CHICAGO, Aug 4 - Sysco, the nation’s largest food distributor, has stopped procuring iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms and from suppliers in Mexico while U.S. authorities investigate a cyclosporiasis outbreak, CEO Kevin Hourican said on Tuesday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants and traced that particular supply back to privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico. Federal investigators, however, say they are still pursuing other potential sources of contamination.
"Were not buying iceberg lettuce from them, and were not buying it from Mexico," Hourican said in an interview. "To the degree that we can further diversify our procurement, that is something were actively working on."
In mid July, Sysco stopped sales and distribution of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from Mexico and initiated a voluntary recall. Hourican said that after the distributor took that step, Taylor Farms provided notice of the official recall.
Last week, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb observed that several large retailers and restaurant chains had been avoiding produce from other growers in central Mexico because of concerns about wider contamination across farms in the region. Hourican said Sysco has altered the country and geography of origin for some of its lettuce purchases and is communicating the changes to customers.
The company did not provide additional details about which alternative suppliers it has engaged or the timeline for restoring purchases from previously used sources. Houricans remarks indicate the distributor is seeking to spread procurement across different origins to reduce dependence on any single supplier or region.
Context and implications
The actions by Sysco reflect a precautionary procurement response while investigators continue to assess the outbreak's origins. The distributor has taken steps to remove the implicated lettuce from its distribution network and inform customers about sourcing changes.
Authorities have linked at least some of the outbreak cases to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms in central Mexico, but they have not ruled out other sources. The investigation remains active.