Farm linked to ‘diarrhea lettuce’ cyclosporiasis outbreak hadn’t been inspected in 7 years, report says

(Gray News) — The farm believed to be the source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak had not been inspected in seven years, according to a new report from CBS News.

FDA officials have linked the outbreak to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms’ facility in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. Taylor Farms is headquartered in Salinas, California.

The cyclosporiasis outbreak has resulted in two deaths and nearly 25,000 cases in the United States. The two deaths were reported in Michigan at the beginning of August, AP reported.

According to CBS News and CNN, the farm was last inspected by the FDA in 2019. Prior to that, it hadn’t been inspected since 2013, when it was under investigation for another cyclosporiasis outbreak.

CBS News said the FDA has not been meeting goals for inspections at foreign facilities for years, with the agency carrying out just under 1,000 foreign food safety inspections in 2025.

A federal law enacted to prevent contaminated food from reaching the American people requires the FDA to carry out nearly 20 times that amount each year. But the FDA has not met even 10% of its goals in the 10 years the law has been in place, the CBS report said.

The report said that, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic years, 2025’s inspection count was the lowest since 2011. Early data for 2026 shows that the FDA is on track to post similar numbers this year.

FDA officials said the number of foreign facilities the agency is expected to inspect is unrealistic, citing budget and staffing challenges.

A separate report from CBS News noted that Taylor Farms has been connected to several previous food recalls in recent years. One of the most notable recalls came in 2024, when its sliced onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders were contaminated with E. coli, resulting in one death and at least 100 illnesses.