Taylor Farms CEO Responds After Cyclospora Outbreak, Recall and Class-Action Suit

Bruce Taylor, chief executive of Salinas-based Taylor Farms, has spoken publicly for the first time after federal investigators traced a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The announcement came as the company issued a broad voluntary recall and faced a class-action lawsuit.

The CEO of the company linked to the diarrhea-inducing parasite exploding across the country is speaking out for the first time amid the filing of a class action lawsuit. Larry Marano/Shutterstock

Investigation and Traceback

On July 17, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said its traceback investigation converged on a single supplier — Taylor Farms de Mexico — which provided shredded iceberg lettuce used at Taco Bell restaurants where several people who later became ill had eaten. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA are jointly investigating the outbreak.

Bruce Taylor, CEO of Taylor Farms broke his silence about his company being named as the source for the "explosive diarrhea." UC Berkeley Haas

False-Positive Result and Ongoing Evidence

The FDA later disclosed that one lettuce sample produced a false-positive test result for Cyclospora. The agency stressed that the false positive does not change the epidemiological evidence that supported the voluntary recall. In a public statement the FDA wrote:

Workers pack lettuces at a Taylor Farms field in the town of Doctor Mora, on the central state of Guanajuato, Mexico, Wednesday, March 26, 2008. AP

"To clarify, this false-positive lab sample DOES NOT change the basis for FDA's ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms."

Company Response

Taylor Farms removed potentially implicated products from the market immediately. The company issued an extensive voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from the affected region and announced it had temporarily suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production from central Mexico. On July 18, Taylor Farms said it had paused production of all products at the central Mexico facility and had commissioned independent food-safety experts to conduct a comprehensive review of processes and protocols.

Line workers pack lettuces at the Taylor Farms plant in Doctor Mora, on the central state of Guanajuato, Mexico. AP

CEO Bruce Taylor told reporters and lawmakers he was frustrated about being excluded from portions of the investigation process and urged consumers not to abandon fresh produce out of fear. "Americans are afraid and avoiding healthy fresh food to their own detriment," he said, while insisting the company is cooperating with regulators, customers and independent partners.

Retail And Legal Fallout

Taco Bell removed the implicated Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants. On July 23, two plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Taylor Farms and Taco Bell, alleging they bought meals later linked to the outbreak and that the defendants sold food that was "adulterated" under federal law (21 U.S.C. § 342) because it contained a deleterious substance or was prepared or held under insanitary conditions.

According to the FDA, as of July 24, 2026, there were no confirmed positive product test results for Cyclospora tied to the recalled items. The agency continues its epidemiological investigation and traceback activities to clarify the cause and scope of the outbreak.

What Consumers Should Know

Consumers should avoid products listed on Taylor Farms' voluntary recall notice and follow local guidance from health departments. The recall is a precautionary measure while testing and tracebacks continue. Anyone who ate implicated products and is experiencing prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms should consult a healthcare provider.