U.S. iceberg lettuce recall reaches 27 states: check packaged and food-service stock now

• Checked: 2026-07-19 14:08 KST
• Basis: FDA recall posted July 18, 2026, and the FDA/CDC five-state Cyclospora outbreak investigation
• Key facts: 1,644 illnesses; 94 hospitalizations; 5 outbreak states; 27 recall-distribution states; product dates through August 3, 2026.

Do this first

1. Before eating recently purchased packaged salad or shredded iceberg lettuce in the United States, compare it with FDA’s full recall table. Taylor Farms de Mexico is removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.
2. Do not eat a match or an item you cannot reliably identify. Isolate it, photograph the front, back, case label, product code, weight and “Best if Used By” date, then follow the seller’s official return or disposal instructions.
3. If you already ate it, watch for symptoms for two days to two weeks or longer. Illness often begins around one week after exposure and may include frequent watery diarrhea, appetite or weight loss, cramps, bloating, gas, nausea and fatigue. Symptoms can improve and return.
4. Tell a clinician exactly when and where you ate iceberg lettuce. Cyclospora testing is not automatic in many laboratories and is not included in every gastrointestinal PCR panel.
5. Seek care earlier for dehydration, persistent severe diarrhea, inability to keep fluids down, or if you are immunocompromised or otherwise medically vulnerable.

What changed

FDA’s July 16 outbreak notice advised people not to eat Mexican shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The investigation counted 1,644 illnesses, 94 hospitalizations and no deaths, with illness onsets from May 13 through July 13.

The company recall posted July 18 is broader than those five outbreak states. Recalled lettuce was distributed June 29 through July 16 in 27 states. It includes food-service cases and MKTSD retail bags of 8- or 16-ounce shredded lettuce and 12- or 24-ounce Iceberg Salad. Product dates vary from July 16 through August 3.

Do not confuse five states with known outbreak cases and 27 states with known recalled-product distribution. FDA’s table uses several brand or segment codes—CV, JB, MARK, MKTSD, PK, SUB, SY and TF—so a familiar consumer brand name is not enough to clear stock.

Known distribution states

AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI. Online orders, interstate supply, repacking and restaurant distribution can cross those boundaries. FDA says more brands, restaurants, retailers or channels may be identified while the investigation continues.

Home checklist

• Pull shredded lettuce, iceberg salad and lettuce-romaine blends from the refrigerator without letting them touch other food.
• Compare code, description, package weight and use-by date line by line with FDA’s table. Do not skip unfamiliar food-service abbreviations.
• Check receipts, delivery apps and online orders for purchases since June 29.
• Seal and discard a match where children and pets cannot reach it, or use the retailer’s refund route. Do not wash and eat it.
• Clean refrigerator shelves, containers, boards, knives and counters that touched the product; wash hands with soap and water.
• Keep package photographs and purchase details for a refund, medical visit or health-department report.

Restaurant, catering and retail checks

• Immediately place June 29–July 16 shredded iceberg and blend inventory on hold and remove it from service.
• Compare case labels, codes, descriptions and use-by dates with the FDA table; use invoices for product already moved into unmarked bins.
• Get written confirmation from the distributor about source, recall status and the lot and origin of any replacement.
• Clean and sanitize storage bins, salad bars, preparation equipment and food-contact surfaces. Do not blend suspect stock into another salad.
• Preserve menu, service date, store, supplier and lot records if customers report diarrhea; contact the local health department.

Symptoms and testing

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Frequent watery diarrhea is the most common symptom. Untreated illness may last days to a month or longer and can relapse. Direct person-to-person spread is unlikely, but contaminated food or water can transmit the parasite.

CDC notes that testing is not routinely performed in most laboratories and not every gastrointestinal panel includes Cyclospora. A specific exposure history can therefore change which test a clinician orders.

Common questions

• Is all U.S. iceberg lettuce affected? No. The current action covers central-Mexico lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico and the products and dates in FDA’s table.
• Can washing make a recalled bag safe? No. Do not eat a recalled product; return or discard it.
• Is this only a Taco Bell issue? No. The outbreak advisory identifies certain Taco Bell locations in five states, while the recall reaches broader food-service and retail channels in 27 states.
• What if I have no symptoms? Do not eat a recalled item even if nobody in the household is ill.
• What about consumers outside the United States? The notice applies to known U.S. distribution, but travelers, cross-border buyers and businesses using U.S. supply chains should check purchase records.

Official and primary sources

• FDA — Taylor Fresh Foods iceberg lettuce recall (July 18, 2026)
• FDA — 5-state Cyclospora outbreak investigation
• CDC — About cyclosporiasis, symptoms and timing
• CDC — Preventing cyclosporiasis
• CDC — Clinical guidance and testing

ONEPRESS decision: Check package and case details against FDA’s table today. Do not eat a match; isolate, discard or return it. If diarrhea begins after recent iceberg-lettuce exposure, give the clinician the exact eating date and ask whether Cyclospora testing is appropriate.