The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Sunday that a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms, which had initially tested positive for cyclospora, has been determined to be a false positive.
The FDA explained that due to the challenges associated with detecting Cyclospora, their laboratory specialists re-evaluated the sample results and concluded that the positive finding was not genuine and should be classified as a false positive.
In their statement regarding the false positive, the FDA confirmed that, as of Sunday, there were no verified positive test results for Cyclospora in any products.
On Friday, Taylor Farms disclosed that it was “voluntarily removing” iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, as this lettuce had been associated with one of the most significant cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the United States in recent memory.
The company stated, “Although the FDA traceback investigation points to a specific independent farm, which accounts for less than 1% of the nation’s iceberg lettuce supply, we have decided to indefinitely withdraw all iceberg lettuce from that region.”
Following the announcement of the false positive, Taylor Farms expressed their concern, stating, “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this outbreak. We are dedicated to collaborating with public health officials as the investigation into the ongoing outbreak progresses.”
On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the lettuce supplied to certain Taco Bell locations as a contributor to the multistate outbreak, occurring more than a month after the first cases were reported.
According to the CDC, the iceberg lettuce was distributed to Taco Bell restaurants across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Taco Bell confirmed on Friday that it had “finished removing the affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our establishments.”
Walmart also announced over the weekend that it had pulled four Marketside bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from its shelves in over two dozen states. However, the retailer stated that there was “no indication that products available in our stores are connected to the current Cyclospora investigations.”
The outbreak, which was first reported in May, has affected 34 states and has resulted in over 1,600 illnesses, according to the CDC. However, the CDC’s reported figures are lower than those from state health departments, which have indicated significantly higher case numbers. For example, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported over 5,000 confirmed cases as of Friday.
No fatalities have been recorded in connection with this outbreak.
Cyclosporiasis is an illness transmitted through food and water, caused by the cyclospora parasite, leading to prolonged, watery, and often severe diarrhea, according to health professionals.
Outbreaks of this illness typically arise in late spring and summer, and have historically been associated with bagged salads, cilantro, basil, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions.
Megan Cerullo contributed to this article.
