health
Confusion swirls on source of diarrhea outbreak, but it’s still Taylor Farms
Taylor Farms stirred confusion on FDA test and provided a vague recall list.
TL;DR
- Federal officials reaffirmed that Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce is still considered the source of the Cyclospora outbreak.
- A false positive test result by the FDA initially caused confusion, which Taylor Farms publicly highlighted.
- The FDA stated the false positive test did not change the basis of their investigation or the voluntary recall by Taylor Farms.
- Taylor Farms issued a recall for iceberg lettuce sourced from Central Mexico between June 29 and July 16.
- The recall notice has been described as vague, lacking specific distribution information or a list of affected customers.
- Other retailers and distributors, including Walmart, Sysco, US Foods, and Jack in the Box, have removed or are removing Taylor Farms lettuce.
- At least 34 states have reported cyclosporiasis cases, with Michigan alone reporting over 6,500 cases.
- A delayed FDA Food Traceability Rule, intended to improve record-keeping for leafy greens, is mentioned as a factor hindering rapid identification of contaminated food.
- Speculation arose linking Taylor Farms' parent company's donation to a Trump-backing super PAC with the delay of the traceability rule, which the Department of Health and Human Services denied.