Taylor Farms tied to multiple outbreaks

The FDA and CDC are still investigating a multistate Cyclospora outbreak tied to recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, and the case count expanded again on August 5. CDC said 6,358 illnesses across 15 states, at least 278 hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan were linked to the outbreak. FDA says consumers should not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, and the agency’s outbreak page says the investigation remains open. ### How large is the current outbreak? CDC said on August 5 that the outbreak now includes 6,358 reported illnesses from 15 states. The agency said illnesses began on June 22 and continued through July 31, and that six states — Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina — were added in the latest update. The CDC also said the reported total is likely an undercount because some people recover without medical care and never get tested. (cdc.gov) The agency said Cyclospora cases can also take as long as six weeks to be confirmed as part of an outbreak, which means recent illnesses may not yet appear in the official count. ### What product did regulators identify? FDA said the investigation is focused on iceberg lettuce and warned consumers not to eat recalled product from Taylor Farms de Mexico. (cdc.gov) The agency said Taylor Farms initiated a recall on July 17 that covered all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, including some Marketside-branded products sold at Walmart with best-by dates from July 18 through August 3. FDA said the recalled product also went to foodservice customers, including Taco Bell locations that received the implicated lettuce. The agency’s August 5 update listed exposure reports in 15 states and said foodservice distribution reached 28 states, while recalled retail products were sold at select Walmart stores in 15 states. (fda.gov) ### Why is Taylor Farms drawing broader scrutiny? CNN reported on August 6 that Taylor Farms had been linked to five other Cyclospora or E. coli outbreaks over the past decade-plus and had downplayed earlier problems, according to the user-provided source briefing. Taylor Farms has said on its information page that it maintains “best-in-class” Cyclospora prevention protocols and invests more than $200 million annually in food-safety systems. (fda.gov) Taylor Farms also said it removed potentially implicated product immediately and broadened the recall to all iceberg lettuce sourced from the region. On a separate company foodservice statement, Taylor Farms said FDA traceback pointed to a specific independent farm in central Mexico and that it removed all iceberg lettuce from that region indefinitely. ### How does this fit into the FDA’s wider outbreak picture? (taylorfarms.com) FDA said on its foodborne-illness investigations page that active investigations are handled by the agency’s CORE Response Teams and can be at different stages. The page says FDA issues a separate public health advisory when investigators have specific, actionable steps for consumers. FDA’s outbreak table showed active investigations involving multiple pathogens, including Cyclospora, Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, as of August 5. (taylorfarms.com) The same page said a new Cyclospora outbreak had been added and that several existing case counts had increased, including a Salmonella Javiana investigation and another Cyclospora investigation tied to an unidentified product. (fda.gov) ### What should readers watch next? The CDC’s August 5 outbreak page said the investigation remains open and that epidemiologic and traceback data continue to show contaminated Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce made people sick. FDA’s outbreak-specific page and the agency’s broader active-investigations table are the two public records most likely to show the next case-count changes, recall details or traceback findings. (cdc.gov) (fda.gov)