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Sysco stops buying Mexican lettuce amid cyclospora outbreak
Fox Business • • business
Key Points:
- Sysco, the largest food distributor in the U.S., will stop purchasing iceberg lettuce from Mexico amid a federal investigation into a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to the product, which has caused at least two deaths in Michigan.
- The outbreak has been traced to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico through Taylor Farms de Mexico, which voluntarily recalled certain lettuce products despite disputing positive cyclospora test results from the FDA.
- Sysco ceased selling and distributing the affected lettuce last month and is now sourcing iceberg lettuce grown in the U.S., working to diversify suppliers to replace the volume previously bought from Taylor Farms.
- Cyclosporiasis, caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, leads to severe intestinal symptoms and prolonged illness but is rarely life-threatening; the two Michigan deaths involved patients with significant underlying health conditions.
- Health officials continue to investigate the outbreak, noting lettuce or salad greens as a likely source but have not ruled out other food items or identified a specific grower or supplier conclusively.
