Taylor Farms a supplier of lettuce to Taco Bell has been connected to a cyclosporiasis outbreak spanning five states.

Established in 1995 by Bruce Taylor along with partners Taylor Farms is a California fresh produce firm that has expanded into a multi-billion dollar operation employing over 24,000 workers at 22 sites throughout North America.

This private firm delivers packaged salads cut vegetables meal kits and prepared items to stores eateries and food service clients. Its offerings have appeared in earlier probes of food related illnesses such as those linked to salad mixes and onions on McDonalds Quarter Pounder burgers.

Authorities have tied shredded iceberg lettuce from certain Taco Bell outlets to a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has affected more than 1600 individuals in five states.

Taylor Farms offered no immediate reply to a Business Insider inquiry.

On Friday the firm released a statement expressing deep concern for those affected and noted that Taylor Farms de Mexico was voluntarily withdrawing all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico from the US market.

It clarified that no Taylor Farms branded salads or kits were involved in the outbreak and that its kits lack iceberg lettuce.

Here is essential information about Taylor Farms its founder its industry growth and notable events in its past.

Taylor Farms began in Salinas California during 1995.

The business started in the Salinas Valley of California known as the Salad Bowl of America due to its rich soil with Bruce Taylor whose family had prior experience in produce.

Over three decades later Taylor continues as chairman and CEO.

Prior to launching Taylor Farms with partners he led Fresh Express a produce brand later bought by Chiquita Brands International. He remains chairman and CEO today.

Taylor Farms operates as a multi billion dollar firm with more than 24000 staff.

Valued at 7 billion dollars per UC Berkeley it has over 24000 employees and 22 production sites in North America. Its divisions create bagged salads meal kits cut vegetables and ready to eat items. The firm and its growers supply about 265 million servings of produce weekly across the continent.

The firm advanced chopped salad kits and grew via acquisitions of other produce companies.

It launched the first branded prepackaged chopped salads in 2012 according to UC Berkeley. Later it acquired Earthbound Farm in 2019 and Eat Smart in 2021.

A large fire hit the main Salinas site in 2022.

In April 2022 flames damaged the flagship Salinas facility destroying a 60000 square foot leafy greens processing zone. It was rebuilt and reopened a year later with capacity for over 15 million pounds of produce each week.

Taylor Farms has faced prior connections to foodborne illness probes.

In 2013 Cyclospora cases at restaurants in Iowa and Nebraska were traced to salad mix from its Mexico unit. That multistate event reported 631 illnesses in 25 states though the CDC noted multiple sources were likely involved. It was also linked to a 2024 E. coli outbreak from onions on McDonalds Quarter Pounders leading to a voluntary recall after 104 illnesses 34 hospitalizations and one death across 14 states. The FDA confirmed the onions as the probable cause.

Officials connect Taco Bell lettuce to an outbreak sickening over 1600 people.

The CDC and FDA attributed the cyclosporiasis cases to shredded iceberg lettuce at some Taco Bell sites in Indiana Kentucky Michigan Ohio and West Virginia. By July 16 there were at least 1644 confirmed cases 94 hospitalizations and no deaths. Not all outlets in those states received the affected lettuce. Traceback pointed to one supplier of Mexican grown iceberg lettuce. Officials did not name it publicly but Taylor Farms indicated it was an independent farm tied to the company. Taco Bell removed the lettuce from select state locations and ended its use nationwide. On Friday it confirmed all affected Taylor Farms lettuce had been cleared from restaurants.

Investigations into the cyclosporiasis outbreak are ongoing.

The FDA is checking if more contaminated lettuce from the supplier is available and if it reached other outlets retailers or businesses. More states may join the advisory. Taylor Farms de Mexico is pulling all central Mexican iceberg lettuce from the US market and notes its branded kits contain no iceberg. The CDC is reviewing other clusters and additional Cyclospora reports that may stem from different sources. Officials caution the national rise in cases likely involves multiple origins.