Taylor Farms has recalled shredded iceberg lettuce distributed in 27 US states after it was linked to a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection, with health officials warning further product recalls could follow. The recall matters because the company has not named specific brands or identified where the lettuce was sold or served, making it difficult for retailers, restaurants and consumers to know which products to avoid, and because the outbreak is far larger and more widespread than in previous years.

The affected lettuce came from Taylor Farms' Guanajuato facility in Mexico, and cases have now been reported in at least 34 states, with Michigan alone confirming more than 5,000 infections compared with just 249 nationwide last summer. The FDA has linked over 1,600 cases to the product and warned that its investigation, which so far includes Taco Bell restaurants in five states, may expand to identify further contaminated brands or distributors. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr commented publicly for the first time on Friday but did not acknowledge the unusually high case numbers or the possibility of further contaminated products, while Taylor Farms has not responded to questions about the delay in identifying specific products.