Recent cases of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis have been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, according to a source familiar with an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.
The source noted that the FDA’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico that supplied the Taco Bell locations where people who became sick reported eating. The supplier has not been publicly identified.
In a statement, Taco Bell said it has taken “immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states” following “ongoing conversations with public health officials.”
The statement went on to say: “While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests. Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.”
Michigan health officials had previously said preliminary findings suggested lettuce or salad greens as a possible source of the outbreak but had not identified a specific ingredient, grower, supplier or retailer.
The new information comes as health officials continue investigating a multistate outbreak of the illness that has sickened an estimated nearly 7,000 people, according to CDC estimates.
Cases have been reported in 34 states, with the bulk of illnesses reported in Michigan. State health officials there have reported 4,312 cases and 102 hospitalizations.
In Ohio, state health officials reported 1,244 cases — up from just under 200 cases at the beginning of July.
Earlier this week, Taco Bell said it was voluntarily and temporarily removing some limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.
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