Cyclosporiasis outbreak possibly traced to lettuce from Mexico used by Taco Bell

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A lettuce supplier to fast-food elephantine Taco Bell is being investigated arsenic a imaginable root for a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, a root acquainted with the probe told CBS News connected Thursday.

The root said a traceback probe by the Food and Drug Administration identified a azygous supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico, Taylor Farms, that was utilized by Taco Bell locations successful 5 states wherever radical who contracted cyclosporiasis ate. The FDA is investigating, the root said.

Taylor Farms, based successful Salinas, California, is simply a supplier to respective large edifice chains crossed the U.S. CBS News has reached retired to Taylor Farms and Taco Bell for comment.

The outbreak, a diarrheal unwellness caused by the parasite cyclospora, was archetypal reported successful aboriginal May and has since dispersed to 34 states, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It has sickened astatine slightest 1,645 people, per CDC data, including astatine slightest 141 hospitalizations. There person been nary reported fatalities truthful far.

The bulk of the cases person been reported successful Michigan.

Earlier this week, Taco Bell said successful a connection that it had "voluntarily and temporarily removed constricted ingredients astatine prime restaurants arsenic a precautionary measure" arsenic a effect of the outbreak.

Last year, an E. coli outbreak was linked to onions provided to respective restaurants from a Taylor Farms installation successful Colorado. As a result, McDonald's was briefly forced to halt utilizing onions connected its Quarter Pounders astatine immoderate locations.

On its website, Taylor Farms bills itself arsenic the "leading planetary shaper of salads and steadfast caller foods, with accumulation facilities crossed the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe."

Edited by Melissa Gaffney

Sandra Temko contributed to this report.

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