Reuters | By Siddhi Mahatole, Bo Erickson, Tom Polansek and Sarah Morland. | July 27, 2026
July 27 (Reuters) – U.S. produce supplier Taylor Farms complained to White House and Food and Drug Administration officials about the government’s inspection process earlier this month, a source familiar with the meeting said on Monday, as Michigan reported a spike in cases of a parasitic disease tied to the company’s lettuce from Mexico.
Consumers have been on edge for weeks about whether it is safe to eat lettuce served at restaurants and elsewhere due to uncertainty over what products may be making people sick with cyclosporiasis, an intestinal disease that can cause explosive diarrhea. Questions persist, and many people have avoided fresh produce to sidestep potential infections.
An FDA investigation linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants sourced from privately held Taylor Farms’ operations in central Mexico. However, health officials are searching for other potential sources.
Some large retailers and restaurants were shunning produce from other growers in central Mexico out of fear about broader contamination of the region’s farms, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said.
U.S. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in a letter that he launched an inquiry into Taylor Farms’ role in the outbreak and whether the company attempted to influence the FDA’s response.
“Taylor Farms donated millions to President Trump, met privately with the White House the night the FDA identified their lettuce as the source of this outbreak, and then reportedly tried to distance themselves from this outbreak,” Garcia said.
Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read the full story here: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/former-fda-chief-says-central-mexico-may-have-broad-cyclosporiasis-contamination-2026-07-27/