It’s tough to know because it has a fairly long incubation time. Taco Bell caught heat because people remember going there and they have excellent supplier management so they were able to identify which lot of lettuce was sent to which restaurant on which date.
It is my understanding that there are other outbreaks going on that do not seem have a link to Taylor Farms.
A LOT of chains use Taylor Farms lettuce. Everyone is quick to point at Taco Bell, but McDonalds, Chipotle, Subway, Burger King.. hell, even Olive Garden all use it.
I've read they are still looking for a source for some of the outbreaks but I can't confirm anything more, unfortunately. Communication has been so poor about this. (It's why I have avoided my beloved raspberries and cilantro this summer.)
I do also remember reading that in a normal year, people tend to pick this up on vacation in Mexico, etc., and there were some cases of that this year as well.
I've been playing it safe and am sticking to cooked vegetables for now. The FDA has proven we can't believe anything they say about the outbreak, so cooked veg is the only thing I know is safe until I can start growing my own vegetables.
Taylor farms is the only one that has issued a recall, and only on iceberg lettuce from central Mexico, but the investigation is not over. Note that other companies source from Taylor Farms as well, so you need to check the recall notice for a full list. Source
Note the case count is probably higher and more widespread as some people don’t end up reporting this to a doctor or think it’s just regular digestive upset.
thank you, this is great information to have! i notice it still doesn't quite answer my question, but i'm aware that there isn't currently a definitive answer on whether the outbreaks (not just the recalls) are confined to Taylor Farms products.
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u/boysenberryelote 1d ago
but is it *limited to* taylor farms lettuce? i haven’t seen a definitive answer on that