Sysco is moving iceberg lettuce sourcing away from Mexico amid cyclosporiasis outbreak

America’s largest food distributor, Sysco, has stopped buying iceberg lettuce from Mexico amid mounting cyclosporiasis cases in the US, the company’s CEO Kevin Hourican told Reuters. 

Since the beginning of the outbreak (the largest on record in the US), demand for iceberg lettuce has declined. According to Nielsen IQ data cited by The Wall Street Journal, fresh lettuce sales in the US dropped 8.7 percent between June and July, prompting growers across the country to plow their crops to the ground. 

Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Hourican, this situation has made it easier for Sysco to replace leafy greens from suppliers with operations in Mexico with US-grown produce. 

The decision largely affects Taylor Farms, the country’s largest salad supplier, which, along with fast food restaurant Taco Bell, is the only company linked to the current cyclosporiasis outbreak. 

In its ongoing investigation, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found “overwhelming epidemiological data,” including tracing and outbreak data converging on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms produced in central Mexico. However, as of August 5th, the federal agency has yet to report confirmed positive sample results for Cyclospora among the company’s products.

As a result, the firm voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market, including Marketside-brand products available at Walmart described as “Iceberg Salad 12-oz or 24-oz” and “Shredded Lettuce 8-oz or 16-oz.” 

In a statement provided by Taylor Farms to FreshFruitPortal.com, the company said that “all implicated product is no longer in the market,” and the company’s SKUs on grocery store shelves, such as salad kits and chopped kits, “are not involved in the recall and are safe to enjoy.”

Referential image via Shutterstock.

This didn’t stop a Michigan woman from suing both Taylor Farms and Taco Bell. In a claim filed on July 31 in the US District Court for the state’s Eastern District, Kimberly Harris alleges a cyclosporiasis infection she got from a meal containing Taylor Farms lettuce and purchased at the fast food chain resulted in serious health complications. She’s seeking at least $25 million in damages. 

In its statement, the company spokesperson said Taylor Farms is confident in its food and food safety systems. 

“We maintain best-in-class Cyclospora prevention protocols and invest more than $200 million annually into our independently audited and verified food safety protocols,” they said. 

Cyclosporiasis cases keep surging

As of the FDA’s latest update issued on August 5th, 47 states have reported cases, but the outbreak investigation is currently only looking into 15, with Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina as the newest additions. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported cases have escalated to 10,468 since May 1st, but the agency is adamant that this total is lower than those reported by individual states, as federal surveillance lags local reporting by several weeks. In its latest update, the CDC says there are 12,255 additional cases that are not laboratory-confirmed, most of them reported by Michigan, the hardest-hit state. 

Hospitalizations have risen to 517, and on August 3rd, health authorities in the Great Lake State reported two people had died, both of them with significant underlying health conditions that may have been affected by the disease.

Cyclosporiasis outbreak map (August 5th, 2026) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the FDA, most people infected with Cyclospora develop diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. Vomiting, body aches, headache, and fever are also common, with symptoms lasting anywhere from a few days to a month or longer.

“If not treated, the illness can lead to dehydration and severe complications that may require higher levels of care,” the agency explains on its website. 

IFPA calls for a more comprehensive investigative approach

According to the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), the decline in demand for iceberg lettuce and other leafy greens resulting from the latest cyclosporiasis outbreak is neither isolated nor temporary. 

Max Teplitski, the industry body’s Chief Science Officer, told the Wall Street Journal that the loss of consumer trust has been felt across the entire produce aisle. This has been confirmed by NielsenIQ data cited by the news outlet, which show that 28 out of 37 vegetable categories, including carrots, spinach, and Brussels sprouts, experienced a decline in sales between June and July. The ripples have also affected associated products, like salad dressings. 

Referential image via Shutterstock.

To make matters worse, past experience says the effects could be long-term, with Teplitski saying that following the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to spinach, sales were dampened for years.

Considering these adverse effects, IFPA is calling for caution and urging the CDC to broaden its investigative approach when it comes to finding the sources of cyclosporiasis or E.Coli outbreaks. 

On August 4th, the association submitted comments advocating for a more comprehensive consideration of exposure pathways, including the possibility of infection in recreational, occupational, and water-related settings. Additionally, IFPA proposed that the CDC review unresolved historical investigations and consider wastewater surveillance as an additional public health tool to understand how Cyclospora circulates.

"Protecting public health and finding the source of outbreaks as quickly as possible are goals we all share," said Teplitski in a press release issued by the organization. "The best way to achieve that is to ensure investigators systematically consider all likely routes of exposure."

*Main image is referential via Shutterstock.

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