When the Taylor Farms-cyclosporiasis connection was first made by the FDA, it was a pretty huge deal. Of course, the company wasn't exactly keen to let the world know about their products possibly being the reason behind a massive outbreak.
So, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, they sought to stop the world knowing. How, you ask? The outlet reported that Taylor Farms had actually called the White House to ask them to delay the recall itself.
The findings came after weeks of uncertainty as to the mystery parasite's origins. People had become increasingly unsettled as to what they were eating, as health officials were trying to figure out the cause.
But once they had made a link between Taylor Farms lettuce and the outbreak, the produce giant had to act. They called the White House and managed to get in contact with employees from the Food and Drug Administration.
There, they say that the FDA had no evidence as to the source of the outbreak. Taylor Farms said that they didn't want the FDA to initiate a recall if the evidence was shaky.
But that's not the story representatives from the agency say - they argue they gave some pretty strong evidence as to the connection.
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There Was a Lot of Confusion About the Taylor Farms Recall
The recall was very widespread, including a large range of a variety of lettuces which was sent almost nationwide.
But the FDA ended up going back on their claims, saying it was a false positive. Taylor Farms quickly jumped on this, saying it was proof they were right - but health officials still say that the lettuce is in fact contaminated, and the recall still stands.
And the whole thing has left a lot of people confused. Backtracks and backtracks on backtracks - who knows what's right? But, the official word at the moment is that Taylor Farms lettuce is still affected, and an independent investigation is going on to figure things out.
While the recall possibly being delayed or not might have changed public perception around Taylor Farms, one thing remains true. Lots of people got sick, and the parasite problem needs to get fixed.
And whether that's sooner rather than later comes down to the hard work of a lot of people.
