WASHINGTON, July 16 (DC Times Online) — Federal and state health officials are investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in a cyclosporiasis outbreak, while Michigan health officials say lettuce or salad greens are the current leading suspect and no specific supplier has been identified.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release that its current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a possible source, but that other food items cannot be ruled out. The agency said it has not identified a specific produce type, grower, supplier or brand.
Taco Bell said public health officials have not confirmed a link to the chain or to any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer. The company said it voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precaution while the review continues.
The Food and Drug Administration had not announced a Taco Bell recall and had not posted a public notice naming the chain in connection with the outbreak, according to the agency’s website as described in recent reporting. Michigan health officials have described the outbreak as the state’s largest parasitic outbreak, and CDC figures cited in reporting put the national total at 843 cases across 31 states since May, with 86 hospitalizations.
