Taylor Farms, Sysco pull iceberg lettuce from central Mexico linked to US parasite outbreak

Taylor Farms, a California-based lettuce supplier, and food distributor Sysco are removing iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico, the companies said on Friday, as they seek to curtail the largest foodborne illness outbreak in the United States in recent years.

Taylor Farms said it was removing the lettuce from central Mexico based on information provided on Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The company added in its statement that no Taylor Farms-branded salads or kits are associated with the cyclosporiasis outbreak, and that no Taylor Farms-branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.

An industry source who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media told Reuters that Taylor Farms called clients on Thursday, including Taco Bell owner Yum Brands and Sysco, to pull their shredded lettuce from distribution. Sysco, the biggest U.S. food distributor, confirmed on Friday it was withdrawing all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from Mexico at the supplier's request. It halted sales and distribution on Thursday, it said.

The lettuce, which the FDA said late on Thursday came from Mexico, was produced as 5-pound (2.3-kg) bags at Taylor Farms' facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, the source said, adding that Sysco widely distributes such bags to hospitals, ballparks and fast-food chains.

The scope of the recall is unclear. The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The parasitic illness can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The CDC has reported around 100 hospitalizations and no deaths.

On Thursday, the FDA said Taco Bell would discontinue using lettuce from a supplier identified by the agency in its investigation.

Taco Bell and the FDA did not name the supplier, but the food safety regulator said its traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by Taco Bell locations where people ate before becoming ill.

Michigan health officials reported 5,002 cases of cyclosporiasis as of Friday, an increase of 690 cases from a day earlier. The outbreak began on May 1 and has been concentrated in Michigan, with Ohio and New York also reporting a large number of infections.