Wait…Now the FDA Says the Positive Lettuce Test Was Wrong

The lettuce tied to the massive Cyclospora outbreak just took another strange turn.

Over the weekend, the FDA announced that a lettuce sample supplied by Taylor Farms de México that originally tested positive for Cyclospora was actually a false positive. After taking another look at the results, experts determined the test did not show a confirmed detection of the parasite.

Well, that's just great.

Does This Mean the Recalled Lettuce Is Safe?

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No, and this is where things get a little confusing.

According to Fox 2 Detroit, the FDA says there are currently no confirmed positive lettuce samples, but the investigation is still ongoing. Officials traced shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan and four other states back to Taylor Farms de Mexico.

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More than 1,644 people have gotten sick after eating at Taco Bell locations tied to this outbreak, and 94 of them ended up in the hospital.

The Cyclospora Lettuce Recall Isn't Going Anywhere

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Taylor Farms is still recalling iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, including certain Marketside iceberg salads and shredded lettuce sold at Walmart.

If you have any of the recalled products with "Best If Used By" dates between July 18 and August 3, don't eat them. Toss them out or take them back to the store for a refund.

Meanwhile, Michigan's case count continues to climb. The state is now reporting 6,148 Cyclospora cases, including 169 in Genesee County. At least 102 people have been hospitalized.

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So yeah, even though that positive lettuce test turned out to be a false positive, don't mistake that for an all-clear. Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what happened, and the recall is still very much in effect.

It really feels like they still don't know exactly what's causing this outbreak.

Sure, they've traced the illnesses back to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations. But they still don't have the smoking gun: a confirmed positive product sample.