Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a letter demanding answers over what she calls a "calamitous" federal response to the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak in US history, now at over 24,000 confirmed or suspected cases across 47 states, two deaths, and at least 740 hospitalizations — roughly eight times a typical year's caseload. The FDA has traced nearly 10,000 cases to recalled Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce across 17 states.
Warren notes Taco Bell issued clearer consumer guidance than the FDA or CDC, and highlights that Taylor Fresh Foods' parent company donated $1 million to the pro-Trump MAGA Inc. PAC in March 2025, raising the question of whether that relationship delayed public warnings. A Wall Street Journal report cited in the letter says Taylor Farms lobbyists pressed the White House for more time and proof before being publicly implicated; ABC News separately reported the FDA's 24-hour response deadline was missed by the company before it recalled lettuce on July 17.
Taylor Fresh Foods denies any political influence, calling itself a traceability industry leader, while Kennedy told ABC News on July 21 that the outbreak was "under control" and the source identified.
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