ToplineTaco Bell said Friday it removed Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants, hours after the popular salad producer—which has been identified as the possible source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands—said it would remove iceberg lettuce it sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.Taco Bell announced the removal of lettuce Friday afternoon.Photo by Mario Tama/Getty ImagesKey FactsTaco Bell said affected lettuce has been voluntarily removed from its supply chain nationwide so customers could enjoy their food “safely.”Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily pulling the iceberg lettuce, citing information from the Food and Drug Administration as the agency’s investigation has indicated a “specific independent farm” may be responsible for the outbreak.Taylor Farms noted that none of its popular salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.Taylor Farms supplies produce to major fast food and grocery chains such as Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Walmart and Trader Joe’s.Taco Bell said earlier this week it was removing ingredients like lettuce, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo and guacamole from its menus in the Detroit area.Big Number6,745. That is how many possible cyclosporiasis cases there are in the U.S., according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has confirmed 1,645 domestic cases and has found over 5,100 cases that need further testing to be confirmed as domestically acquired cyclosporasis. What Is Cyclosporiasis?Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by cyclospora, a parasite. The illness is contracted through contaminated food or drink and is characterized by watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss. Symptoms typically show one week after infection but can appear as early as two days later or as late as two weeks after.Full Statement From Taco Bell To Forbes“As of July 17, Taco Bell has completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants. Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide. We took this action to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely. We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests. Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and food service operators to do the same.”Full Statement From Taylor Farms To Forbes“Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely. No other Taylor Fresh Foods products across the country are impacted. No Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce. As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken. That trust is something we’ve worked for decades to earn, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence. We will provide continuous updates as new information emerges."Key BackgroundThe CDC has warned cases of cyclosporiasis are likely to increase, noting a six-week reporting lag between illness onset and case reporting. Highly impacted states such as Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia have recorded differing data from the CDC, with Michigan reporting 5,002 confirmed cases as of Thursday. Early in the outbreak, Taco Bell was identified as a possible fast food source, as locations in the Detroit area posted signs they could not sell certain produce as part of a recall, though no recalls directly linked to the outbreak have been reported by the FDA or U.S. Department of Agriculture. Taco Bell has been sued at least three times in federal court this week, with plaintiffs alleging negligence, breach of warranty and violations of deceptive trade practices law for allegedly selling contaminated lettuce.Further ReadingTaco Bell Hit With Federal Lawsuits Over Cyclosporiasis Infections (Forbes)