Zero confirmed positive product tests. 1,644 confirmed illnesses. 27 states. Here’s what actually happened over the weekend and what it means for growers.

The federal investigation into a large multistate Cyclospora outbreak took a sharp turn over the weekend, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversed a positive test result on Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce and told the company the finding was a mistake.

In a statement issued Sunday, July 19, the FDA said its laboratory experts re-reviewed a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms de Mexico that had been reported positive the day before and concluded the result did not represent true amplification and should be considered a “false positive.” The agency stated that, as of July 19, 2026, there were no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora.

Taylor Farms confirmed the reversal in its own public statement, telling the public the agency had acknowledged the error directly. “Today, FDA apologized to us,” the company said, adding that the FDA had informed the company one of its central-Mexico iceberg lettuce products tested positive and then, a day later, notified the company the result was a false positive. Taylor Farms emphasized that, at this point, the FDA had not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora.

The recall still stands

Importantly, the false positive does not undo the recall. Taylor Farms confirmed it is continuing its voluntary removal of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico while the broader outbreak investigation continues.

That recall was announced Friday, July 17. According to Taylor Farms’ recall notice, Taylor Farms de Mexico of Guanajuato, Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market because it has the potential to be contaminated with Cyclospora. The company said the shredded iceberg product was distributed from June 29 through July 16 across 27 states, AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WI, and its notice includes a full list of affected brands, lot codes, and use-by dates, along with Marketside-brand product sold at Walmart.

Taylor Farms also drew a firm line around the rest of its business, stating in its release that no Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with the outbreak, and that no Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce. The company characterized the FDA traceback as pointing to a single independent farm representing less than 1% of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply, and said it pulled all iceberg lettuce from that region indefinitely.

Consumers with recalled product are directed to discard it or return it for a full refund, and the company’s release lists a customer care line at 855-455-0098.

How the outbreak was traced

The reversal follows several days of fast-moving developments. The FDA and CDC, working with state and local partners, have been investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora illnesses tied to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

According to the FDA’s outbreak advisory, the agency’s traceback investigation converged on a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, that provided shredded iceberg lettuce to Taco Bell locations where people ate before becoming ill. The advisory notes that Michigan analyzed food-exposure details from 190 cases who reported eating at Taco Bell, and that 90% of those interviewed reported eating iceberg lettuce.

The CDC’s outbreak page confirms the same supplier link and the July 17 recall, and notes the recall reached consumers, restaurants, and retailers across multiple states.

The numbers

Per the FDA advisory, the five-state Taco Bell subset of this outbreak includes:

• 1,644 confirmed illnesses
• 94 hospitalizations
• 0 deaths
• Illness onset dates ranging from May 13, 2026 to July 13, 2026

The FDA cautions that its case counts include confirmed cases only, and may not match state figures, which can include probable cases and reports not yet forwarded to CDC. Nationally, the picture is larger: state health departments have reported thousands of additional cases under investigation, with Michigan’s health department alone reporting more than 5,000. The FDA notes its national Cyclospora surveillance data tracks laboratory-confirmed cases across the country that include this outbreak as well as unrelated illnesses.

Taco Bell’s response

Taco Bell moved quickly on the supply side. In its own statement dated July 17, the chain said it had completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants and pulled the ingredient from its supply chain nationwide, acting out of an abundance of caution based on conversations with public health officials. The company urged other restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to take the same precautionary steps.

What it means for growers and the fresh-produce supply chain

For the ag community, the weekend’s reversal is a notable moment: a named supplier was publicly linked to a positive test result that federal regulators later retracted. The FDA attributed the error to the difficulty of detecting Cyclospora, a parasite whose testing is technically complex. Even so, the traceback investigation that first pointed to Taylor Farms de Mexico, based on epidemiological convergence rather than a product sample, remains active, and the recall remains in effect.

The FDA’s advisory lists the outbreak status as ongoing, and the agency says additional implicated brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels could still be identified as the investigation continues. The FDA has also increased screening at the border for implicated products.

For its part, Taylor Farms struck a note aimed at rebuilding trust, saying its thoughts remain with everyone who has fallen ill and that it is committed to working with public health authorities as the investigation continues.