US fresh produce distributor Taylor Farms has voluntarily suspended the production and shipment of any salad mix, leafy green, or salad mix components from its operations in Mexico to the US.
The company officially informed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week in response to the agency tracing back an outbreak of cyclospora in Iowa and Nebraska in the US to the Taylor Farm's Mexican operation.
Taylor Farms has committed to not resume production and shipping of these products from its operations in Mexico without FDA’s approval, according to an update on FDA’s website.
To date only the salad mix has been implicated in the outbreak of cyclospora in Iowa and Nebraska.
This voluntary action goes beyond the implicated salad mix and includes iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red cabbage, green cabbage and carrots, FDA said.
The agency added that the action of Taylor Farms de Mexico exemplifies the company’s cooperation with federal and state officials throughout this “ongoing, complicated investigation”.
According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) multiple state health departments have reported cyclospora infections, mostly between mid-June through mid-July, with at least 34 people reportedly needing hospitalisation.
As of 12 August, CDC has been notified of more than 535 cases of cyclospora infection from the following 19 health departments: Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New York City, Ohio, and Virginia.
FDA said it is not yet clear whether the cases reported are all part of the same outbreak, adding that the agency is continuing its investigation and has not ruled out any possibilities.
