Updated July 21, 2026:
Yes, at least according to available evidence.
So far, authorities in Mexico and the United States say there is no confirmed evidence that iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico was contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite responsible for a multi-state outbreak of Cyclospora infections in the U.S. that is widely known for its unpleasant side effect of “explosive diarrhea.”
On July 21, Mexico’s Ministry of Health (SS) confirmed three cases of cyclosporiasis in Mexico, but described the cases as “usual” and ruled out a domestic outbreak.
The news development comes after a series of conflicting findings in the investigation, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) reversal on July 19th of a positive test result for the Cyclospora parasite, obtained from lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms in Guanajuato.
The false positive was revealed after the agency’s laboratory specialists reviewed the sample again and concluded that the initial result was incorrect.
Taylor Farms de Mexico echoed the FDA’s statement and acknowledged its correction. “To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora,” the company said.
US parasite outbreak leads to a Mexican advisory for US-bound travelers
Still, Taylor Farms maintains its voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce produced in central Mexico, which was served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Taco Bell also reported that it recalled lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico starting on July 17. The products compromised are as follows:
Marketside-brand product available at Walmart described as “Iceberg Salad 12-oz or 24-oz” and “Shredded Lettuce 8-oz or 16-oz” with Best if Used By dates of 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026 and July 18th to Aug 3rd 2026
Speaking at Tuesday’s presidential press conference, Health Minister David Kershenobich addressed the FDA’s correction and insisted that so far, there is no conclusive evidence of contaminated produce in Mexico.
Nonetheless, he said Mexican authorities have gone to Guanajuato to take samples and conduct their own research in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In addition, the Mexican Ministries of Health and Agriculture activated an inter-institutional technical group led by the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) and the General Directorate of Epidemiology (DGE) to collaborate with the U.S. in the investigation of the outbreak.
From the outset, the Mexican government clarified that the reference to the country of origin was a traceability measure, not conclusive proof that the contamination had occurred within Mexican territory.
Authorities in Mexico said they will continue working in coordination with the U.S. to determine the source of the outbreak and protect the population of both countries.
