Company Overview
About Taco Bell
Taco Bell is one of the country’s largest fast-food chains, with more than 8,000 U.S. restaurants serving Mexican-inspired food. In July 2026, it landed at the center of a Cyclospora investigation after the CDC linked shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell to an outbreak that now spans 17 states.
The 2026 Cyclospora Outbreak
On July 16, 2026, the CDC linked shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell to a cyclosporiasis outbreak and told people in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia not to eat it. By the agencies’ August 20 update the outbreak had grown to 17 states, 10,930 illnesses, at least 454 hospitalizations, and two deaths reported in Michigan, and it now covers people exposed to the recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce anywhere it was served or sold, including people who had earlier reported eating at Taco Bell. On July 17, FDA said its traceback converged on Taylor Farms de Mexico as the single supplier of the implicated lettuce. Taylor Farms de Mexico announced a voluntary removal of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, and Taylor Fresh Foods recalled that lettuce the same day. The FDA posted the recall on July 18 and says Taco Bell stopped using lettuce from that supplier on July 17. The full national Cyclospora surge is even larger, more than 29,000 reported cases, and the CDC says it includes illnesses unrelated to this outbreak. Our Taco Bell Cyclospora outbreak page tracks the current numbers.
A 2006 E. coli Outbreak
This is not the first time Taco Bell food has been tied to a national investigation. In late 2006, the CDC and FDA investigated an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to Taco Bell restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and South Carolina. It sickened 71 people and hospitalized 53, and investigators identified shredded lettuce as the most likely source after early attention on green onions. Learn how these claims work on our E. coli lawyer page.
Your Legal Options
If a lab confirmed Cyclospora and you can connect your illness to food you ate at Taco Bell, you may have a claim against the restaurant and its suppliers. Ron Simon & Associates has filed suit against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms and represents hundreds of people sickened in this outbreak. Read our Cyclospora lawyer guide or request a free consultation to have the evidence reviewed.