America’s largest food distributor has suspended purchases of Mexican-grown iceberg lettuce as the cyclospora outbreak continues to disrupt the U.S. produce supply.
Sysco chief executive Kevin Hourican said the company stopped buying iceberg lettuce from Mexico after the parasite outbreak was linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. According to federal regulators, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration traced the outbreak to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico, while investigators continue probing whether other sources may be involved.
“We’re not buying iceberg lettuce from them, and we’re not buying it from Mexico,” Hourican said.
He added that Sysco is working to lessen dependence on any single vendor.
“To the degree that we can further diversify our procurement, that is something we’re actively working on,” he said.
Sysco halted sales and distribution of Taylor Farms’ Mexican-grown iceberg lettuce in mid-July and initiated a voluntary recall before Taylor Farms issued its own. Hourican described Taylor Farms as a high quality and high integrity supplier, but said the company had to act in response to the situation.
“We’ve had to take actions,” he said. “We’ve moved source of product away from them to the degree that we can. Because they’re really big, you can’t just turn it off overnight.”
The problem extends beyond a single producer. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said last week that some major retailers and restaurant chains have begun steering clear of produce from other central Mexico growers amid concern the contamination could be more widespread.
Sysco is now sourcing iceberg lettuce from U.S. growers. Hourican said the company has secured sufficient volume, aided by softer consumer demand for lettuce following the outbreak.
“Taylor Farms is the largest producer, they’re the biggest, and if we’re not able to buy from them, we can easily go elsewhere,” he said. “Replacing the amount we buy elsewhere is the challenge, and it’s something that we’re working on.”
Cyclospora outbreak expands across states
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that spreads through food or water contaminated with human feces. Infection typically causes severe diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Most patients recover, but health officials in Michigan have linked two deaths in people with significant underlying conditions to illnesses that may have been worsened by dehydration related to cyclospora.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases nationwide, with an additional 12,255 suspected cases pending laboratory confirmation, making this the largest cyclospora outbreak on record in the United States.
Federal health officials have said the outbreak now spans 15 states, as public health systems already stressed by other crises, from pandemics to security-related disruptions at airports, face mounting pressures.