A Lettuce Recall Tied to Two Deaths Is the Biggest of Several Active US Food Recalls Right Now

A Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico has sickened 10,930 people across 17 states, including at least 454 hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update reported August 21, 2026. The Cyclospora outbreak has the higher reported illness count and death toll of the two concurrent foodborne-illness outbreaks described here. Other food-safety stories in the same news cycle include a separate Salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeño peppers, a nearly 19-million-egg recall the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has classified at its highest recall-risk level, and a nationwide ice cream bar recall announced just days ago.

These are separate events that happen to be in the news at the same time. Investigators have not tied the lettuce outbreak, the jalapeño outbreak, the egg recall or a newer soup recall to one another.

Key facts

Lettuce (Cyclospora): 2 deaths, 10,930 illnesses, at least 454 hospitalizations in 17 states — Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce, recalled since July 17, 2026
Jalapeños (Salmonella Javiana): 431 illnesses, 57 hospitalizations, no deaths, across 32 states — supplier in Sinaloa, Mexico via Coast Citrus Distributors
Eggs (Salmonella Enteritidis): about 19 million eggs recalled July 22, 2026 by Midwest Poultry Services; FDA raised it to Class I, its highest risk category; 98 illnesses and 26 hospitalizations tied to it, no deaths
Ice cream bars: Dreyer’s recalled select Outshine Fruit Bars nationwide on August 18, 2026 after glass fragments were found; no illnesses reported
Soup: Kettle Cuisine’s Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kit recalled for possible Listeria; use-by date August 22, 2026
These are separate events — investigators have not linked them to one another

The lettuce outbreak: still being tracked

At a glance: Iceberg lettuce, Taylor Farms de Mexico — sold at Taco Bell and at retail, shipped to 27 states, recalled since July 17, 2026, no lot codes released.

Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from its central Mexico processing on July 17, 2026, after health officials identified it as the likely source of a Cyclospora outbreak — a parasite that causes prolonged intestinal illness. The lettuce was shipped to Taco Bell locations and sold at retail. Those two numbers measure different things: PBS reported the lettuce itself was shipped to 27 states, while the CDC has counted actual illnesses in 17 states. A state on the shipping list is not the same as a state with reported illnesses — one shows where the product went, the other shows where people got sick. The case count was still climbing as of the August 21 update, so the outbreak is not yet considered over. No specific lot numbers or date codes have been released for the recalled lettuce; the recall covers iceberg lettuce Taylor Farms de Mexico shipped starting July 17, 2026, regardless of package date. If you have any iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico in your kitchen, that’s reason enough to throw it out.

The jalapeño outbreak: 431 sick, no deaths, still under investigation

At a glance: Fresh jalapeños from a Sinaloa, Mexico grower via Coast Citrus Distributors, and finished products made with them — reached retail distribution centers in 26 states through Hannaford, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods, best-if-used-by dates up to August 16, 2026.

A separate Salmonella Javiana outbreak has been linked to fresh jalapeño peppers grown by a supplier in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. As of the most recent CDC figures, it has sickened 431 people across 32 states, with 57 hospitalizations and no deaths reported. Illness onset dates run from June 19 to August 2, 2026, and as of the latest reporting around August 20-21, the investigation remains active rather than resolved.

Chipotle and Qdoba both stopped serving the implicated jalapeños as a precaution — Chipotle switched suppliers starting July 20, Qdoba dropped jalapeños from its stores starting July 28 — though the CDC and FDA have not named either chain as the source; investigators consider the peppers themselves the likely source.

Taylor Fresh Foods (a separate name from Taylor Farms, and no confirmed corporate link has been established between them) recalled finished products made with the recalled jalapeños in early August 2026. Those products reached retail distribution centers in 26 states and were sold at Hannaford, Kroger, Stop & Shop, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods, with best-if-used-by dates up to August 16. The recall also reached restaurants and other retailers downstream: on August 8, USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert covering 18 meat and poultry products made with the jalapeños, including items under the Taylor Farms, Walmart Marketside and H-E-B names. Separately, Trader Joe’s pulled 668 packages of its Fiesta Salad with Shrimp because the salsa in it was made with the recalled peppers. Check any jalapeños or prepared item containing them against the recall notice for these retailers, and skip it if it matches.

Nearly 19 million eggs, now the government’s highest-risk recall category

Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. voluntarily recalled about 1,589,577 dozen — roughly 19 million — white and brown cage-free shell eggs on July 22, 2026, after possible Salmonella Enteritidis contamination turned up during environmental testing at two Texas farms. The recall breaks down like this:

Production window: June 6 to July 3, 2026
Sell-by or best-by dates: July 20 to August 17, 2026
Brands: Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning and Sunups
States: Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico and Mississippi

In mid-August, the FDA reclassified the recall to Class I — its most serious risk category, reserved for situations where using the product could cause serious health problems or death. The agency has tied 98 illnesses across 17 states, including 26 hospitalizations and no deaths, specifically to these recalled eggs; the FDA has said the wider Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak includes other illnesses it has not linked to this particular recall. Check any carton against those brands, states and dates before you use it.

The newest recall: Outshine Fruit Bars, for glass

At a glance: Outshine Fruit Bars — Black Cherry, Grape, Tangerine, Strawberry and Watermelon six-count boxes, plus the 24-count variety pack — sold nationwide, best-before dates May through November 2027.

The most recently announced recall is Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream’s nationwide voluntary recall of select Outshine Fruit Bars, issued August 18, 2026, after consumers reported finding glass fragments in the product. The recall covers Black Cherry, Grape, Tangerine, Strawberry and Watermelon six-count boxes and a 24-count variety pack, limited to specific batch codes with best-before dates from May through November 2027. Dreyer’s said no illnesses or injuries had been reported as of the announcement. Check the batch code printed on the bottom of the package against the recalled list; a match means the bars go back for a refund, not into the freezer.

What else to check

At a glance: Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kit (UPC 194346474004) — sold at select Walmart stores, use-by date August 22, 2026.

A handful of smaller recalls are also active in the same window. Kettle Cuisine recalled 3,240 units of its Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kit — sold exclusively at select Walmart stores — after a company test came back presumptive positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The product’s use-by date is August 22, 2026, so anyone who bought it should check the package now rather than use it. Separately, City Foods, Inc. recalled about 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef on August 8 over possible Listeria.

Across all of these, the same basic steps apply: check the lot code, sell-by or use-by date, and UPC on your package against the specific company or FDA/USDA recall notice — the FDA posts its notices at fda.gov, and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service posts meat and poultry alerts at fsis.usda.gov — don’t eat or serve anything that matches, and either discard it or return it to where you bought it for a refund.