CDC finds shredded lettuce behind Taco Bell-linked cyclospora outbreak
US health officials have linked a multistate cyclospora outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. The contaminated produce was traced back to a farm in central Mexico, leading to a voluntary product recall.
Why it matters
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in the international food supply chain and the importance of rapid traceback investigations for public health.
US health officials have identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states as the source of a multistate outbreak of cyclospora, a parasitic infection that can cause prolonged diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The finding comes after weeks of investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which traced the contaminated lettuce through the supply chain to a farm in central Mexico.The announcement, made on July 17, marks a major breakthrough in an outbreak that has sickened at least 1,644 people and led to 94 hospitalizations.
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