FDA retracts cyclospora finding in Taylor Farms lettuce as false positive
10 reported
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Sunday that laboratory experts re-checked lettuce sample results from Taylor Farms in an investigation into a cyclospora outbreak and concluded the finding should be considered a false positive. The FDA had said on Saturday that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms tested positive for the parasitic illness. A spokesperson for Taylor Fresh Foods told Reuters that the company was informed the FDA made a mistake. Taylor Fresh Foods stated it had completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico out of an abundance of caution based on the initial information. The FDA said it has notified Taylor Farms and continues working with the firm to ensure the implicated product has been removed from the market. Taylor Farms has also said that the FDA apologized. As of Sunday, there were no confirmed positive sample results for cyclospora, the FDA added.
What’s reported
The FDA said on Sunday that laboratory experts re-checked lettuce sample results from Taylor Farms and concluded the finding should be considered a false positive.
The FDA on Saturday had said a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms tested positive for cyclospora.
A spokesperson for Taylor Fresh Foods told Reuters that the company was informed the FDA made a mistake.
Taylor Fresh Foods completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico out of an abundance of caution based on the initial information.
The FDA said it has notified Taylor Farms and continues working with the firm to ensure the product implicated in the outbreak has been removed from the market.
Taylor Farms has said that the FDA apologized.
As of Sunday, there were no confirmed positive sample results for cyclospora, the FDA added.
Cyclosporiasis has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Yum Brands Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
The outbreak has resulted in about 100 hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the CDC.
The parasitic infection is caused by the single-cell protozoa cyclospora, typically transmitted through water or food contaminated with feces, and is most common from May to August.
Key figures
FDA (US Food and Drug Administration)
Taylor Farms / Taylor Fresh Foods
Yum Brands Taco Bell
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Sources: The Guardian
