Foot traffic at Taco Bell fell 20.8% and lettuce unit sales dropped 19% as the cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce spreads, with 6,707 confirmed cases and more suspected.
U.S. restaurant chains are losing customers and lettuce sales are sliding as a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ central Mexico operations spreads, according to foot traffic data and industry sources. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration traced the parasite to lettuce served at Taco Bell. Taylor Farms said it removed affected products. Cases have continued to rise.
Foot traffic at Taco Bell, owned by Yum Brands, slumped 20.8% on July 23 compared with the average Thursday between Jan. 1 and July 6, analytics firm Placer.ai said. Chopt dropped 12.2% on the same day. Panera Bread fell 3.1%, and Chipotle Mexican Grill slipped 1.4%, the firm said. Chipotle declined to comment. Taco Bell said it removed affected Taylor Farms lettuce as of July 17.
Chipotle carries an Alpha Score of 34, labeled Weak, reflecting the broader consumer caution in the sector. The CMG stock page shows the stock has been under pressure as dining-out sentiment softens.
A Placer.ai representative said the worst may be behind the chains, though the data still shows reduced traffic. The outbreak has produced 6,707 lab-confirmed cases, with more than 11,500 suspected, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Michigan alone reported 9,680 cases on Tuesday, up 427 from a day earlier. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said some retailers and restaurants have stopped sourcing from the affected region in central Mexico over contamination fears.
Fresh lettuce unit sales fell 9% in the week ending July 18 from a week earlier and 19% from two weeks before, according to market research firm NielsenIQ. Paul Sellew, CEO of greenhouse grower Little Leaf Farms, said his company’s sales dropped by double digits. “The consumer has been motivated by fear,” he said.
Little Leaf Farms produces lettuce in greenhouses using potable water and rainwater that undergoes ultraviolet disinfection. Automation means no human touches the lettuce, Sellew said. “Not all leafy greens are created equal.”
Health officials are investigating additional potential sources. In North Carolina, parsley and cilantro were commonly identified ingredients among people who fell ill, the state health department said, suggesting multiple exposure routes. Dr. Tyler Evans, CEO of the Wellness Equity Alliance and a former New York City chief medical officer, said healthy adults can still eat leafy greens outside hard-hit states like Michigan. “The nutritional benefit of leafy greens is significant, so we don’t want to tell people to avoid it at all costs.”
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