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Taco Bell said on Thursday it had removed lettuce from one of its suppliers in some U.S. states, after reports said investigators linked the ingredient to an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in the country.
“Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states,” Taco Bell said in a statement.
“The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.”
Taco Bell did not name the supplier or say which states it had removed the ingredient from.
The Washington Post reported earlier on Thursday that shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants by California-based supplier Taylor Farms has been identified by investigators as a potential source of contamination in the outbreak of the parasitic intestinal infection.
U.S. health officials suspect contaminated lettuce may be the source of a large cyclosporiasis outbreak in multiple states. The parasite-driven illness causes explosive diarrhea, cramping and nausea which can last for weeks.
The outbreak, which began on May 1, has been concentrated in Michigan, with Ohio and New York also reporting a large number of infections. Michigan health officials reported 4,312 cases on Thursday.
While the U.S. has experienced cyclosporiasis outbreaks before, the scale and geographic spread of this year’s outbreak are significantly larger, prompting concern among health officials. Earlier this week, Taco Bell said it had removed a limited number of ingredients from some restaurants as a precautionary measure.
Bloomberg News reported earlier on Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon advise consumers to avoid shredded lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, and Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Cyclosporiasis can be contracted by consuming food, typically raw fruits and vegetables or water contaminated with feces, and causes diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It is not usually life-threatening and can be treated with antibiotics.
The outbreak is occurring as U.S. public health officials grapple with reduced surveillance capacity due to funding cuts.
Health officials in Alberta are investigating an uptick in cyclosporiasis, but the province said no connection has been made to the U.S. outbreak.
