Taco Bell has turned its attention to ingredients linked to the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened thousands of people across the country. Suspected culprit: lettuce.
The fast-food chain said on July 16 it had removed lettuce from one of its suppliers in select states after reports linked the ingredient to increased cases of stomach parasitic infections, which cause diarrhea and nausea, in several states.
“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 affected lettuce from a supplier in select states,” the company said in a statement.
According to Taco Bell, the salads supplied by the vendor will be “indefinitely removed” from its supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in the affected states. The company did not identify the supplier or specify which states were affected by the removal.
Taco Bell said on Wednesday, July 15 that it had removed the item from some stores, in what the fast food chain said was a precautionary measure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and several states are investigating increasing cases of cyclosporiasis, a disease caused by the parasite Cyclospora catenensis. Infection can cause frequent, watery diarrhea or explosive bowel movements, nausea, cramps, swelling, and low-grade fever.
The outbreak has hit Michigan particularly hard. The state health department there reported 4,312 cases of the rapidly increasing gastrointestinal disease across the state on Thursday, July 16. At least 102 people have been hospitalized in the state since June 22, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Infection has also increased in 34 states.
Earlier in the week, health officials in Michigan said lettuce could be a possible source but were not yet ruling out other items.
Taco Bell’s statement indicated it wouldn’t be the last restaurant to make the lettuce move.
“While no official advice has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility between restaurants, their suppliers and authorities, and we are proud to continue to act quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” the company statement said. “Taco Bell has taken precautionary actions, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers and food service operators to do the same.”
Contributing: Melina Khan, Sarah Moniuszko, and Kristen Jordan Schamus, USA TODAY; reuters
Reporting by Mike Snyder and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect