So Is It Safe to Eat at Taco Bell Right Now?

It’s been one wild summer—and we’re not talking solely about all of the new fast food menu additions that have happened. We’re talking about the outbreak that’s got everyone worried about what’s in the fridge and hiding in the ingredients of their favorite meals.

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More than 1,600 people have fallen ill thanks to an ongoing Cyclospora outbreak that started in mid-May. The intestinal bug is making headlines not only because its symptoms are, well, explosive, but also because the outbreak has been linked to Taco Bell. 

Cyclospora cases were traced back to a number of Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The culprit? Shredded iceberg lettuce used to make some of Taco Bell’s staple menu items.

That confirmation has made picking up a box of hard or soft tacos at your local Taco Bell a bit of a daring adventure. Will you wind up with an explosive case of Cyclospora if you dine here? You might—but it’s a little more complicated than simply swearing off Taco Bell forever.

Yes, You Can Still Enjoy Taco Bell

First things first: You don’t need to fear your favorite Taco Bell foods. It’s perfectly safe to dine there, even if you do reside in one of the states linked to the outbreak.

On July 17th, Taco Bell issued a statement confirming that the Taylor Farms lettuce at the center of the Cyclospora outbreak had been removed from its restaurants. The fast food chain axed its shredded lettuce voluntarily and it won’t be serving any at locations nationwide (at least not for the time being). According to the statement, Taco Bell removed the lettuce specifically “to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely.”

And the restaurant chain even went a step further, confirming that it would replace its Taylor Farms lettuce with an option from another supplier. 

So, you don’t need to panic if you were planning on grabbing tacos tonight. Any potentially problematic lettuce has already been pulled from locations across the U.S.—and you don’t need to fear Cyclospora making an appearance at Taco Bell.

If You’re Worried, Avoid Lettuce

Obviously, even though Taco Bell has taken action to cut the risk of diners getting sick at its own restaurants, the Cyclospora outbreak is still ongoing. After all, Taylor Farms products are quite widely used and sold; odds are you’ve picked some up at your own local grocery store in the last few weeks or months in the form of shredded iceberg lettuce, bagged salads, or even salad mix kits. Plus, reports note that the parasite isn’t merely limited to lettuce. It can pop up in other fresh ingredients and foods, such as berries (like raspberries), leafy green herbs (like basil and cilantro), and snow peas or snap peas.

But lettuce is, hands down, the most common food illness culprit. In fact, research has found that lettuce is involved in over 75 percent of the foodborne illnesses that come from leafy greens. It most commonly results in E. coli and Salmonella infections and illnesses. But regardless of the potential bacteria or parasites hiding on lettuce, it’s worth knowing that lettuce is tied to so many outbreaks simply because it’s so easily contaminated. Its soil can be impacted by contaminated water and the water used to keep it hydrated can also deliver a direct dose of bacteria and parasites. 

So, if there’s one thing you should be worried about, it’s not Taco Bell—it’s lettuce in general. For anyone who’s been skeptical about salads, you’ve now got the perfect excuse to skip those leafy greens in favor of something that rarely poses problems, like a good ol’ burger… or one of Taco Bell’s burritos (I’d pick a lettuce-free one, like a basic-but-still-amazing bean burrito).