WASHINGTON, July 16 (DC Times Online) — Consumers do not yet have a confirmed Taco Bell-specific source to avoid, even as Michigan health officials say lettuce or salad greens are the leading suspect in a cyclosporiasis outbreak and the Food and Drug Administration has not announced a Taco Bell recall.
Two people familiar with the investigation said federal and state health officials are reviewing whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in the outbreak. The link has not been confirmed.
In a July 14 press release, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said its current results point to “lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak,” while adding that other food items cannot be ruled out. The agency said no specific produce, grower, supplier or brand has been identified.
Taco Bell said in a statement that public health officials have not confirmed a link to the chain or to any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer. The company said it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure” while it continued to monitor the situation.
CDC surveillance had counted 843 Cyclospora cases in 31 states since May, with 86 hospitalizations, according to federal case counts cited in reporting. Michigan officials have described their outbreak as the state’s largest parasitic outbreak and have reported thousands of cases in separate updates.
The FDA’s public notices did not show a Taco Bell recall notice, according to its website.
