foodborne illness sources.

The FDA said its investigation remains ongoing and has not ruled out additional suppliers or restaurant chains. Health officials have not said when a final determination on the outbreak’s source will be announced. Consumers in the affected states have been advised to avoid shredded lettuce at Taco Bell locations pending further findings.