Salad farm cited in cyclospora outbreak re-opens after FDA assessment

A farm traced to cyclospora outbreaks in Iowa and Nebraska has re-opened after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration assessment earlier this month found the facility met required food and safety protocols.

A Tuesday news release said the FDA conducted a thorough environmental assessment of Taylor Farms de Mexico Aug. 11 through 19. The assessment, which covered Taylor Farms de Mexico's processing facility and five farms, found conditions and practices were in accordance with safety protocols. The FDA also reviewed a product sampling plan for cyclospora for the farm and the farm has committed to a comprehensive cyclospora sampling program for its products which will include sampling of their products, water and sanitary conditions of facilities.

Taylor Farms de Mexico resumed production and shipment of salad mix, leafy greens, and salad mix components on Aug. 25.

The re-opening comes after the farm voluntarily stopped production and shipment on Aug. 9, shortly after the FDA determined the farm had supplied the cyclospora-laden salad mixes to Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants in the two states, which are owned by Darden Corporation, through an epidemiologic traceback investigation.

As of Aug. 22, 156 cases were reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health, 45 of which were in Linn County. The release from the FDA said no one who has eaten in the restaurants in the two states has reported becoming ill with the parasite since July 2.

The FDA will continue to investigate the cyclospora outbreak with its federal, state and local partners, the release said.