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FDA still focused on Taylor Farms lettuce as Cyclospora source despite retracted test 15%
By Cremington33%
7/21/2026, 12:03:19 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 26 faulty reasoning types, including Availability Heuristic, Anecdotal, and Negativity Bias, with Ambiguity (Equivocation) as the most egregious example at 10.7% saturation with 124 hits. Analysis detected 1,145 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,163 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 31.3% and a BS Rank of 15% (17,400 of 20,309 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 85.70% of the article peer group.
The source of the Cyclospora illness outbreak remains unknown, after the Food and Drug Administration announced Sunday that a previous test identifying the parasite in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico was not actually contaminated with Cyclospora .
The agency reviewed the results and said in a statement it “concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive.”
On social media, however, the FDA clarified that “this false-positive lab sample DOES NOT change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms.”
The FDA’s recommendation is still not to eat iceberg lettuce grown or processed by Taylor Farms in Mexico.
The products were sold at Taco Bells in five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, and Taco Bell has said they are no longer using that lettuce.
Iceberg lettuce products were also distributed in 27 states and Walmart stores in 15 states.
Health officials recommend discarding any recalled iceberg lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods.
That recommendation is based on interviews done with sick people, many of whom had eaten at Taco Bell that included the lettuce.
The FDA is continuing to test lettuce samples, and says it’s also testing produce at the southern border to check for Cyclospora .
But so far none of this has turned up any positives.
There are now over 1,600 confirmed cases of diarrhea caused by this water and food-borne parasite and a growing number of suspected cases in the thousands.
Ninety-four people have been hospitalized.
There have been no deaths reported.
Taylor Farms said in a statement that the FDA apologized emphasizing that “FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora.”
On July 17, the company did voluntarily recall all iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico and on Monday clarified that they are, “no longer sourcing iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico for the remainder of the growing season” and are working closely with public health officials.
The parasite causes diarrhea, fatigue and nausea.
To reduce the likelihood of infection from the parasite, health officials recommend cooking produce to 158 F.
Washing produce thoroughly with water can help reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis.
But some experts note that while cyclosporiasis cases are on track to break records this year, it is common to see several cases every summer.
Identifying the source quickly certainly would help contain an outbreak — and perhaps save people from getting sick weeks down the line.
But Donald Schaffner , a microbiologist at Rutgers University, says these are often separate and unrelated clusters.
“Just because you’re sick with Cyclospora right now doesn’t mean that you’re part of this cluster of cases that have an epicenter in Michigan and Ohio,” he says.
Every summer since the 1990s there have been several cyclosporasis outbreaks, though none as significant in size as this one.
There are many potential sources of Cyclospora , and they don’t necessarily share a common source, he says.
“Sometimes we can figure out what’s causing it, and sometimes we can’t.”
So that’s why we’re in limbo, he says.
He also points out that sometimes people are exposed to the parasite from other ways besides food.
The parasite could be in water that you drink or swim in, or water that may have been used on a batch of lettuce.
Health officials have yet to confirm the source of cyclospora in food.
It has sickened thousands of people nationwide with diarrhea.
The Food and Drug Administration initially said it found the parasite on a sample of lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms.
That’s the same company that had supplied some Taco Bell restaurants where people said they ate before they got sick.
Yesterday, the FDA retracted those test results and said the test was a false positive.
So where does that leave consumers now?
Well, NPR’s Yuki Noguchi joins us now to explain.
Hi, Yuki.
YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK.
So does this confusion over this discredited test change anything, I mean, practically speaking?
NOGUCHI: Not really.
You know, the back and forth, of course, confused a lot of people…
NOGUCHI: …But the FDA’s recommendation remains to not eat iceberg lettuce grown or processed by Taylor Farms in Mexico and sold at Taco Bells and some Walmarts.
That recommendation is based only on interviews done with sick people, many of whom had eaten the lettuce or had eaten at Taco Bell.
And testing is still ongoing, by the way.
The FDA says it’s also testing produce at the southern border now to check for cyclospora.
But so far, none of this has turned up any positives.
CHANG: OK.
So testing is still ongoing – testing, testing, testing.
But thousands of cases, Yuki, of this illness have been reported since May – right? – particularly within five states, including Michigan, which is the epicenter.
Is it strange to you that a source has not been identified yet?
NOGUCHI: You know, cyclospora cases are on track to break records this year.
But they’re pretty common every summer.
You know, identifying the source quickly, of course, would help contain an outbreak and perhaps save people from getting sick weeks down the line.
But Donald Schaffner, a microbiologist at Rutgers, says these are often separate and unrelated clusters.
DONALD SCHAFFNER: Just because you’re sick with cyclospora right now doesn’t mean that you’re part of this cluster of cases that have an epicenter in Michigan and Ohio.
What we see is we see multiple cyclospora cases in this country ranging from May to August.
Sometimes we can figure out what’s causing it, and sometimes we can’t.
NOGUCHI: You know, so that’s why we’re in this limbo.
CHANG: Frustrating.
OK.
Well, the company Taylor Farms has already recalled its lettuce.
Meanwhile, Taco Bell is not using Taylor Farms as a supplier.
So are they still the primary suspected sources right now?
NOGUCHI: Well, that’s what FDA officials are still pointing to – Taylor Farms – based on their interviews, again, with customers who’ve gotten sick.
Will we ever find the cyclospora itself on the lettuce?
You know, that’s not clear.
Parasites like cyclospora are hard to genetically test for.
And plus, when you’re trying to find very small amounts across what might be a huge amount of crop, you know, Schaffner says it’s easy for parasites to lurk in untested areas.
He also points out that sometimes people are exposed to cyclospora not from food but from drinking or swimming in contaminated water.
And he says it’s possible that bad water may have been used on a batch of lettuce.
CHANG: That is NPR’s Yuki Noguchi.
Thank you so much, Yuki.
NOGUCHI: Thank you, Ailsa.
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