Cyclospora-Linked Lettuce Reached 27 States, Including Walmart and Jack in the Box Locations
Given the lack of details provided by Taylor Farms, Consumer Reports' experts advise consumers in those states to discard all iceberg lettuce out of an abundance of caution
Taylor Farms, one of the country’s largest producers of salad greens, said Friday it was recalling from the U.S. market all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. The company took that step after federal health officials identified a farm in the region as a potential source of at least some of the thousands of illnesses caused by the parasite cyclospora that have occurred across the U.S. this summer.
But a series of updates by the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend led to widespread confusion about the source of the outbreak.
Given the lack of details, Consumer Reports’ food safety experts advise consumers in the 27 states where Taylor Farms’ products were distributed to discard all iceberg lettuce out of an abundance of caution.
What We Know About the Recall
On July 16, the FDA said epidemiological evidence connected shredded iceberg lettuce used at Taco Bell restaurants to at least 1,644 cases of cyclosporiasis and 94 hospitalizations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
On July 17, the FDA announced that Taylor Farms de Mexico was the supplier of that lettuce, and Taylor Farms initiated its recall of all iceberg lettuce shipped to the U.S. market. In addition to Taco Bell restaurants, the recalled iceberg lettuce products were sent to Walmart stores, Jack in the Box restaurants, and major food service distributors, including Sysco, between June 29 and July 16.
Taylor Farms said the lettuce was shipped to 27 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
But it may have been sent to additional states after being distributed by Taylor Farms. For instance, the FDA said that Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia received the recalled lettuce, but neither Taco Bell nor outlets in West Virginia were described as recipients in the recall notice posted by Taylor Farms. On July 17, Taco Bell said it had removed Taylor Farms’ iceberg lettuce from its restaurants nationwide.
Recall: 27 States
The investigation is part of a broader effort to identify the source of a sprawling outbreak of intestinal illnesses that has affected people in at least 41 states in recent months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 4,173 cases in the U.S. since May 1 and is working to confirm an additional 7,400 cases. On July 22, Michigan alone reported 7,171 cases of cyclosporiasis.
The list of implicated products includes Walmart’s house brand Marketside, a Walmart spokesperson confirmed. The company has removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select Walmart stores in the 27 states linked to the recall, Rachael Simmons, a spokesperson, told Consumer Reports. The removed products are 12- and 24-ounce bags of Marketside Bagged Iceberg Salad (UPCs: 681131328944 and 681131328951, respectively) and 8- and 16-ounce bags of Marketside Bagged Shredded Iceberg Salad (UPCs: 681131328968 and 681131532099). The products have “best by” dates from July 18 to Aug. 3, 2026.
Simmons said that “there have been no confirmed illnesses associated with these products at this time,” and that Walmart removed the products from its stores in the states listed “out of an abundance of caution” after receiving notice from its supplier. “Customers who purchased these products should not consume them and should discard them or return them to their local Walmart store for a full refund.”
Fast-food restaurant chain Jack in the Box also received the shredded lettuce, which was used at its locations in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, a spokesperson told Consumer Reports. “We learned of the potential issue on Thursday, prior to the FDA’s announcement, and immediately notified restaurants that received shredded iceberg lettuce through our Texas distribution center to remove the product,” said Casey Middleton, a Jack in the Box spokesperson. “At this time, there have been no known illnesses associated with food served at Jack in the Box from these locations in connection with the FDA’s ongoing investigation.”
What We Don't Know About the Recall
The recall notices posted by Taylor Farms and the FDA are notably sparse on the essential details consumers need to easily identify the products involved. The recall notice doesn’t list the full brand names of the products, and instead lists only what appear to be the abbreviations used internally by Taylor Farms to identify brands.
Walmart’s Marketside house brand, for instance, was listed as “MKTSD,” and Sysco, the largest food distributor in the U.S., was listed as “SY.” Jack in the Box was listed as “JB.” All three companies confirmed that their products were part of the recall after being contacted by Consumer Reports. CR is working to confirm the identities of the five additional brands whose names are abbreviated in the recall notice. Taylor Farms didn’t respond to CR’s questions about the identity of these brands.
Given the lack of details, CR’s food safety experts advise consumers in the 27 states where Taylor Farms’ products were distributed to discard all iceberg lettuce.
“The information released by Taylor Farms is vague and inadequate, especially given the gravity of this outbreak,” says Brian Ronholm, CR’s director of food policy. “Consumers need clarity about the products that were affected by this and where they were sold, and CR is urging the company to be more transparent and responsive for consumer safety.”
Most of the lettuce appears to have been sent to food service distributors, according to additional details included only in the FDA’s version of the recall notice. A spokesperson for Sysco said that the distributor had “removed all Taylor Farms processed iceberg lettuce products from Mexico from distribution and instructed customers to destroy them.” The Sysco spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about where the lettuce was served or sold before the recall, or whether Sysco distributed the lettuce to additional states after receiving the product from Taylor Farms.
“What Taylor Farms released and the FDA simply reposted gives very little information to consumers except the state where the lettuce went,” says Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer in Seattle. “No lot codes and no names of Taylor Farms customers, only letters—not very helpful to the average consumer.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on July 22 to include newly released details about the recall and outbreak. This is a developing story, and Consumer Reports will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
