The produce company revealed the action late Friday evening, explaining in a press release that it is "voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market."
The CDC has linked the cyclosporiasis outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce used at Taco Bell restaurants across five states, such as Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan.
According to Taylor Farms, the potentially affected "shredded iceberg product" was shipped from June 29 through July 16 to states such as Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Texas.
"Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market," the company stated. "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."
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According to the FDA, those infected with Cyclospora may suffer from flu-like symptoms and "watery diarrhea, with frequent bowel movements."
On Saturday, Walmart published a website notice about the FDA's update on the Taylor Farms recall, suggesting that the lettuce may have been sold in its stores in states like Alabama, Indiana, and West Virginia.
In an emailed statement to CNBC, a Walmart spokesperson said: "The health and safety of our customers is a top priority. Although there is no indication that products sold in our stores are affected by the current Cyclospora investigations, we have removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution after receiving notice from our supplier."
The spokesperson added: "There have been no confirmed illnesses associated with these products at this time," and that the company is "working closely with our supplier and took immediate steps to remove the products from sale."
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes intestinal illness when ingested through contaminated food or water. Outbreaks are often linked to fresh produce imported from regions where the parasite is endemic. The current recall underscores the challenges in tracing contamination to a single supplier when products are distributed widely. Taylor Farms' decision to halt all shipments from central Mexico, despite the trace pointing to only one farm, reflects a cautious approach to protect public health and maintain consumer trust.
The recall spans 27 states and involves a product that was widely distributed, highlighting how quickly a localized contamination can affect multiple restaurant chains and retailers. Taylor Farms acted preemptively by removing all central Mexican iceberg lettuce from the market, even though only one farm was implicated. This step underscores the industry's shift toward aggressive safety measures to limit public exposure and rebuild trust after previous produce-related outbreaks.
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