August 21, 2026 | Source: Farm Action | by Jessica Cusworth
The 2026 Cyclospora outbreak has sickened thousands of people across the United States and killed at least two. In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell and supplied by Taylor Farms, a company most Americans had never heard of despite its enormous reach.
Taylor Farms’ products are in grocery stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and prepared foods, often under other names. That extensive and often hidden reach raises questions that go far beyond this outbreak. When so much of the food supply runs through a single company, a problem can quickly affect people across the country.
This report examines how Taylor Farms became one of the country’s largest produce suppliers, how far its reach extends, and what that power means for food safety, farmers, workers, and competition. It also looks at the company’s political influence, raises questions about government oversight, and recommends policy changes to strengthen food safety, competition, transparency, and public accountability.
