A new FDA enforcement report reveals that Taco Bell received only a small fraction of the Taylor Farms lettuce recalled over Cyclospora contamination, despite the chain being the public face of the outbreak that has sickened more than 23,000 people across 47 US states. The bulk of the recalled produce actually went to Walmart, under its Marketside brand, raising questions about why Taylor Farms did not disclose this while public attention remained fixed on Taco Bell. The company, which has faced criticism for its ties to the Trump administration and reluctance to share information during the outbreak, did not respond to a request for comment.

Of the 236,192 cases recalled, just 5,900 (under 2.5%) went to Yum, the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, while Walmart's Marketside received 109,476 cases (over 46%) and Taylor Farms' own brand took 68,897 cases (over 29%). The remainder was split among food service suppliers including Cross Valley Farms, Sysco, Markon and Peak Fresh Produce, plus restaurant chains Subway and Jack in the Box. The FDA's report is far more detailed than Taylor Farms' own recall notice, which used unexplained abbreviations and gave no quantities. It also remains unclear whether the lettuce reached more states than the 27 named in the recall, since cases have also been reported in New York and California, which are not listed.