Taco Bell Allegedly Aware of Diarrhea Parasite Outbreak Before Informing Customers

Last month, Taco Bell found itself at the center of a Cyclospora parasitic outbreak, prompting some Michigan locations to voluntarily pull lettuce from their menus. Recent reports suggest that Yum! Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, was allegedly aware of the parasite linked to its restaurants about two weeks before it publicly addressed the issue with customers.

On August 3, it was revealed that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services contacted Yum! Brands on July 2 to discuss the outbreak, based on documents obtained through a public records request. Michigan officials followed up with an email, seeking to connect with the company’s supply chain quality assurance and communications teams to discuss potential interventions to mitigate future cases. Around this time, Taco Bell was already fielding media inquiries regarding lettuce contaminated with Cyclospora.

“While it was reassuring to hear that you had not received complaints and your staff were not reporting illness, we have a strong signal from our epidemiologic interviews that we need to continue to work with Taco Bell,” wrote Michigan state epidemiologist Sarah Lyon-Callo.

On July 6, Michigan officials requested documents from Taco Bell and Yum! Brands related to the outbreak, emphasizing the need for timely information to protect public health. The following day, local media in Detroit reported that some Taco Bell locations had begun displaying signs stating:

“We are currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall. We apologize for the inconvenience. Any items ordered that normally come with these items WILL NOT contain them.”

At that point, neither Taco Bell nor Yum! Brands had publicly acknowledged a recall, and neither the CDC nor state officials had called for one. These signs led many to associate the outbreak with Taco Bell.

It wasn’t until July 14, 12 days after Yum! Brands and Taco Bell were informed about the outbreak potentially affecting their locations, that the company publicly confirmed it was removing certain items from its menu. Four days later, over two weeks after the initial contact with state officials, Taco Bell issued an online apology, stating it had removed Taylor Farms lettuce and produce from its restaurants and encouraging customers to return.

The Cyclospora outbreak has affected more than 6,707 individuals across 45 states, according to the CDC. U.S. officials and experts are investigating other potential sources of the outbreak, with at least two individuals with underlying health conditions reported to have died from the parasite.