FDA Found Cyclospora At Taylor Farms Lettuce Operation

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The FDA found Cyclospora in a wastewater tank at Taylor Farms de Mexico’s processing facility and in a drainage ditch at a contract grower’s farm in Mexico. The findings support the connection between the operation and a summer outbreak linked to recalled shredded iceberg lettuce, but the agency says it cannot yet determine how contamination occurred or how the positive samples relate to patient infections.

The Food and Drug Administration found Cyclospora in a wastewater tank at Taylor Farms de Mexico’s lettuce processing facility and in a drainage ditch at a contract grower’s farm in Mexico, adding environmental evidence to an investigation of a summer outbreak linked to the company’s shredded iceberg lettuce. The FDA said it has not determined how contamination occurred or whether the positive samples match the parasite found in patients, as reported in its Cyclospora recall investigation.

The FDA said two samples collected during inspections in Mexico tested positive for Cyclospora. One came from a tank holding outgoing wastewater at the Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility. The other was collected from a drainage ditch at an iceberg lettuce grower identified through the agency’s traceback investigation. FDA sampling included water, soil, sediment and lettuce, and the work was conducted in coordination with Mexican officials.

The outbreak was linked to recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from the Taylor Farms operation. The investigation initially connected patients to the company’s lettuce in July, after people who ate menu items containing the lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants became ill. The restaurant chain sourced the lettuce from Taylor Farms, according to the report. The FDA’s traceback work identified multiple farms and a processing facility in Mexico that supplied recalled lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths in the outbreak. The CDC reported on September 11 that it had ended. The FDA said genotyping of both environmental samples is complete, but analysis is continuing to determine how those results relate to genotyping of specimens from outbreak patients.

Environmental Evidence at Lettuce Sites

The positive samples matter because they place Cyclospora in environments connected to lettuce growing and processing identified in the outbreak investigation. They add to the epidemiological evidence and traceback findings that linked the outbreak to recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from the Taylor Farms operation. The result is stronger environmental support for the investigation’s existing link, but it does not by itself show that either sample contaminated lettuce eaten by patients.

The scale of the outbreak also makes the findings relevant beyond the facilities involved. Thousands of reported illnesses and hundreds of hospitalizations followed exposure to a widely distributed food product used in restaurant meals. Identifying where the parasite was present may help investigators and the company examine possible routes of contamination and review food-safety controls. The FDA has not yet said which route, if any, led to the illnesses.

For consumers, the outbreak’s reported end is distinct from a full explanation of how it happened. The environmental findings concern samples collected during inspections and do not establish that current lettuce supplies are contaminated. The report does not identify a current consumer recall or say that the sampled products remain on sale. The findings instead add information to an investigation of the earlier outbreak and the recalled lettuce linked to it.

How the Lettuce Link Emerged

The first reported connection described in the source emerged in July, when illnesses among Taco Bell patrons were linked to menu items containing iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. Investigators then traced the recalled lettuce through farms and a processing facility in Mexico. The FDA conducted onsite inspections and collected samples at multiple growers and at the processing facility, working with Mexican officials.

The CDC’s September 11 report that the outbreak had ended marked the end of the recognized outbreak, not the end of the FDA’s investigation. The agency’s October 2 findings came from its environmental sampling. The samples tested positive, but the FDA said its ongoing comparison of their genotypes with patient specimens is needed to clarify how closely the environmental findings connect to the outbreak cases.

“There is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred in the outbreak.”

— U.S. Food and Drug Administration

What the Positive Samples Cannot Show

The FDA says it does not yet have enough evidence to determine how the lettuce became contaminated. A positive wastewater sample and a positive drainage-ditch sample show that Cyclospora was present at those locations; the findings do not establish when the parasite arrived, whether it reached harvested lettuce, or how people were exposed.

Genotyping of both environmental samples has been completed, but the FDA is still analyzing how the results compare with samples from outbreak patients. Until that analysis is complete, the relationship between the environmental samples and the infections remains unresolved. The source also does not provide a date for when the processing facility might reopen or details of the company’s enhanced safety protocols.

Genotyping and Facility Status

The next identified investigative step is the FDA’s continued analysis comparing the environmental-sample genotypes with those from outbreak patients. The source does not give a timetable for that work or say when the agency expects to publish additional conclusions. The comparison may help clarify whether the environmental findings are related to the outbreak strain, but the FDA has not yet reported that result.

Taylor Fresh Foods told ABC News that its central Mexico facility remained closed while it worked on enhanced safety protocols, and that the grower associated with the positive ditch sample had left its supplier program. The source gives no reopening date or further details about the company’s measures. The CDC had reported the outbreak ended on September 11; any further public-health update would depend on subsequent findings from regulators or the company.

Key Questions

Where did the FDA find Cyclospora?

One positive sample came from a tank holding outgoing wastewater at Taylor Farms de Mexico’s processing facility. The other came from a drainage ditch at an iceberg lettuce grower identified in the FDA’s traceback investigation.

Did the FDA prove those samples caused the outbreak?

No. The FDA said it does not have enough evidence to determine how contamination occurred. It is still analyzing how the environmental samples’ genotyping compares with genotyping of specimens from outbreak patients.

How large was the outbreak?

The CDC counted 12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths. It reported on September 11 that the outbreak had ended.

What has Taylor Farms said about the sites?

A Taylor Fresh Foods spokesperson told ABC News that the central Mexico facility remained closed while the company worked on enhanced safety protocols. The spokesperson also said the grower where the positive sample was found was no longer part of the supplier program.

Is the outbreak still ongoing?

The CDC reported that the outbreak had ended on September 11, 2026. The FDA’s investigation and analysis of the environmental samples were continuing in the October 2 report.

Source: rss