CHICAGO, July 20, 2026 — After a rare miscall on the cause of the cyclospora contamination, health officials are back on the hunt for whatever caused an outbreak that has now sickened nearly 8,000 consumers in 34 states, raising pointed questions about the process.
Has the effort by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) been impaired by the sweeping layoffs undertaken by the Trump Administration early in its tenure? Together, the two agencies have lost 6,500 employees—20% of the former’s workforce, and at least 25% of the latter’s total staff. Among the personnel let go were epidemic investigators and food safety specialists.
A method for pinpointing exactly where a suspect food item can be found in the supply chain was set to take effect on Jan. 20, but the start date was pushed back by the Administration to July 20, 2028, amid widespread agreement the food industry was unprepared. Could the rigorous tracking required by Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act have identified the source of the cyclospora contamination by now?
Is the FDA being unduly heavy-handed in advising the public not to eat shredded lettuce from the Mexican division of supplier Taylor Farms when cyclospora has yet to be found in any of the company’s produce?
The FDA apologized to Taylor on Monday after announcing on Sunday that it had found cyclospora in shredded lettuce from the concern, one of the nation’s largest suppliers of fresh produce. Follow-up testing by the FDA found no contamination, prompting the agency to label the initial finding a “false positive.”
The FDA and other parties say the miscall was likely a reflection of how difficult the detection of cyclospora can be. The pathogen is a microscopic protozoan parasite that can trigger severe diarrhea and other digestive ailments in humans. The symptoms of the resulting disease, cyclosporiasis, may not appear until weeks after the contamination.
The condition is seldom fatal, but it can pose a severe risk to children and the elderly because of the dehydration it can bring.
The FDA indicated that it still suspects shredded iceberg lettuce to be the cause of the contamination. Through incidence tracking and interviews with victims, and federal and state officials found a high percentage of the stricken had eaten in Taco Bell restaurants within five Midwestern states. The quick-service chain quickly announced that it was pulling the lettuce and other ingredients from some stores until an alternative supplier could be lined up.
Despite the FDA’s about-face on a lettuce sample, Taylor Farms has maintained its voluntary recall of all the shredded iceberg lettuce it ships into the U.S. from Mexico. The produce had been distributed to foodservice and grocery operations in 27 states.
Reports of cyclosporiasis have been reported to health authorities elsewhere as well. The CDC said it is continuing to investigate all instances, saying the outbreaks could be unrelated to the contaminations traced to Taco Bell and Taylor.
Other food sellers are taking action to ensure their products don’t pose a risk. The fast-casual chain Just Salad reminded customers Monday via email that its restaurants do not serve iceberg lettuce, and that other greens are washed twice in sinks reserved for that purpose.
Jack in the Box said it was removing any iceberg lettuce that reached its stores through supply channels similar to the ones used by Taco Bell.
Walmart said it was selectively removing bagged lettuce from its store shelves, and foodservice distribution giant Sysco has stopped distributing shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico.
False positive findings in the tests of products suspected of carrying a pathogen are rare but not unprecedented for the FDA. In 2008, the agency cited imported tomatoes as the most likely source of a salmonella outbreak. Further testing and research revealed that the real culprit was green onions.
This is a developing story. Check back for regular updates.