Where Does McDonald's Lettuce Come From?

In 2026, the United States saw one of the largest cyclosporiasis outbreaks in years, leading some people to find lettuce-free menu alternatives to their standard fast food orders. It's no surprise that people are wondering where their fresh produce comes from. If you've ever ordered an iconic McDonald's Big Mac, you've probably seen that finely shredded lettuce poking out the sides of the bun — but where did it originate? As expected with such a fast food giant, there's more than one answer. McDonald's sources from both small farmers and major distributors in order to maintain its lettuce supply across U.S. locations.

A lettuce supplier named Dirk Giannini, who grows lettuce in the Salinas Valley of California, is profiled on the McDonald's website as being a lettuce supplier for the chain's salads. "Within days, our lettuce is harvested, tripled rinsed, and delivered to McDonalds," Giannini said of the process in the write-up.

Although it seems McDonald's has built relationships with at least one small supplier (Giannini is the only one mentioned on the chain's website for lettuce supply, though there could be others), the fast food brand has also sourced produce from massive distributors like Taylor Farms.

Back in 2024, McDonald's had a major onion recall due to the presence of E. coli, a bacteria that can cause severe digestive discomfort and potential kidney problems. Taylor Farms was the supplier. But Taylor Farms grows far more than just onions; it is also reportedly a major lettuce supplier for chains like Subway, KFC, and McDonald's. In summer 2026, Taylor Farms chose to voluntarily recall certain iceberg lettuce products after it might have been linked to the cyclosporiasis outbreak.

It's important to note that, outside of Dirk Giannini, McDonald's does not currently have any readily available, publicly shared information regarding where it gets its lettuce. However, news outlets like USA Today and CBS have both credited Taylor Farms as a McDonald's lettuce supplier, and the E. coli outbreak proves the fast food chain has worked with Taylor Farms in the past. McDonald's doesn't appear to have made any comments regarding where its lettuce comes from throughout the 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak, though it also has not been identified as a confirmed source of any cases of the illness.