Taco Bell locations pull ingredients amid cyclosporiasis outbreak

Some Taco Bell locations are pulling fresh ingredients from their menus as health officials investigate a large cyclosporiasis outbreak in Michigan and nearby states.

Signs posted at some stores, including in Metro Detroit, say the locations cannot serve lettuce, cilantro onion, pico de gallo and guacamole. Coverage of the signs says the ingredients are unavailable because of a nationwide recall.

The restaurant response comes as the outbreak continues to grow. On July 8, the Associated Press reported that Michigan had recorded 992 cases in the current surge and about 40 hospitalizations.

Health officials have not identified the source of the infections. Coverage so far does not confirm any Taco Bell-linked illnesses.

Outbreak timeline

The Taco Bell-specific reports surfaced on July 8, when People said some locations had stopped serving certain fresh ingredients. A later report from the New York Post on July 9 said the same menu changes were showing up at some sites, including in Metro Detroit.

Those reports followed the AP's account of the broader Michigan outbreak, which state officials have called the largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak in the state's history and one of the largest in the U.S. in recent years.

Michigan health officials have said the state usually sees about 50 cyclosporiasis cases a year, making the current count highly unusual.

Why the ingredients matter

Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause prolonged watery diarrhea and is commonly associated with contaminated food or water, especially fresh produce. The ingredients reportedly pulled from some Taco Bell menus are all fresh items that could be relevant in a produce-linked outbreak.

That does not mean investigators have tied Taco Bell to the illness cluster. So far, the public reporting points to precautionary menu changes at some locations while officials try to identify a common source.

What investigators are watching

Public health investigators in Michigan and Ohio are working on the outbreak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is among the agencies following the situation. The main unanswered question is whether a specific produce item, distributor or processing site is responsible.

The current reporting also leaves open whether the ingredient restriction was directed by Taco Bell corporate or adopted at the franchise level in response to the recall language posted at stores.

What comes next

The outbreak is still being tracked as case counts rise and investigators search for a source. Consumers should watch for any CDC or FDA update that identifies a suspect ingredient or distributor.

It is also unclear whether the Taco Bell ingredient restrictions will expand beyond Metro Detroit or beyond Taco Bell altogether.