Sysco, the world's largest broadline food distributor, has ceased purchasing iceberg lettuce from Mexico following its connection to a cyclosporiasis outbreak. The Houston-based company announced it will no longer buy lettuce from Taylor Farms, a major supplier, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration linked the parasite to illnesses, including two deaths in Michigan.
Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican told Reuters that the company stopped selling Taylor Farms' iceberg lettuce in mid-July, prior to a voluntary recall issued by Taylor Farms on July 18. This recall urged consumers to discard recalled lettuce purchased from retailers including Walmart.
The outbreak, primarily linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms' operations in central Mexico, has affected nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The recalled product was distributed to consumers, restaurants, and retailers in at least 27 states.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness characterized by diarrhea, severe cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. While not typically life-threatening, two individuals in Michigan with significant underlying health conditions died as a result of the outbreak, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. As of July 30, Michigan reported 193 hospitalizations out of 12,218 cases.
Hourican stated that Sysco is now sourcing lettuce from within the U.S. but acknowledged challenges in replacing the volume previously sourced from Taylor Farms. "Replacing the amount we buy elsewhere is the challenge, and it's something that we're working on," he said.
The FDA and CDC have provided public health guidelines to help prevent cyclosporiasis, including avoiding pre-cut salad kits, discarding outer leaves of leafy greens, washing all produce thoroughly, scrubbing firm produce with a brush, cooking vegetables when possible, and sanitizing kitchen equipment to prevent cross-contamination.