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The FDA reported Oct. 2 that two samples collected in Mexico tested positive for Cyclospora: one from a wastewater tank at a Taylor Farms processing facility and one from a drainage ditch at a grower identified in the investigation. The findings support the link between the operation’s recalled lettuce and a summer outbreak, but the agency says it cannot yet determine how contamination occurred.
The Food and Drug Administration found Cyclospora in two environmental samples collected at a Taylor Farms lettuce processing facility in Central Mexico and at a grower’s farm, adding evidence to the investigation of a summer outbreak linked to the company’s recalled iceberg lettuce. The agency said the findings confirm the parasite was present in environments where lettuce was processed and grown, but do not establish how contamination occurred.
The FDA said one positive sample came from a tank holding outgoing wastewater at the Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility. The other was collected from a drainage ditch at an iceberg lettuce grower identified in the agency’s traceback investigation. Investigators collected samples of water, soil, sediment and lettuce during onsite work at multiple growers and the processing facility in Mexico, in coordination with Mexican officials.
The investigation followed a summer outbreak associated with recalled shredded iceberg lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods. The CDC counted 12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths. It reported on Sept. 11 that the outbreak had ended. The FDA said its environmental findings add to epidemiological evidence and traceback information linking the outbreak to the recalled lettuce.
The FDA has completed genotyping of the two positive environmental samples, but said it is still analyzing how those results compare with ongoing genotyping of samples from people who became ill. A Taylor Fresh Foods spokesperson told ABC News that the Central Mexico facility remains closed while the company works with its research team on enhanced safety protocols. The spokesperson also said the grower where the positive sample was collected is no longer part of the company’s supplier program.
Evidence From the Lettuce Supply Chain
The findings matter because they place Cyclospora in environmental samples from two locations connected to the lettuce supply chain under investigation. That adds physical evidence to the case linking recalled lettuce from the Taylor Farms operation to the outbreak, alongside patient illness patterns and the FDA’s traceback work.
But a positive environmental sample is not, by itself, proof of the precise route by which food became contaminated or proof that either sample caused the illnesses. The FDA has said it lacks enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred. That distinction is important for consumers, public health investigators and food businesses evaluating what safeguards may be needed before production resumes.
The outbreak has been reported as ended, but its scale—more than 12,000 illnesses and hundreds of hospitalizations—shows the potential public health impact of contamination in a widely distributed ingredient. The company’s statement that the facility remains closed indicates that the findings have operational consequences while its safety work continues.
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How the Outbreak Investigation Developed
Initial links between the outbreak and Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce emerged in July, after people who ate menu items containing the lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants became ill. The restaurant chain sourced the lettuce from Taylor Farms, according to the report. The FDA’s traceback investigation then identified several farms and a processing facility in Mexico that provided lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods.
As part of that investigation, FDA inspectors visited growers and the processing facility and collected samples. The agency’s Oct. 2 announcement reported that two samples tested positive for Cyclospora. The CDC had already reported the outbreak ended on Sept. 11; the later FDA findings added information about the environments connected to the supply chain, rather than announcing a new outbreak.
The source material does not report that the positive samples came from finished lettuce or specify when the samples were collected. The findings concern a wastewater tank and a drainage ditch, and should be understood in that environmental context.
“There is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred in the outbreak.”
— U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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Contamination Route Still Unconfirmed
The FDA has not identified how Cyclospora reached the lettuce, when any contamination may have occurred, or whether either positive environmental sample is genetically connected to the outbreak cases. Although genotyping of the two environmental samples is complete, the agency said it is still comparing those results with genotyping of patient specimens.
The source material also does not specify the dates the samples were collected, whether any finished lettuce tested positive, or when the processing facility may reopen. The reported positives came from wastewater and a drainage ditch, not from a stated sample of packaged product. The available findings support the investigation’s link to the supply chain but do not resolve these questions.
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Genetic Comparisons and Facility Status
The FDA said it is continuing to analyze how the genotyping results from the two positive environmental samples relate to results from outbreak patients. Those comparisons may help investigators assess whether the samples are connected to the outbreak, although the source material does not provide a timetable or say what conclusions the analysis may support.
The company said the Central Mexico facility remains closed while it works on enhanced safety protocols. No reopening date was given. The FDA’s account also does not say whether further inspections or sampling are planned. For now, the outbreak is reported as ended, while the investigation’s account of the contamination route remains unresolved.
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Key Questions
Where did the FDA find Cyclospora?
The FDA reported one positive sample from a tank holding outgoing wastewater at the Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility and another from a drainage ditch at an iceberg lettuce grower identified in the traceback investigation.
Did the FDA confirm how the lettuce became contaminated?
No. The agency said it does not have enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred. It is still comparing genotyping results from the environmental samples with those from outbreak patients.
How large was the outbreak?
The CDC counted 12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths. It reported that the outbreak had ended on Sept. 11, 2026.
Is the Taylor Farms Mexico facility open?
A Taylor Fresh Foods spokesperson told ABC News that the Central Mexico facility remains closed while the company works with its research team on enhanced safety protocols. The source material gives no reopening date.
Source: rss
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