TACO BELL HIT WITH THREE LAWSUITS OVER PARASITE OUTBREAK

Three Taco Bell lawsuits were reported on July 17, 2026, all from customers who say they came down with cyclosporiasis, a parasite infection, after eating at the chain. They include a 27-year military veteran who says the illness put him in the hospital, and the Michigan couple blame lettuce they allege was contaminated.

The suits surfaced the same day the FDA said Taylor Farms de Mexico began a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce. TMZ reported the plaintiffs were two Ohio men and a Michigan couple. The claims are allegations.

What the plaintiffs say happened

David Ott, represented by Ron Simon & Associates, said he bought and ate Taco Supremes at an Ohio Taco Bell on June 18 and June 20. A couple of days later, he said, came abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea and more.

When the symptoms got worse, Ott said, he went to a local hospital and was admitted. There he “underwent a colonoscopy, a CT scan, and extensive blood and stool studies,” and was diagnosed with cyclosporiasis.

Mohammed Ayyad, another Ohio man, said he ate at Taco Bell three times, twice on June 14 and once on June 21. He then developed a headache, chills and persistent diarrhea.

Ayyad gave a stool sample at urgent care on July 6, and TMZ reported it tested positive for Cyclospora and that he was prescribed antibiotics. WLWT reported that court filings said the visit was to a Cleveland Clinic urgent care.

The Michigan couple said they ate shredded lettuce at a Taco Bell on June 30. Their suit alleged it was “grossly contaminated with fecal matter containing the Cyclospora parasite,” and that they got infected and needed medical care.

WLWT reported that the suits named Taco Bell, Taylor Fresh Foods, Taylor Farms, Charter Foods and Pacific Bells, and that the plaintiffs sought a combined $1.4 million plus punitive damages. It identified another plaintiff as Valerie Caruso.

Taco Bell said it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients” as a precaution, and stressed that officials had not confirmed a source. TMZ said Taco Bell and Taylor Farms had not responded to its requests for comment by publication.

At the time, TMZ reported the FDA was looking into Taylor Farms as a possible source of the outbreak, which it described as affecting four Midwestern states. It was the latest chapter in a parasite outbreak.

The lettuce was traced to central Mexico

The FDA later concluded that the outbreak was linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. Its traceback work identified that company as the supplier of the shredded iceberg used at Taco Bell locations where sick people had eaten. The FDA said Taco Bell indicated it stopped using lettuce from that supplier the day of the recall.

The agency said it had received reports of 1,644 people infected with Cyclospora who reported Taco Bell exposure, from five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Overall, the CDC described an outbreak involving iceberg lettuce in 21 states, with exposures reported at various locations including Taco Bell. Most illnesses began before the recall.

Taylor Farms said the recalled lettuce was distributed in 27 states from June 29 through July 16, 2026. The company said its central Mexico facility remained closed while it worked on enhanced safety protocols.

The CDC said, “At this time, there is no risk of people getting sick with cyclosporiasis from this source.” On September 11, 2026, it declared the outbreak over, saying recent infections had declined significantly and the recalled product was no longer in stores or restaurants.

The FDA closed its outbreak investigation on October 2, 2026, and said it would keep working to find out how the lettuce became contaminated.