Taylor Farms has indefinitely suspended sourcing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico during certain months of the year following a summer cyclosporiasis outbreak that sickened thousands across multiple states.
In an Oct. 8 letter to consumers, Founder and CEO Bruce Taylor said the company will stop harvesting and processing lettuce for sale in the U.S. or Canada during the Cyclospora season defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC designates the period as May 1 through Aug. 31, which Taylor said mirrors central Mexico's rainy season.
The number of cyclosporiasis cases linked to Taco Bell or recalled lettuce from its supplier, Taylor Farms, reached nearly 13,000 this summer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initially identified contamination in a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms de Mexico but later said the finding was inaccurate after retesting for the parasite that causes diarrheal illness.
Nevertheless, the fresh-food processor remained at the center of the FDA's outbreak probe. On Oct. 2, the agency said it had concluded the investigation without enough evidence to determine how contamination occurred. However, the Cyclospora parasite was present in the environment where lettuce was grown and processed, adding to "the strong epidemiological data and traceback convergence supporting the link between this outbreak and recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico."
Besides suspending harvesting in central Mexico for four months each year, Taylor Farms plans to expand year-round health monitoring and increase irrigation water and crop testing in the region, Taylor said. The company also plans to lead and invest in research and technology to improve tools for detecting and preventing Cyclospora.
The company will also participate in a public-private task force that includes the FDA, scientists, industry leaders and public health officials, Taylor said. The group's mandate includes identifying prevention measures for fresh produce growers.
"This is personal to me and my family," Taylor said. "Helping families put fresh food on their tables was at the heart of why we started Taylor Farms years ago, and it will continue to guide everything we do every day."
