‘That’s unbelievable’: Jake and Spike stunned as one company linked to nationwide diarrhea parasite outbreak

The “explosive” diarrhea parasite outbreak has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell in five states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed. The New York Times reported the lettuce was supplied by Taylor Farms, a major agricultural company based in California.

KIRO hosts Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill were stunned by Taylor Farms’ massive reach, noting the company supplies products to Taco Bell, Walmart, Target, Costco, and Whole Foods, and was also connected to a 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to onions at McDonald’s.

“They all get their lettuce from the same people. That’s unbelievable,” Jake said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

“More than half the country is provided by this particular agricultural business,” Spike replied.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Jake said.

Taylor Farms linked to previous parasite outbreak

Jake noted Taylor Farms has been linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak before, citing NBC News.

“In 2016, they said 631 people in 25 states were sickened by a salad mix linked to the company,” Jake said. “Health officials concluded many of the illnesses occurred in Iowa and Nebraska among people who had eaten at Olive Garden and Red Lobster. And a lot of their lettuce comes from a processing plant in Mexico.”

The states associated with the infected Taco Bell lettuce are Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, according to the CDC.

As of Friday, officials have reported more than 1,644 cases and 94 hospitalizations due to the Taco Bell lettuce outbreak.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3