Retailers shun central Mexico Produce due to Cyclosporiasis

Some large retailers and restaurants have stopped sourcing produce from a region of central Mexico linked to the expanding U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreak because of concerns about widespread contamination, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Monday.



An FDA investigation has linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants sourced from privately held Taylor Farms' operations in central Mexico.



However, health officials are searching for other potential products that may be making people sick as cases continue to climb.



Widespread contamination could broaden the risk that consumers contract cyclosporiasis from imported produce.



Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic disease that causes explosive diarrhea.



Removing products from supply chains linked to central Mexico would mitigate those risks, Gottlieb said.



Gottlieb added multiple outbreak clusters, including in the Great Lakes region, New York and North Carolina, appeared to be potentially linked to parsley and cilantro from central Mexico, though investigators have not determined the exact source.