Taylor Farms to indefinitely suspend Mexico lettuce harvesting during cyclospora season (updated)

Yum! Brands

08/10/2026 19:10

Iceberg lettuce suspension covers period from May 1 to Aug 31
Taylor Farms expands year-round health monitoring, increases irrigation water and crop testing
Co expects to meet iceberg lettuce demand grown in US, Canada 
Adds Taylor Farms comment in paragraph 4, details in paragraph 10
Oct 8 (Reuters) - Taylor Farms said on Thursday it would indefinitely halt harvesting and processing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for sale in the United States and Canada during the US cyclospora season, after a recent outbreak sickened thousands.
The fresh produce supplier said it would stop handling iceberg lettuce from the region during the period identified by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the country's cyclospora season, which coincides with the rainy season in central Mexico.
The outbreak in July sickened thousands of people across the US and disrupted operations at restaurants, including Yum Brands' YUM.N Taco Bell, which used the recalled lettuce.
Taylor Farms expects to meet demand from the iceberg lettuce grown in the US and Canada, they said in an statement to Reuters.   
 The U.S. cyclosporiasis season runs from May 1 through August 31, according to the CDC's website.    
The contamination prompted one of the largest food recalls in recent years and renewed scrutiny of food-safety controls for imported produce.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite. People ​can become infected after eating or drinking contaminated food or water ⁠and symptoms can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue. 
The iceberg lettuce outbreak accounted for more than half of the 19,883 laboratory-confirmed U.S. cyclosporiasis cases reported since May 1, up significantly from 1,180 cases reported last year between May 1 and August 31.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration closed its probe into the cyclospora outbreak, citing strong evidence of a link to the recalled lettuce from Taylor Farm's Mexico subsidiary. 
Mexico's food safety service Senasica did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Mexican health authorities have previously said there was no conclusive evidence that confirms the site as the source of contamination.
 The safety steps taken by Taylor Farms also include the expansion of an existing year-round health monitoring and increasing irrigation water and crop testing in central Mexico.


 (Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru, Tom Polansek in Chicago, Sarah Morland; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Shailesh Kuber)
 ((AngelaChristy.M@thomsonreuters.com;))