Walmart removes Marketside salads during cyclospora investigation
The retailer said four Taylor Farms-made iceberg lettuce salads were pulled as a precaution, with no confirmed illnesses tied to the items.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Walmart has taken four Marketside bagged iceberg lettuce salad products off shelves as federal and state officials investigate a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce. The move matters because recalls connected to Taylor Farms products are widening while health agencies work to trace the parasite’s source.
Walmart said Saturday the products were made by Taylor Farms and sold under its Marketside private label at select stores. The company said it had no confirmed reports of illness connected to those items.
A Walmart spokeswoman said the retailer had not seen evidence that products sold in its stores are part of the current cyclospora investigations. She said Walmart removed the four products after a supplier notice and did so as a precaution.
Taylor Farms had earlier pulled products from a farm in Mexico that were shipped to 27 states. The company said Friday that no other products were affected and that its branded salad kits sold in supermarkets did not contain iceberg lettuce.
On Saturday, Taylor Farms said it was recalling all iceberg lettuce because it had the potential to be contaminated with Cyclospora. The company said it had stopped receiving product from the implicated lot, halted distribution of iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico, notified customers and was working with the US Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state agencies.
The shredded iceberg lettuce was distributed from June 29 through July 16, according to Taylor Farms. The FDA said Friday that additional states could be added to the recall notice.
Mexico’s Health Ministry said Saturday that the Mexican government is working with the FDA in an ongoing inquiry to identify the source of the US outbreak. The ministry said research bodies from Mexico’s health and agriculture agencies are sharing technical information with US officials to reduce health risks in both countries.
The Mexican government also cautioned that identifying a product’s country of origin does not prove contamination happened in Mexico. Mexico pledged to investigate the outbreak’s origins while pushing back on assumptions that the parasite came from within its borders.
The CDC says cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness caused when a person ingests a microscopic parasite. The agency says cases have been reported across 34 US states.
Michigan has reported the largest number of illnesses, with more than 5,000 cases as of July 17, according to state health officials. State case totals often trail national counts.
According to the CDC, cyclosporiasis can cause severe diarrhea and nausea lasting from several days to a couple of months. Symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure, which can make it harder for investigators to identify the contaminated food.
Earlier in the week, health officials said a lettuce supplier serving Taco Bell restaurants in the Midwest was the source of most infections. Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.