Officials: Taco Bell Lettuce Identified as One Source of Diarrhea Outbreak

Lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states has been identified as a source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak hitting thousands of people with “explosive” diarrhea and other symptoms.

The lettuce initially came from Mexico and was served at the restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, the Associated Press (AP) reported Friday.

“A record number of cyclospora [sic] cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts have said not every recent U.S. illness might be caused by a single source. A Food and Drug Administration investigation identified a single supplier of the lettuce,” the article stated. “The federal warnings to consumers did not identify the company, but a federal official who was briefed on the investigation and not authorized to discuss it told The Associated Press it was Taylor Farms of Salinas, California.”

In an update Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told people to avoid eating lettuce from the restaurant locations in the five named states:

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora illnesses linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The illnesses included in this outbreak are a subset of the Cyclospora illnesses identified nationwide. Based on epidemiological information collected by CDC, a total of 1,644 people infected with Cyclospora and reporting exposure to Taco Bell have been reported by five states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 13, 2026, to July 13, 2026. There have been 94 hospitalizations, and no deaths have been reported. MI analyzed food exposure details from 190 of the cases who reported eating at Taco Bell and shared these findings with CDC. Ingredient level analyses on meals eaten by these cases indicate that 90% of those interviewed reported eating iceberg lettuce.

Breitbart News reported Tuesday that health officials in Michigan said lettuce might be the source of the illnesses in the state.

Health authorities said Taco Bell will stop using lettuce from a supplier linked to the illnesses, Fox Business reported on Friday.

In a statement, Taco Bell said Thursday it had “taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.” The company said, “The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.”

Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms of the sickness include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.