IFPA on July 19 pressed Congress and the administration to strengthen FDA food-safety systems and speed end-to-end traceability as the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak continued to grow.
CDC and FDA on July 16 traced the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in five states, reporting 1,644 confirmed cases and 94 hospitalizations with no deaths.
Taylor Farms de Mexico on July 17 voluntarily pulled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market, and the recall also covered Marketside products sold at Walmart and other retail and foodservice channels.
CDC told retailers to discard recalled lettuce and said it is separately investigating other cyclosporiasis illnesses nationwide; Michigan alone has logged more than 5,000 cases during its investigation period.
The trade group said the outbreak underscores its opposition to delays in the FDA Food Traceability Rule and its push for more resources for state produce-safety and compliance programs.