Yes, at least according to available evidence.
So far, authorities in Mexico and the United States say there is no confirmed evidence that iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico was contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite responsible for a multi-state outbreak of Cyclospora infections in the U.S. that is widely known for its unpleasant side effect of “explosive diarrhea.”
US parasite outbreak leads to a Mexican advisory for US-bound travelers
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Saturday that a lettuce sample obtained during border surveillance of products from Taylor Farms in Mexico had tested positive for the Cyclospora parasite. However, it said Sunday the test produced a “false positive.”
The false positive was revealed after the agency’s laboratory specialists reviewed the sample again and concluded that the initial result was incorrect.
The latest news does not change Taylor Farms Mexico’s earlier voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce produced in central Mexico, which was served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Taco Bell also reported that it recalled lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico starting on July 17.
In a statement Sunday, Taylor Farms de Mexico echoed the FDA’s statement and acknowledged its correction.
“To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora,” the company said.
Mexico became the center of public attention after the FDA identified a common lettuce supplier through epidemiological tracing: Taylor Farms de Mexico, located in the central state of Guanajuato.
In response to the accusations, the Mexican Ministries of Health and Agriculture activated an inter-institutional technical group led by the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) and the General Directorate of Epidemiology (DGE) to collaborate with the U.S. in the investigation of the outbreak.
From the outset, the Mexican government clarified that the reference to the country of origin was a traceability measure, not conclusive proof that the contamination had occurred within Mexican territory.
Authorities in Mexico said they will continue working in coordination with the U.S. to determine the source of the outbreak and protect the population of both countries.
With reports from Bloomberg and El País
