Taylor Farms, whose iceberg lettuce from Mexico has been identified as the source of a cyclospora outbreak, says it's "voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market."
On Thursday, federal health officials identified iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants as the source of the outbreak that landed nearly 100 people in the hospital in five states. They did not identify the supplier, but multiple news outlets named Taylor Farms, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.
Taco Bell said it was removing lettuce “voluntarily” in “select states.” More than 1,644 people in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia have been infected, a CDC statement says. Ninety-four people have been hospitalized, but there have been no deaths.
Taco Bell said Thursday “the affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours.”
In its own statement, Taylor Farms said, "As a family-owned company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the Americans whose trust in the safety of fresh produce has been shaken.
"While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely," the company's statement said.
"No Taylor Farms-branded salads or kits are associated with this outbreak," the statement added. "No Taylor Farms-branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce."
Taylor Farms products are sold at many large retailers, including Walmart, Safeway, Target and Whole Foods.
The Food and Drug Administration’s “traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell locations where sick people ate,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A lawsuit has already been filed against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms. Ron Simon & Associates filed a complaint in Mahoning County, Ohio, on behalf of David Ott, a 27-year Army veteran who bought “several Taco Supremes” from a Taco Bell in Youngstown.
He bought the tacos June 18 and 20, and “by the morning of June 22, [he] was suffering from excruciating abdominal pain, severe gas and bloating, diarrhea, a constant urge to vomit, low-grade fever, dizziness, nausea, and headaches,” according to a release issued by the law firm.
Ott’s symptoms worsened, and he was admitted to the hospital, where he “underwent a colonoscopy, a CT scan, and extensive blood and stool studies. Laboratory results confirmed that he had contracted cyclospora poisoning.”
After two days, he was “discharged to home care with a prescription for Bactrim, a sulfa antibiotic. He continues to recover at home,” the firm said.
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