Taco Bell is offering steep discounts on lettuce-free menu items as the fast-food chain works to recover from the business impact of the cyclospora outbreak.Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite known to cause cyclosporiasis, the hallmark symptom of which is diarrhea, according to the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Cases linked to the multistate cyclospora outbreak began surfacing in May. The FDA said its traceback investigation identified shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and sourced from central Mexico as the likely source of the outbreak. CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK: IS IT STILL SAFE TO EAT AT RESTAURANTS? HERE'S WHAT TO KNOWAlthough the FDA later said a laboratory test on one lettuce sample was a false positive, the agency said its epidemiological evidence continues to support the recall of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce.Nine states reported cases of cyclosporiasis linked to Taco Bell. Taylor Farms announced that it was "voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S.market," the FDA reported, and Taco Bell announced in mid-July that it completed the removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants.Taco Bell announced it completed removal of iceberg lettuce connected to a foodborne illness outbreak from its restaurants.
(iStock)Foot traffic at Taco Bell has dropped each day since July 13, Reuters reported. Shares of parent company Yum! Brands have fallen nearly 10% since July 10, according to reports.In the wake of the outbreak, Taco Bell has been offering discounted items that exclude shredded lettuce, the ingredient tied to the outbreak investigation.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWSEarlier this week, Taco Bell announced on Instagram that it would be offering its fan-favorite Mexican pizza, which is lettuce-free, for $1 for one day at participating locations.The promotion followed a $1 deal on Enchiritos and $1 regular nacho fries (for rewards members using the app), both lettuce-free menu i...