If you’re confused about whether or not you can eat shredded lettuce on your Doritos Locos tacos anymore, you’re not alone. I work on food security for a living—and me love Taco Bell—and I’m not sure when I’ll have a comfortable life more.
At the end of last week, the worst worries about the ongoing outbreaks of cyclosporiasis seemed to be behind us. The contaminated lettuce should no longer be anywhere near Taco Bell, because all the ice that has been linked to the outbreak, according to the company that produced it, has been recalled. And yet, somehow, the answer has produced more drama this week. Communication has been shaky from the start. Like me previously writtenThe CDC was quick to alert the public to warning signs that a multi-state outbreak was beginning, even as cases were increasing dramatically in Michigan and other states. The message got worse when the government started to figure out why people were getting sick.
Late Thursday, the CDC and FDA announced that the Midwest cluster of cyclosporiasis cases stemmed from contaminated iceberg lettuce produced at a farm in Mexico (later revealed to be a large chain seller called Taylor Farms) and shipped to Taco Bell in five states. That should be a huge success, giving consumers confidence that they could resume their normal eating habits (sans tacos). But almost immediately, the explosion appeared to be bigger than the government was letting on. Taco Bell’s official statement urged “all concerned restaurants, retailers, and food service operators” — not just Taco Bell in the five states the government recognized — to act responsibly, as Taco Bell did by pulling lettuce from their menu. And Taylor Farms’ previous record included lettuce shipped not only to Taco Bell, but also to several major companies such as Sysco, which supplies food to restaurants, hospitals, and schools. As of Friday evening, Walmart had pulled some Market-branded lettuce from shelves in 15 states.
Then, on Saturday, the FDA published a since-rescinded announcement that it had found cyclospora (a disease-causing fungus) in iceberg lettuce that was produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico but was not part of the original recall. The findings promised to be the most definitive evidence yet that management had linked Taylor Farms to the crisis. But the FDA reversed course the next day after agency staff re-examined the sample and found the initial result to be a false positive. The embarrassing mistake was only compounded by Taylor Farms, which released a statement that began with: “Today, the FDA apologized to us.” But the FDA denied it had issued an official waiver.
The FDA still seems convinced that lettuce linked to Taco Bell and Taylor Farms is the main culprit behind the spike in cyclosporiasis cases. More than 1,600 people who have tested positive for cyclospora virus in five-state outbreaks have reported eating Taco Bell, according to the FDA’s website. It seems straightforward! And yet, the site also clearly displays the warning “Do not eat the recalled lettuce at any Taco Bell location or other restaurants.” What other restaurants? The Department of Health and Human Services, Taylor Farms, and Taco Bell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Perhaps, like Chicago, I am particularly sensitive to uncertainty; after all, the government hasn’t explained how safe my local Taco Bell is when 40 minutes south in Indiana is an outbreak site. And as regulators continue to try to explain the Midwest’s cyclospora mess, the question remains what’s going on with high cases of cyclosporiasis in other parts of the country, which the FDA has not publicly linked to iceberg lettuce, Taylor Farms, or Taco Bell. Cyclosporiasis has for several decades flared in the United States during the summer, which has made pinpointing where the case is really elevated this year business difficult. The FDA told reporters Monday that it has investigated five clusters of cyclosporiasis cases across the United States since May, three of which have ended, but has not publicly disclosed where these clusters have been, which are considered to have ended, and which foods have caused several outbreaks. North Carolina, for example, reported an 83 percent increase in cases in the past week, bringing the total to 561 cases since May. Government officials have suggested that the outbreak may have been caused by parsley, cilantro, or lettuce, but apparently not Taco Bell lettuce. In a press release Friday, the health department said, “At this time, the increase in cyclosporiasis cases in North Carolina does not appear to be related to outbreaks in other states involving Taco Bell.”
In the absence of clear information, Americans seem to be doing the only thing they can do to protect themselves: withdraw. Foot traffic to chain restaurants — not just Taco Bell — has dropped significantly in the past week, according to news reports. America is still in better shape than it was a week ago, before the Taco Bell link was announced: Cyclosporiasis is notoriously difficult to track, and state and federal experts have been able to question people who caught the bug about everything they ate before getting sick. and identify the main common situation. It’s a shame that their work is covered in enough confusing communications that we all still have to look at the salad with suspicion.
