FDA apologizes after false positive rocks Taylor Farms lettuce investigation

⚠️ FDA reverses course: A Taylor Farms lettuce sample that tested positive for Cyclospora was actually a false positive, prompting an FDA apology.

⚠️ Recall remains: Taylor Farms is still voluntarily recalling iceberg lettuce from central Mexico as investigators continue probing a multistate illness outbreak.

⚠️ Outbreak investigation continues: More than 1,600 people have been sickened nationwide as officials work to identify the true source of the Cyclospora outbreak.

A lettuce sample from Taylor Farms that tested positive for Cyclospora turned out to be a false positive, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which made the announcement Sunday night.

However, just to be safe the company said it was voluntarily recalling iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico after it was originally linked to the current outbreak of gastrointestinal issues.

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Cyclospora Outbreak

FDA says Taylor Farms lettuce Cyclospora test was a false positive

On July 16, the FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners began investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora illnesses reportedly linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in states like Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The next day, the FDA identified that Taylor Farms de Mexico provided the iceberg lettuce used by Taco Bell locations where people ate before becoming ill. Upon hearing the news, Taylor Farms informed the FDA it would initiate a recall, voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.

Taylor Farms recall includes Walmart Marketside lettuce

Taylor Fresh Foods’ recall notice included Marketside-brand products available at Walmart:

⚫ 12-oz and 24-oz Iceberg Salad with Best if Used by Dates 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026

⚫ 8-oz and 16-oz Shredded Lettuce with Best if Used by Dates 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026

The FDA issued an apology to Taylor Farms over the weekend that while a sample of lettuce supplied by the farm tested positive for the parasitic infection, “due to the complexity in detection of cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and have concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive.”

Walmart in Brick (Google Street View)

Taylor Farms receives FDA apology

According to a statement from Taylor Farms, “Today, FDA apologized to us. Yesterday, FDA informed Taylor Fresh Foods that one of its iceberg lettuce products from central Mexico tested positive for cyclospora. Today we were informed that FDA made a mistake, and this was a false positive.”

The recalled product was limited to iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico. All other Taylor Farms products are not involved in the recall. To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora.

As of July 19, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing, the FDA reported.

Cyclospora outbreak investigation continues across the U.S.

“Our thoughts remain with everyone who has fallen ill in this outbreak. We are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues,” according to the Taylor Farms statement.

More than 16-hundred people have fallen ill across the U.S. from tainted lettuce with symptoms such as explosive diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.
The investigation continues.

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