The test result changed, but the public health warning did not disappear with it. The Taylor Farms recall remains active after the Food and Drug Administration reversed its finding that a lettuce sample contained Cyclospora, adding another complicated turn to an outbreak investigation connected to more than 1,600 illnesses.
On July 18, the FDA reported that a sample of iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico had produced a positive result for Cyclospora, the microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis. However, regulators warned at the time that another review was necessary because of “the complexity in detection of cyclospora.”
By July 19, the agency had changed its conclusion.
FDA laboratory specialists reexamined the sample and determined that the result did not represent a true positive. According to the agency, there were no confirmed positive Cyclospora results from any product samples as of July 19. Still, the FDA has not cleared the recalled lettuce or closed its investigation.
“FDA has notified Taylor Farms and continues working with the firm to ensure product implicated in this outbreak has been removed from the market,” the agency stated.
That distinction matters. A false-positive laboratory result means investigators have not directly detected the parasite in the tested product. It does not automatically erase the epidemiological evidence or the FDA’s traceback work connecting illnesses to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico.
According to the FDA, investigators traced the shredded iceberg lettuce eaten by patients back to a single supplier. Health officials also found that 90 percent of interviewed patients with detailed food histories reported eating iceberg lettuce before becoming sick. Illnesses linked to the five-state outbreak began between May 13 and July 13.
Taylor Farms, meanwhile, publicly pushed back after learning that the test had been reclassified.
The company said the FDA “apologized to us.”
An Update for You pic.twitter.com/n1g2Ck84i8
— Taylor Farms (@YourTaylorFarms) July 20, 2026
“Today, we were informed that FDA made a mistake, and this was a false positive,” Taylor Farms said in its updated statement. “To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for cyclospora.”
Even so, Taylor Farms said it had completed a voluntary recall out of caution and would continue cooperating with public health officials. The company stressed that the removal was limited to iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico. It said other Taylor Farms products, including Taylor Farms-branded products available to consumers, were not involved.
The recall covers iceberg products distributed from June 29 through July 16 across 27 states. It includes numerous food-service products as well as select Marketside Iceberg Salad and Shredded Lettuce packages sold at Walmart. Affected Marketside products carry best-if-used-by dates ranging from July 18 through August 3, depending on the package.
Taco Bell has also removed the affected lettuce from its restaurants nationwide. On July 17, the chain said it had completed the removal of Taylor Farms lettuce from its supply system after consulting public health authorities. The company described the move as a precaution intended to protect customers while the investigation continues.
The outbreak directly tied to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell involves more than 1,644 laboratory-confirmed illnesses in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. At least 94 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. The CDC continues to classify the investigation as open.
Those numbers are separate from the broader national Cyclospora picture.
As of July 13, the CDC had received 1,645 confirmed reports of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis across 34 states. It was also reviewing more than 5,100 additional cases that required further analysis before they could be classified as confirmed domestic infections. Therefore, describing nearly 7,000 people as confirmed infections would overstate the agency’s verified total.
Cyclospora infects the small intestine after a person consumes contaminated food or water. Symptoms commonly begin about one week after exposure, although the incubation period can range from two days to two weeks or longer.
The most recognizable symptom is watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Patients may also experience nausea, fatigue, stomach cramps, bloating, appetite loss and weight loss. Without treatment, symptoms can continue for weeks, disappear temporarily and then return.
Person-to-person transmission is considered unlikely because Cyclospora must mature in the environment before it becomes infectious. Fresh produce has repeatedly been associated with outbreaks because the parasite can remain on textured or uneven surfaces and may not be completely removed through normal rinsing. Cooking produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit can kill it.
For consumers, the guidance remains straightforward despite the corrected test: do not eat recalled iceberg lettuce. The CDC and FDA advise customers to discard affected products or return them to the place of purchase. Containers, refrigerator shelves and other surfaces that touched the lettuce should also be washed and sanitized.
People who develop symptoms after eating shredded lettuce should contact a healthcare provider and specifically ask about Cyclospora testing. Routine stool testing does not always include the parasite, which can make diagnosis less direct.
For now, the false positive gives Taylor Farms an important correction, but it does not settle the larger question of how the outbreak started. The laboratory evidence may have taken a step back, while the illness interviews, supplier traceback and recall remain firmly in place.
