By Rajwa Quasim
Sysco, the largest food distributor in the U.S., has stopped purchasing iceberg lettuce from Mexico. The move comes as the country continues to battle its largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis.
Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican said the company has shifted away from Mexican lettuce and is planning to diversify its supply amid the outbreak. “We’re not buying iceberg lettuce from them, and we’re not buying it from Mexico,” Hourican said in an interview. “To the degree that we can further diversify our procurement, that is something we’re actively working on.”
Sysco voluntarily halted the selling and distribution of iceberg lettuce of Taylor Farms in mid-July. Later, Taylor Farms notified their distributers of an official recall. “It’s a high quality, high integrity shop, but we’ve had to take actions. We’ve moved source of product away from them to the degree that we can. Because they’re really big, you can’t just turn it off overnight,” Hourican said.
READ: FDA says US food supply remains safe despite rise in cyclosporiasis cases (July 29, 2026)
The company is now shifted to the procurement of iceberg lettuce grown in the U.S. Hourican noted that they have enough supply based on current need as cyclosporiasis outbreak sharply reduced the demand for lettuce. “Replacing the amount, we buy elsewhere is the challenge, and it’s something that we’re working on,” he said.
Cyclosporiasis outbreak has disrupted the U.S. food supply chain as distributers, restaurants and retailers fear of selling contaminated produce. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), six more states have been identified as a cyclosporiasis outbreak, making the affected states a total of 15. As of now, the country has more than 10,468 confirmed cases and another 12,255 suspected.
The U.S. Food and Administration (FDA) has linked one of the outbreaks to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants that was supplied by Taylor Farms in Mexico. It was traced back to around nine states. The patients informed the investigators that they had consumed Taco Bell before getting sick. The agency’s surveillance lags state reporting by several weeks. However, the agency said that the investigation is ongoing and that it is still examining whether there are any other sources that is responsible for the outbreak.
READ: Taco Bell lettuce linked to parasite outbreak in five states (July 17, 2026)
Other states joining the outbreak tied to lettuce from Mexico are Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina, the report said, citing a person familiar with the investigation
Cyclospora, a tiny parasite, causes an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. As it enters the body, it affects the intestines, and the symptoms last weeks, if not treated. According to the CDC, an individual gets infected after eating or drinking contaminated food and water, usually when human waste enters the food or water supply.
The most common symptom is frequent, watery diarrhea, but the infection can also cause loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, and extreme tiredness. To prevent the infection, it is recommended to follow hygiene and caution in way of handling food produce
Generally, cyclosporiasis is not life threatening, but in Michigan, two deaths have been reported as the infected individuals had underlying health conditions that may have been affected by the disease.