TEXAS — Some Taco Bell locations in Texas have temporarily stopped serving lettuce, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Health officials state that no link has been established between Taco Bell and the illnesses.

Signs at some of these restaurants indicate that the ingredients are unavailable due to a nationwide recall. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not announced a recall involving the affected ingredients, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has also not announced a recall involving them. Taco Bell has not publicly confirmed a nationwide recall.

Customers can still order menu items that typically include the affected ingredients, though those items may be served without them. The ingredient shortages are not affecting every Taco Bell restaurant nationwide, and the changes appear limited to certain Texas locations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Texas is among the states with cases of Cyclospora. The agency also notes Cyclospora cases in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Cyclospora causes cyclosporiasis, an illness with symptoms including watery diarrhea, nausea, cramping, bloating, and fatigue.

Why It Matters

Previous outbreaks of Cyclospora have been associated with fresh produce including leafy greens, cilantro, basil, berries, and green onions, which aligns with the ingredients currently unavailable at some Taco Bell locations. Although health officials have not connected Taco Bell to the current illnesses, the parasite has historically been linked to foodborne outbreaks involving imported fresh produce, including a 2017 cyclosporiasis outbreak associated with dining at a Mediterranean-style restaurant chain in Texas.