Recalled Lettuce Tied to Cyclospora Outbreak Was Sold in Louisiana
LAFAYETTE, La. — Louisiana was among the states that received iceberg lettuce now recalled over possible cyclospora contamination, according to the company’s recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration.
Taylor Farms de Mexico, based in Guanajuato, Mexico, is voluntarily pulling all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico off the U.S. market. The company shipped the shredded and chopped iceberg products to food service distributors and retailers in 27 states, including Louisiana, between June 29 and July 16.
The recall covers a wide range of chopped, shredded, and blended lettuce products, but Taylor Farms listed them under internal brand codes rather than full retail names. Consumer Reports noted the shorthand makes it harder for shoppers to know whether they have an affected bag at home. Two of the codes have been confirmed so far. MKTSD is Walmart’s Marketside brand, and SY is Sysco, the country’s largest food service distributor. The Marketside lineup includes 12- and 24-ounce iceberg salad bags and 8- and 16-ounce shredded iceberg bags, with best-by dates running from July 18 through Aug. 3.
Jack in the Box told Consumer Reports it received the recalled shredded lettuce at restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and pulled the product on July 17, a day before the FDA’s announcement, after learning of a possible issue. Taco Bell isn’t named directly in the recall notice, but the chain said in a July 17 statement that it had completed removing the affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants.
What Made This Lettuce Different From the Taco Bell Cluster
The recall grew out of a federal investigation into a separate cyclosporiasis cluster tied to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The CDC has linked that cluster to at least 1,644 illnesses and 94 hospitalizations, but the five-state advisory behind it doesn’t extend to Louisiana.
Taylor Farms’ own recall notice tells a broader story. It lists a distribution footprint covering 22 additional states that received the same lettuce with no separate government warning attached, and Louisiana is one of them. The company says it has stopped taking product from the implicated lot, suspended lettuce shipments from central Mexico, and is working with the FDA, CDC, and state health authorities.
Symptoms and What Louisiana Health Officials Are Watching
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness known for watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea. It can also bring on loss of appetite, bloating, cramping, fatigue, and nausea, and some infected people never show symptoms at all. Left untreated, the illness can drag on for a month or longer and can come back even after symptoms seem to clear up.
Louisiana’s health department reported 55 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases statewide as of July 16, with five hospitalizations and no deaths. State epidemiologist Theresa Sokol has said this year’s outbreak points to a domestic source rather than the travel-related exposure that typically drives Louisiana’s case counts. Nationally, the CDC has confirmed more than 1,645 domestically acquired cases since May 1 and is still reviewing more than 5,100 additional reports.
LDH hasn’t linked its in-state case count directly to the Taylor Farms recall, and the lettuce reaching Louisiana doesn’t by itself confirm that any illnesses here came from it. Investigators are still tracing the outbreak’s source through interviews and food records.
What to Do With Recalled Lettuce
If you bought the affected iceberg lettuce, including the Marketside bags sold at Walmart, throw it out rather than eat it. Walmart says customers can return the product to any store for a full refund. Taylor Farms customers with questions can reach the company’s consumer line at 855-455-0098, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.
Anyone with diarrhea that hasn’t cleared up after a few days should contact a health care provider and ask about testing for cyclospora, LDH says.
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