{"id":16093,"date":"2026-07-24T21:39:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=16093"},"modified":"2026-07-24T21:39:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:39:34","slug":"cyclospora-triggers-a-trust-crisis-for-taco-bell-taylor-farms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=16093","title":{"rendered":"Cyclospora triggers a trust crisis for Taco Bell, Taylor Farms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-d16467\" class=\"body-graf\">Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/rfk-jr-says-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-control-mexico-casts-doubt-link-ta-rcna588604\" target=\"_blank\">said this week<\/a> that the cyclospora outbreak is \u201cunder control.\u201d But many consumers have reached a different conclusion.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free<\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-771e82\" class=\"body-graf\">Across social media, people are avoiding salads, swearing off lettuce and wondering if it\u2019s safe to order a burrito bowl. For many Americans, the question is no longer just about where the outbreak came from, but whether any lettuce can be trusted.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-259d29\" class=\"body-graf\">The outbreak has also exposed how difficult it can be for restaurants to maintain their customers\u2019 trust when doubt begins to spread online.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-edf396\" class=\"body-heading\">Confusion reigns<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-1ba4cb\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThe science is confusing. The regulation is confusing,\u201d crisis communications expert Molly McPherson told NBC News. \u201cSo much about this case really rests on the confusion of it all.\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-57736d\" class=\"body-graf\">Weeks into the outbreak, federal officials are still investigating the source of the illness, which causes severe diarrhea. So far, there are at least 4,173 confirmed cases across 41 states. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-1a7fc8\" class=\"body-graf\">Officials say they\u2019re making progress. But a series of conflicting messages has left many Americans unsure about what\u2019s actually safe to eat. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-14b93e\" class=\"body-graf\">And that uncertainty has ballooned into a crisis of its own, which has only intensified after a rapid series of announcements from the Food and Drug Administration.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-914c80\" class=\"body-graf\">On July 17, Taylor Farms, the world\u2019s largest producer of salads and fresh-cut vegetables,<strong> <\/strong>voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce after federal investigators linked it to a multistate cyclospora outbreak. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-14fde1\" class=\"body-graf\">The recall had immediate implications for Taco Bell. The FDA found that Taco Bell used lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, and by July 13, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/outbreaks-foodborne-illness\/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026\" target=\"_blank\">at least 1,644 people <\/a>reported eating at the chain before falling ill. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ba58f4\" class=\"body-graf\">Taco Bell promptly announced that it had removed all Taylor Farms\u2019 lettuce from its restaurants nationwide. But that same day, July 17, visits to the fast-food chain fell nearly 31% below the chain\u2019s average Friday traffic in the first half of the year, according to the foot traffic analytics platform Placer.ai \u2014 the steepest one-day decline among all the restaurant chains it analyzed. <\/p>\n<section class=\"inline-video inline-video--in-body inline-video--vertical-video\" data-testid=\"inline-video\" id=\"anchor-e3e859\">\n<div class=\"inline-video__background\">\n<div class=\"inline-video__player\">\n<div class=\"styles_gridStackWrapper__Z_AMc styles_verticalVideoContainer__AndXW vertical-video-container inline-article-vertical-video paused\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-testid=\"gamma-video-player\">\n<div class=\"info-layer styles_infoLayer__3khlf\">\n<p><span class=\"styles_caret__Aqe2z icon icon-play\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-testid=\"caret\"\/><span data-testid=\"card-duration\">01:30<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_controlContainer__XmNB0 styles_inlineVideo__unIwH\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Video controls\">\n<p class=\"styles_title__0GjQf styles_inlineVideoInitial__c2yet\">What to know about Cyclospora after Taylor Farms false positive<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"styles_gradientOverlay__6My_d\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Elapsed time 00:00\">00:00<\/span><span aria-label=\"Remaining time 00:00\">00:00<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p id=\"anchor-d3f129\" class=\"body-graf\">On July 18, the FDA announced that a sample of Taylor Farms\u2019 iceberg lettuce had tested positive for cyclospora. The next day, the agency reversed course, saying that the result <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/fda-says-taylor-farms-lettuce-sample-tested-cyclospora-produced-false-rcna588303\" target=\"_blank\">was a false positive<\/a>. Taylor Farms is still under investigation and said it has been cooperating closely with regulators.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-aa57d1\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cFalse positives do happen in food testing,\u201d said Dr. Mansour Samadpour, CEO of food safety organization IEH Laboratories, which was hired by Chipotle after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/business\/business-news\/chipotle-alters-cooking-food-preparation-bid-halt-illnesses-n485051\" target=\"_blank\">a major E. coli outbreak in 2015. <\/a>\u201cIt\u2019s really important that it was detected and the record was corrected.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-858494\" class=\"body-heading\">A crisis of trust <\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-aa1e17\" class=\"body-graf\">Despite the official statements, uncertainty has run rampant. And when TikToks and social media posts travel faster than corrections, it\u2019s difficult for brands to push through the noise. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-3cdebc\" class=\"body-graf\"><strong>\u201c<\/strong>Nobody wants to be falsely blamed for something if they have nothing to do with it. But the public doesn\u2019t care about that,\u201d said McPherson. \u201cRight now, it\u2019s all about reassurance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-3a419b\" class=\"body-graf\">Fast-food chains are trying to do just that, but customers haven\u2019t been impressed.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-dcacd4\" class=\"body-graf\">Four days after Taco Bell originally announced it was removing Taylor Farms\u2019 lettuce, the company introduced a new $1 \u201clettuce-free\u201d stuffed tortilla in an effort to win back customers.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-97e8ca\" class=\"body-graf\">Other brands are eager to distance themselves from the investigation before misinformation fills the void. Chipotle and Sweetgreen<strong> <\/strong>have both announced online or via their loyalty apps that they don\u2019t serve iceberg lettuce at all.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7364f3\" class=\"body-graf\">So far, none of those efforts seem to be very effective. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-022367\" class=\"body-graf\">The ripple effect is even reaching independent businesses. \u201cWe were doing about 150 to 200 people a day, and then, like, as of last Saturday, we dropped down to about 10 a day,\u201d said Sean Alexander, the owner of Build-A-Salad, a self-serve salad restaurant, to NBC affiliate Local 3 News in Chattanooga, Tennessee. \u201cIt\u2019s just a big hit, and we\u2019re really not protected against other things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-05c2c3\" class=\"body-graf\">Jonathan Maze, a restaurant industry analyst and the editor-in-chief of Restaurant Business magazine, told NBC News, \u201cA lot of it really depends on who the customer blames for this problem, how severe it gets, and how much of it spreads on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6af230\" class=\"body-graf\">Maze stressed that active communication is key to protecting a brand\u2019s reputation. He pointed to McDonald\u2019s response to its 2024 E. coli outbreak as an example of what works. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-de9aed\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThey took significant steps. They communicated those steps and why they were doing them. They had [McDonald\u2019s USA President] Joel Erlinger going on television multiple times about it,\u201d Maze said. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of response that [Taco Bell and others] need to make.\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-609f57\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that the cyclospora outbreak is \u201cunder control.\u201d But many consumers have reached a different conclusion. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Across social media, people are avoiding salads, swearing off lettuce and wondering if&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-07\/260722-grocery-salad-aa-617-88af66.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16093\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}