Amid a potential link to a diarrhea-causing parasite, Taylor Farms has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products shipped to 27 states, including Mississippi.
Taylor Farms products that may be contaminated with cyclospora, the parasite behind a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak, were shipped to the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“We are actively removing the implicated products,” Taylor Farms said in a statement Friday, adding that the company has stopped sourcing lettuce from an implicated lot in central Mexico.
The recall includes 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand names. The recalled products were shipped as recently as Thursday and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3. A complete list of affected products and lot codes were published by the company here.
Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has halted distribution of all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products sources from Mexico and instructed customers to dispose of them.
Earlier this week, U.S. health officials identified lettuce from a supplier in Mexico as the source of cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.
By Friday, at least 34 states had reported cases, though not all illnesses are believed to be linked to Taco Bell. In Mississippi, five cases have been confirmed across the Delta, Gulf Coast, and Pine Belt regions.
The Mississippi State Department of Health held a press conference Friday afternoon in Jackson. During the briefing, State Epidemiologist Dr. Renia Dotson encouraged residents to be mindful of what they eat, noting that there is no preventive treatment for cyclosporiasis.
“There is no prophylactic treatment at this time,” Dotson said. “I just think that if you start to feel symptoms and if you know you consumed some of those products, report symptoms early so that you can get treatment early. But there is no formal dedication that we are offering that will prevent it.”
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.
Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, bloating, fatigue, and fever. Symptoms typically appear two to 14 days after exposure and can last for weeks.
In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to the CDC, which is investigating more than 5,000 additional illnesses that may be linked to the parasite. At this point last year, only 249 cases had been reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.