‘Not standard’ for Taylor Farms to ask White House to delay cyclospora recall, ex-FDA head says

Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb stated that Taylor Farms's request to the White House to delay a recall announcement tied to a massive cyclospora outbreak was "not standard operating procedure." Gottlieb, who served as FDA commissioner, said he never heard from the White House about outbreaks during his tenure, except for briefings.

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It was not standard operating procedure.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Taylor Farms contacted the White House seeking more time before the government publicly linked the company to the outbreak. The company argued that federal investigators lacked definitive laboratory evidence and expressed concerns about the government overstating their responsibility. Taylor Farms executives reportedly felt they had not received sufficient clarity from the FDA regarding the evidence for a potential recall and its scope.

The recall itself has been marked by confusing messaging. Initially, iceberg lettuce was linked to Taylor Farms de Mexico, which issued a voluntary recall. However, the FDA later stated that lettuce not part of the recall had tested positive for cyclospora, only to retract that statement the next day, calling it a false positive. Despite this, the FDA insisted the recall remained in effect. Taylor Farms issued a statement saying the FDA had apologized to them, though no public information confirmed this. The company also stated that the FDA had not identified any positive product test results for cyclospora.

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And it wasn’t standard operating procedure when I was at FDA.

Taylor Farms later clarified that the recall was still active and that they would no longer source iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for the current growing season. Federal health officials have faced scrutiny for their handling of the outbreak, which has sickened thousands, and for their inconsistent responses. Experts and officials have questioned both the administration's investigation and Taylor Farms's actions.

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So it’s unusual.