CANDLER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Produce management at the Ingles Market on Sand Hills Road in Candler has responded to online allegations that the store has been repackaging and selling Taylor Farms products amid concerns over a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
According to the Associated Press, Taylor Farms has been identified by the Food and Drug Administration as the most likely origin point of lettuce products infected with a diarrhea-causing parasite called cyclospora. The bacteria has caused at least 1,645 people to sicken across the United States in 2026.
In North Carolina, 561 cases of cyclosporiasis, the disease caused by cyclospora, have been detected as of July 20, 2026.
Rumors circulated on Facebook on Tuesday, July 21, and today, Wednesday, July 22, alleged that bags of Taylor Farms produce, including broccoli, had been removed by produce employees at the Candler Ingles and resold in unlabeled plastic containers.
Produce management at the Ingles said that while the grocery store occasionally uses bags of Taylor Farms produce to fill chopped vegetable containers, the Candler location has intentionally steered away from the brand since the cyclosporiasis outbreak began.
However, a produce manager did confirm that an Ingles produce department employee had mistakenly pulled Taylor Farms produce off the shelf two to three days ago and filled the containers with the product. According to the manager, once the issue came to the attention of produce management, the containers were quickly taken off the shelves. Taylor Farms products have not been used to fill the containers since.
The manager said that while there has been no formal recall order, for the time being, Taylor Farms products were not being ordered to the Candler Ingles. The Taylor Farms bags that are currently on the shelves are not selling, they said, and will be removed after their expiration date on July 24.
The manager assured 828newsNOW that even before the cyclospora outbreak, Taylor Farms products always undergo an extensive washing procedure when Ingles employees repackage them. According to the manager, a recent visit from health inspectors did not find an issue with Ingles’ produce procedure.
