5 mins read

Between prices and a diarrhea-causing parasite, lettuce is causing hard times at some restaurants

It’s been a choppy year for restaurants that lean into lettuce. Lettuce prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026 due to hot weather in Arizona, where about one-third of America’s lettuce is grown. Now, restaurants are dealing with the fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce that has sickened thousands of […]

4 mins read

FDA still focused on lettuce supplier as source of parasite, despite faulty test result

WASHINGTON | Federal health officials said Monday they remain focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a multistate outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasite, despite inaccurate test results that the government briefly publicized over the weekend. Food and Drug Administration officials on Monday said a laboratory test incorrectly identified a positive result for […]

2 mins read

Lettuce at Taco Bell in 5 states confirmed as source of a diarrhea-causing parasite outbreak

ATLANTA | Federal health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served by Taco Bell locations across five U.S. states as a source of the widespread outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday confirmed the source and warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants […]

6 mins read

As cyclospora illnesses surge to a record, Michigan officials eye lettuce as a possible cause

NEW YORK | Infections from the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora are surging, with state-level data suggesting that 2026 is already the nation’s worst year for reported cases. More than 30 states have reported infections this year, and current data from them shows the number of infections surpassing the record U.S. mark of about 4,700 set in […]