Taylor Farms founder speaks out amid FDA probe into cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce

Published Jul 24, 02:09 PM UTC

Bruce Taylor, founder and CEO of Taylor Farms, America's largest salad producer, spoke publicly for the first time amid an FDA investigation linking his company's iceberg lettuce to a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened over 7,000 people and caused nearly 150 hospitalizations. The FDA initially reported a false positive test but later reaffirmed 'overwhelming epidemiological data' linking Taylor Farms to the parasite. Taylor expressed frustration with being excluded from the investigation process and warned consumers not to avoid fresh produce. The company has recalled lettuce from Central Mexico and deployed its own specialists to investigate. Taylor Farms, with an estimated $7 billion in annual revenue, has a history of recalls, including a 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's onions.