Taco Bell is taking a more aggressive approach to protecting against cyclospora than federal health officials currently recommend, temporarily pulling some ingredients from select restaurants while the CDC investigates a multistate outbreak.
The fast-food chain told Business Insider on Tuesday it has "voluntarily and temporarily" removed certain ingredients from menus at select restaurants as a precautionary measure given the outbreak of the diarrheal illness.
Taco Bell said the move is precautionary. Health officials have not confirmed a link between the parasite and Taco Bell, any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant, or retailer.
The spokesperson for Taco Bell did not respond to questions about which specific products were removed or which restaurants were affected. Cases have been reported in 31 states since May 1 and are suspected of being linked to contaminated fresh produce, particularly leafy greens and herbs.
Social media posts from customers at some Midwest Taco Bell locations indicate that lettuce, cilantro, onions, tomatoes, and mixtures thereof, such as guacamole and pico de gallo, are temporarily unavailable.
The move goes a step beyond current CDC guidance, which advises consumers to thoroughly wash produce before consumption but adds that there is no guaranteed way to avoid cyclospora because it's often impossible to know whether fresh produce was contaminated.
"The health and safety of our guests is our top priority," a Taco Bell spokesperson said in a statement. "While authorities continue their broader review, Taco Bell has voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure."
The caution reflects the high stakes for restaurant chains when foodborne illness outbreaks become linked to their brands.
Chipotle spent years recovering after its 2015 E. coli and subsequent food safety crises hammered sales and customer confidence. Taco Bell has also weathered major outbreaks before: In 2006, an E. coli outbreak sickened dozens of people across the Northeast and was ultimately traced to contaminated produce in its supply chain, prompting widespread scrutiny of the brand.
Taco Bell did not say what prompted the precautionary removals beyond the ongoing public health investigation, and federal officials have not publicly identified any restaurant chain as the source of the outbreak. The CDC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The latest round of precautions is tied to a CDC investigation into a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an illness caused by exposure to the microscopic Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite, which can cause prolonged watery diarrhea, fatigue, stomach cramps, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Business Insider previously reported that public health experts suspect contaminated fresh produce is the cause of the outbreaks because cyclospora is most commonly spread through food or water contaminated with the parasite.
The illness is treatable with antibiotics, but can last for weeks without treatment.
