Cyclospora lawsuit against Taco Bell, Taylor Farms filed by Michigan couple
Cyclospora lawsuit: Michigan couple sues Taco Bell, Taylor Farms
On the verdict, Charlie Langton analyzes the complaint by a couple from Durand, Michigan, claiming they caught Cyclosporiasis after eating tainted lettuce from their local Taco Bell.
FOX 2 - A Michigan couple has filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms, claiming they became ill with Cyclosporiasis after eating contaminated lettuce at a Durand location.
The backstory:
Preston and Marie Parrish, who live in the Durand area, west of Flint, say they became seriously ill after eating contaminated lettuce at their local Taco Bell.
The plaintiffs, who are suing for more than $75,000 are claiming damages for general pain and suffering; loss of enjoyment of life, medical and medical-related expenses and emotional distress.
The lawsuit claims:
- Taylor Farms grew, processed, or supplied the contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce.
- Taco Bell required its restaurants to use approved suppliers, including Taylor Farms.
- The contaminated lettuce was served at the Durand Taco Bell, where the plaintiffs ate.
- Both plaintiffs later became ill with laboratory-confirmed Cyclosporiasis.
The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control continue to investigate the source of the outbreak.
Lettuce supplied from a source by Taylor Farmside Mexico was identified for Cyclospora contamination in food served at Taco Bell restaurants in five Midwestern states.
What they're saying:
"On information and belief, and consistent with public reporting, the supplier of the shredded iceberg lettuce identified through the FDA’s traceback investigation was Defendant Taylor Farms, which grew, processed, and/or supplied the shredded iceberg lettuce that was served at the implicated Taco Bell restaurants and that was contaminated with Cyclospora," the lawsuit says. "In response to the investigation, Taco Bell eventually removed shredded iceberg lettuce and other implicated produce from affected restaurants and committed to stop using lettuce from the supplier identified through the FDA’s traceback investigation."
The FDA notified Taylor Farms and continues working with the firm to ensure the product implicated in this outbreak has been removed from the market. FDA and state partners continue to collect and analyze product samples.
Including Michigan, the outbreak has sickened more than 1,600 people from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia — and hospitalized at least 94 people, making it one of the largest Cyclospora outbreaks in U.S. history.
There have been no deaths attributed to the outbreak.
A posted message at a Detroit-area food market in the lettuce section.
Cyclospora lawsuit claims:
The lawsuit includes these claims against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms for:
- Breach of warranty
- Negligence
- Violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act
- Strict liability
- Damages
Recently, Taylor Farms expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the multistate Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people in Michigan and across the U.S.
On Sunday the FDA said that laboratory experts re-reviewed sample results for Cyclospora supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico which was reported positive on July 18, 2026.
It found that it was a false positive, in a statement released Sunday.
How do you get Cyclosporiasis?:
The Cyclospora parasite was first described by Dr. Ashford, a British parasitologist, in 1979 after being found in a stool sample from sickened people in Papua New Guinea in 1977 and 1978.
Cyclospora infections come from eating contaminated food or drinking water after produce is washed in water contaminated with human feces.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, cramping, nausea, fatigue, fever, dehydration, and weight loss.
Untreated, these symptoms can last several weeks or longer, resulting in extreme dehydration and other more serious side effects.
Read the Taco Bell lawsuit::