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The Taylor Farms lettuce sample for the parasite cyclospora was a false positive, the Food and Drug Administration said Sunday.
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Last week, the FDA said rising cases in the U.S. of cyclosporiasis — a stomach bug caused by the parasite that leads to severe diarrhea — were linked to shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. Monterey-County-based Taylor Fresh Foods, the full name of Taylor Farms, pulled iceberg lettuce from distributors and shelves in the U.S. market. No other Taylor Fresh Foods products in the country were affected by the FDA’s initial findings.
The FDA has not identified a “confirmed positive sample” from its product testing for cyclospora, the agency said.
Taylor Farms confirmed the FDA’s updated findings in a written statement but said it had completed the voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico. The company is the leading global producer of salads, according to its website.
More than 1,600 confirmed cases caused by the foodborne parasite have been reported in the country, with multiple states reporting elevated levels compared to the same time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC had said the primary outbreak stemmed from shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations located in Ohio and four other states. .
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The California Department of Public Health has said cyclosporiasis cases in California remain within normal limits. The department is still urging Californians to thoroughly wash produce.
Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis occur when a person with the cyclospora parasite and poor hand hygiene handles food. Once the food is contaminated, it can spread to consumers.
Taco Bell said in a statement last week that it has “taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.” It did not respond to requests for comments about which states are involved.
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