Mexico Farm Linked to Cyclospora to Resume Operation: FDA

The Mexico farm that has been tied to an outbreak of severe stomach illnesses in two states has been given the green light by the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to resume operations after no food safety violations were found at the facility.

The Mexican unit of Taylor Farms, a food processor whose salad mix had been linked with an intestinal bug outbreak that affected some Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, was at the center of food safety concerns.

The number of people sickened around the country has topped 600. The company had voluntarily ceased operations after being linked to the outbreak of the rare parasite cyclospora.

The investigation found the company was working "in accordance with known food safety protocols," but the FDA said Taylor Farms has agreed to sample its water and produce for cyclospora at its Mexican farm.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is working with Texas to try and discover the source of more than 250 cyclospora infections there.

Cyclospora, which causes a number of symptoms including diarrhea and fatigue, has sickened more than 600 people this summer in 22 states, including Florida.

The cause in most of those states is still being investigated, but in Texas, which had the largest number of cases at 250, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Monday the illnesses do not appear to be related to Taylor Farms.