Taco Bell launches $1 items after lettuce-linked outbreak

Taco Bell has launched a steep discount promotion on its menu, offering $1 Enchiritos and $1 app-exclusive Nacho Fries, as the fast-food chain attempts to recover from a significant drop in customer traffic linked to a nationwide cyclospora outbreak. The promotion, which began on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, features lettuce-free versions of the items and is part of a broader strategy to rebuild trust after the chain was implicated in a foodborne illness investigation.

The outbreak, caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, has been connected to more than 1,644 confirmed infections across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Federal health officials identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell as the likely source. Symptoms of cyclospora infection, which typically emerge about a week after exposure, can include prolonged watery diarrhea, cramps, nausea, fatigue, and weight loss.

In response, Taco Bell announced it had completed the removal of the implicated lettuce, supplied by Taylor Farms, from all its restaurants nationwide by July 17. The company stated the action was taken out of an abundance of caution and following conversations with public...