SALAD POPPERS

Poisoned Lettuce Taken Off Shelves Over ‘Explosive Diarrhea’ Outbreak

Taylor Farms says it’s removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.

Taylor Farms is pulling all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market after federal investigators linked the produce to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak.

The company announced on Friday that it had voluntarily removed the lettuce after the Food and Drug Administration’s traceback investigation identified a single independent farm in central Mexico as the likely source of contamination.

Taylor Farms said the supplier represents less than 1 percent of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply but that it had decided to remove all lettuce from the region indefinitely.

The announcement follows an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA into an outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Health officials traced the contaminated lettuce back through the supply chain before identifying a farm in central Mexico.

Taylor Farms emphasized that none of its branded salad kits are involved because they do not contain iceberg lettuce.

The company also said no other Taylor Fresh Foods products sold nationwide have been implicated.

Play Video

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis. Symptoms can include persistent watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, bloating, fatigue, and low-grade fever. Illness can last for weeks without treatment.

Federal investigators continue to examine the outbreak, which has been linked to illnesses in at least 34 U.S. states. Almost 7,000 people are believed to have contracted Cyclospora so far.

Taylor Farms said it removed the lettuce out of an abundance of caution while the investigation continues.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Charlie SherwoodNewsdesk Assistant

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.