There is a new update regarding the Cyclospora outbreak that has affected multiple states across the nation, causing explosive diarrhea in hundreds of individuals.
The update includes a recall of select lettuce products made by a major food manufacturer, but additional comments from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are likely to cause confusion. Here’s the latest and what you need to know.
What’s happened?
On Friday, July 17, Taylor Fresh Foods, which sells pre-made salad products under the Taylor Farms brand, announced a voluntary recall of numerous lettuce products sold to food companies and at retailers.
Lettuce within the products was feared to have been sourced from a lot in central Mexico that could be contaminated with Cyclospora. The FDA published this recall notice a day later, on Saturday, July 18.
However, on Sunday, July 19, the FDA published a Cyclospora Investigation update that said the agency erred in its testing of lettuce under investigation, and that the product tested was actually a false positive.
“Due to the complexity in detection of Cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and have concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive,” the agency clarified.
On July 19, Taylor Farms also posted a statement on its website saying that the FDA had apologized to the company.
“Yesterday, FDA informed Taylor Fresh Foods that one of its iceberg lettuce products from central Mexico tested positive for cyclospora,” the company said. “Today, we were informed that FDA made a mistake, and this was a false positive.”
“To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora,” the company added.
Fast Company has reached out to Taylor Farms and the FDA for comment.
The incident has been a major public relations mess for Taylor Farms. According to reporting from the New York Times, executives from the company met last week with the White House and the FDA, in part to “air concerns about the official investigations into the outbreak.”
So are Taylor Farms products still being recalled?
Despite the FDA’s update, Taylor Farms products are still being recalled.
“Based on initial information provided by health officials, in an abundance of caution, we completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico,” Taylor Farms said in its July 19 update.
The company noted that the “Recalled product was limited to iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico.”
It also noted that “All other Taylor Farms products, including all Taylor Farms brand products available for purchase, are not involved in the recall.”
What products were recalled?
Most of the items in the long list of recalled lettuce products were distributed to food service customers and not retail stores. However, two of the products in the list were distributed to and sold at Walmart stores in select states.
According to the FDA, those products include the following Taylor Fresh Foods’ Marketside brand items:
- 12-oz and 24-oz Iceberg Salad with Best if Used By dates 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026
- 8-oz and 16-oz Shredded Lettuce with Best if Used By dates July 18th to Aug 3rd 2026
The above products were sold at select Walmart stores in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Walmart has acknowledged the recall on its website. According to a statement to USA Today, it has removed the affected products.
Is the Cyclospora outbreak ongoing?
Yes. U.S. health and food agencies are still actively investigating the Cyclospora outbreak, including tracking down its source and any products that may be contaminated with Cyclospora.
As of the most recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Cyclospora outbreak has led to more than 1,644 cases across 5 states. 94 individuals have required hospitalization.
The outbreak is believed to have hit Michigan the hardest so far, with 1,141 cases. Ohio comes next with 420 cases, followed by Indiana with 47, Kentucky with 25, and West Virginia with 11.
However, the CDC cautions that the actual number of individuals who have become ill from the outbreak is likely much higher than the reported figures. The agency also warns that the outbreak may not be confined to the five states it has been confirmed in so far.
