The Food and Drug Administration is inspecting farms and a lettuce shredding facility. They aim to determine how lettuce from Taylor Farms, supplied to Taco Bell, became contaminated. They also want to know where it was shipped.
Investigation Details
The investigation focuses on cyclospora contamination sources. Cyclospora is a parasite causing severe gastrointestinal symptoms. The F.D.A. plans to visit farms in Mexico where the lettuce was grown and inspect the shredding facility’s records.
Officials are concerned if other U.S. food retailers received contaminated lettuce. The lettuce caused illnesses linked to Taco Bell, but others who didn’t eat there also became sick.
Impact and Response
Taylor Farms is one of the largest salad greens and vegetable producers in the nation. With 1,644 reported cases linked to Taco Bell, 94 have resulted in hospitalizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared these numbers.
Some Taylor Farms executives sought to prevent their company from being identified as the contamination source. This prompted hiring a former Trump administration official to help manage the crisis.
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