Taylor Farms criticized after cyclospora outbreak and slow recall response

foodJul 22, 20261417,946

Taylor Farms drew heavy criticism after US regulators linked its iceberg lettuce to the nation’s largest cyclosporiasis outbreak in decades, then acknowledged errors in lab reporting. The company posted on X that the US Food and Drug Administration apologized and that an agency lab test tying its produce to the outbreak was a false positive, adding that no government laboratory result had been produced that directly connected Taylor Farms lettuce to the illnesses. The FDA later corrected one test result even as its investigation continued to identify the supplier’s lettuce as a potential source. Mexican authorities said their own probe found no evidence linking the outbreak to Taylor Farms’ facility in central Mexico. Public figures including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News the outbreak is "under control," while federal and state investigations continue and case counts remain large. Critics have focused on the company’s slow recall response and on mixed messaging between Taylor Farms and regulators, raising questions about who should have moved faster to remove suspect product from circulation.

Sarah Taber

@sarahtaber.bsky.social

Hear me out: this is even wilder than it looks. Out in the ag world, Taylor Farms was THE instigator for a lot of the big food safety moves for lettuce over the last 20 years. That's a legacy that just should NOT have ended up like this.

14405h ago

Sarah Taber373

I'm trying to think of how best to describe the level of "Wow! That should not have happened!" that's going on here. It's the diarrhea version of Omar, after a long & rugged career of successfully robbing drug dealers, getting one-shotted by a 6-year-old at the corner store.

public health guy36

omg sarah i’ve been talking about how wild this is all day!! they really took the whole regime change thing to heart i guess

Don Gibson24

I was really sad to see Taylor Farms in all of this. I saw a talk just last month from a Taylor Farms representative bragging about them having better safety controls then required by law.

One more late 70s Jen* variant4

Thank you for sharing your expertise, Sarah!

Gabriel Liston4

You're the bee's knees Sarah, thank you for this!

Lyle3

It pays to have friends. Well they pay.

Quoting this

Kevin Riggle10

And Boeing were the best in the world at building safe airplanes, bar none. ("If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going.")

Rima I Anabtawi7

“I don't think there's really any other way to explain how a company that absolutely knows better, and has done way better handling outbreaks in the past suddenly decided doubling down & disinformation was actually a viable move.” 🧵👇🏼

Jerry Boyle4

Trump Derangement Syndrome is real, but it’s a Republican malady

RamsHornStudios3

Great thread about how the Trump regime corrupts even previously-responsibile actors.

unstuck in time3

This is why it matters that we expunge these people from power completely and prosecute them unapologetically and swiftly. Their dipshitery has real world consequences that compounds to harm us all.

Claire2

Really great thread. You should follow Sarah Taber if you’re not already!

NY Times Pitchbot

@nytpitchbot.bsky.social

Food experts say that Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce can give you cyclosporiasis. A guy who snorts cocaine off toilet seats and drives around with dead bear cubs in his car says it can cure COVID. For busy eaters, it can be hard to know who to trust.

10814h ago

Eli Friedmann 14

Let's all dare RFK jr to gobble up 5 pound of this lettuce. Tell him it will own the libs and turn him into superman. Extra points if he gets trump to join him. And then STAND BACK.

Señor Juanton12

Explosive diarrhea is a small price to pay for unleashing the deregulated market by Megan McArdle

Hope🇨🇦8

I thought the answer was always ivermectin but what do I know?

dinb4

Taylor farms, 2024 sickend over 100 people with raw onions sold at McDonalds and one man died. They love their new 'no red tape' system, no meaningful oversight..

David Stone3

Can we get cyclosporiasis in a spray bottle? Asking for a photographer friend who will be covering a function at MAL later this month.

Marshall2

Just stop eating till RFK moves on. That should help. 😶

Princeton.

@princey5ive.blacksky.app

i've seen at least four ppl posting on IG in the past 24 hrs about "these Taylor Farms salads were on sale at Kroger, and they're actually pretty good!" we are cooked, societally.

10235h ago

Jeremy40

I've seen multiple posts from food banks about grocery stores donating an unusual amount of Taylor Farms salads. They get rid of the toxic stuff and write it off as a donation.

Princeton.36

[and based on the follower counts, i'm not entirely sure these aren't paid ads]

Jeff15

Let Darwin do his good work! 🫤

wokecreature-2025.bsky.social13

I liked their Caesar kit. And learning about their pay to play deal with trump is one of the two reasons I won't buy anything from Taylor Farms.

Sarah Huckabee Blutarsky13

Kroger has a terrific sale on the Taylor Farms Lettuce & Charmin Bath Tissue Duo Packs right now.

Frank Patrick5

That was quick. We still don't buy Boar's Head cold cuts in our household.

Quoting this

Joel A. Machiela2

The kids are calling it Deer Hunting.

David Simon

@audacityofdespair.bsky.social

Gotta go with Taco Bell for dinner at some point this week. Next week, too. Whistleblowing on a corrupt bribefest between Donald Trump and the corporate shitworms at Taylor Farms inspires a certain amount of loyalty.

6835h ago

Mark Dowling13

“If you get diarrhea after eating Taco Bell, you will come by it honestly, not because of a dodgy deal by a sneaky president”

Tab Lloyd8

. I'll meet you at the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell Urgent Care. .

Professional Internet Beggar6

Babe wake up, the corporate whistleblowing diet plan just dropped.

Just Bob 513

Haven't eaten there in years. On my to-do list. There's one nearby.

Opheodrys3

The hardworking service employees at these restaurants, already a population that serve dutifully and stoically as punching bags for entitled American shitheads, must be reeling.

dinb3

The man Taylor farms killed with raw onion was less than two yrs ago in 2024. They don't care

Quoting this

Will Pollock ➡️ turn 🔔 on4

how shitty is this timeline that the right-doing hero of our story is Taco Bell

Clear Spies 🪬2

Bro, you really had to say "whistleblowing" during a cyclosporiasis contaminated food crisis?

Dr. Lucky Tran

@luckytran.com

The CDC recently updated its cyclosporiasis data. There are now 4,173 confirmed cases, making it the largest US cyclospora outbreak ever. 41 states have reported cases. This is just the tip of the iceberg with states reporting several thousand more cases that are awaiting to be confirmed.

CDC map showing number of cyclospora cases by state

4143h ago

Dustin Du Cane53

Tip of the iceberg lettuce you mean

Nose Coloured Glasses9

If it's just the tip of the iceberg maybe snip that off before making the salad?

Lisa Diedrich8

I see what you did there: tip of the iceberg. 😂

darnold13.bsky.social6

I’m in Michigan. Only eating canned, frozen, or cooked. No fresh vegetables until they figure this out.

KC Momkin6

There will always be challenges that arise in any presidency, but this type of illness is what those jobs at the CDC were for. We were hiring those people for good reasons. It was not "government efficiency" to fire them. Can we get them back? bsky.app/profile/kc-m...

gramadre62.bsky.social4

The only time I don't like the color Blue. Stay safe, Michigan.

Quoting this

Amanda Finley Digs All the Things9

*the tip of the iceberg lettuce

DTE Energy Hater Club7

DIARRHEA CAPITAL OF THE COUNTRY, BABYYYYYY

Rep. LuluLenin (D)5

if you are eating lettuce in michigan you are just asking for diarrhea at this point

Tori ✨5

Tip of the iceberg (lettuce)

HoofbeatsEqualZebra2

Between 11 & 30 Massholes working overtime…

Coach Finstock

@coachfinstock.bsky.social

I think it's pretty funny that Taylor Farms was hoping people thought Taco Bell grew their own lettuce because this hit in multiple states, but didn't hit every Taco Bell. Gotta see which pubs ran the Taco Bell hed. Just like when Starbucks blamed crime for why they closed unionized stores lol

4855h ago

Bill Kuchman9

One of the more disappointing parts of all of this is that not a single other purchaser of Taylor Farms lettuce proactively came forward with Taco Bell. Like, Taco Bell isn’t the only one getting their lettuce from them.

karmacat5

Stay tuned for Taylor Farms name change or d/b/a.

Sophie's Friends2

🤣 The memory of Taylor Farms disgusting MAGA salad will be burned into our working class memories. My only wish is that RFK, Jr., Elmo, and DOGE are stuck in the same toilet together. BTW: RFK, Jr. was last seen swimming in a vat of lettuce and his brain worm was giving instructions. 🐸

elda64.bsky.social1

Dirty company should have been fined or closed many years ago! This has got to be their 5th time causing an outbreak and hurting people! Those who suffered this latest outbreak should sue them. We all know they are friends with the criminals in the White House so feds are not going to do anything

💙❤️💙Mia💙❤️💙

@mommamia.bsky.social

I will never buy Taylor Farms again… And you better believe I’ll find out what other names it’s sold under.

3215h ago

als15

Earthbound Farms is its organic brand.

RFK Brain Worm Jr.10

I used to buy those little bowl salads Taylor Farms sells and last year I kept getting sick & was finally able to pinpoint those salads as the culprit. Haven't bought their products since. Really glad I stopped eating Taylor Farms before this current outbreak because that was bad enough.

Olddogandgrump8

You'll never know who grows any produce. They will switch the branding and sell into food service companies. Imagine trying to find out at KFC or McDs the farm every ingredient was produced on. That is why you need strong regulations with serious punishment for transgressions. Aka Big Government.

AlyceMiller8

They have the nerve to sell Earthbound organic lettuces!!! Never again.

Wendy C-P5

Right with ya. I was at Costco last night. People saw the Taylor Farms logo on some sort of produce, we were all talking about the corrupt story. They're done. I'm done too.

LingProf5

Tell us all when you have a list pls!

Guy Gavriel Kay

@guygavrielkay.bsky.social

Are … Taco Bell??? … emerging as the whistleblower heroes in this WH corruption with a slack farm grower, Taylor Farms, as to an Explosive Trumporrhea outbreak? Do we all need to go EAT there now?

3164h ago

Matti Price14

Yes. One thing these massive chains are good at (and TB seems better than the rest) is deep understanding of the chain of custody that allows very specific ingredient tracing/tracking

Kyleberry9

is it cool if i keep treating Baja Blast like blue wine?

H. Chaos9

I suppose we should all give Demolition Man another watch to see what else is in store.

Ryan Lohner (he/him)6

They did win the Franchise Wars so now they’re every restaurant.

Frederick Lane5

Shouldn't that now be TACO Bell??

Jessica Day George5

More proof that we have slipped into some alternate universe where logic and reason have no place.

uncle Ebenezer 🚫👑 ⭕️ 🟧 🍉

@harrymfhood.bsky.social

NOW BOYCOTTING TAYLOR FARMS! We WERE regular consumers of Taylor Farms bagged salads. Offenses: 1) Trump supporters 2) Paid to change policy against public health 3) used political capital to avoid responsibility That's more than enough to lose my business!

1134h ago

design3.bsky.social3

Will consumers get refunds from Taylor or compensation for lost work time and hospitalization............................. No It never comes back to the actual victims

cam8721.bsky.social1

Say goodbye Taylor Farms !

Patty Cornelius Pottery1

Someone else posted this. Sharing all I can

A.K.B.1

They lost my business when my daughter was hospitalised! We never eat Taco Bell but she had TF bagged lettuce a couple of times and was violently ill.

Tamara1

It needs to be about time we make these suck ass companies pay for their bribes, by the consumers taking them down. We have the power to end every corporation that got into bed with Trump thinking they could game the system!

Quoting this

Ben67

I am in this boycott as well. We must destroy the business of Taylor Farms because we MUST send a message that this will never be acceptable.

Hunter

@hunterub.bsky.social

I still have to think that becoming known as the Diarrhea Brand, the company that likes diarrhea and seems to have tried to keep giving customers diarrhea even after public health officials asked them to stop giving people diarrhea, will work out poorly for Taylor Farms no matter who they donate to.

1155h ago

Annie B Kay3

Ya their brand is 💩 from this point forward, no matter how they try to weasel out of it. 😂😳😂 Taco Bell was actually fairly proactive and transparent.

brokenelm.wsky.social2

They're probably like hmm a stronger regulatory state would have saved us from this mess. Also, had read they tried to suggest the government didn't do enough

NOW can we abolish ICE?1

Yeah! Next time I want diarrhea I will absolutely eat some Taylor Farms lettuce but i expect that to be approximately never, so.....

balzac.bsky.social1

"Diarrhea Farms" would be a good nickname for the company.

Quoting this

Amadi Lovelace14

This is the second time they have been the diarrhea brand. They've also been the E. coli brand. I'm not sure how we stop this trend of Teflon wrongdoers but this number of scandals should end this company.

Pookleblinky

@pookleblinky.bsky.social

It is kind of funny that Taylor Farms' maga owner openly colluding with the openly corrupt FDA to scapegoat Taco Bell, has probably caused a spike of people ordering Taco Bell out of comradery. And then promptly getting perfectly normal diarrhea, from eating fiber for the first time in ages.

1171h ago

Allison Good

@allisonwgood.bsky.social

Never buying Taylor Farms products again but I WILL go to Taco Bell

994h ago

public health guy

@publichealthguy1.bsky.social

in the end, the brazen attempts by taylor farms to conceal their role in this outbreak will very likely cost them much, much more than if they had just done this the right way—honestly and transparently.

892h ago

Kelcie Moseley-Morris4

I fear the new corporate strategy is going to become like this one more and more, where the cover up is just to turn it into a partisan fight and you at least keep half of your customer base

Cheryl Rofer2

I'm not gonna buy any of their stuff for a long time!

WTFGOP a.k.a on Twitter @Doggintrump

@wtfgop.bsky.social

I went to Safeway this morning and they're still selling Taylor Farms explosive diarrhea salad kits

825h ago

Hexadecimal2

They were on the donation table at a senior center...I shit you not, no pun intended

SaraSmirks2

taylor says the fda apologized to them. fda should apologize to US!

Lucky LaRue2

Looks like I didn’t order enough, maybe.🤬

BarbaraB. I Am Antifa, Resist🖕🐸🖕2

Same at Kroger when I was there Monday

derangedme1

Relocated to weights loss section though; they wouldn’t miss a marketing opportunity

Dee’s Dog Mom1

The kits are from California grown lettuce

Matthew Downhour

@matthewdownhour.bsky.social

“I’ll take my chances with Taylor Farms diarrhea but only if it saves me $2.49” is a really interesting kind of person (probably me ngl)

744h ago

Thoreau Away6

My mom very frequently throws out barely questionable food on the opposite of this theory. “Would I pay X to avoid food poisoning?” is an automatic yes for basically any actually existing food price.