If you're wondering whether it's safe to eat shredded lettuce on your Doritos Locos tacos again, join the club. Even a food-safety reporter who loves Taco Bell isn't sure when they'll feel comfortable living más.

Last week, the worst of the cyclosporiasis outbreak seemed over - parasite-laden lettuce was supposedly recalled. But the response has been a masterclass in confusion. The CDC was slow to warn the public as cases rose in Michigan and other states. Then, late Thursday, the CDC and FDA announced the Midwest cluster came from contaminated iceberg lettuce from a single farm in Mexico, a supplier for Taylor Farms, shipped to Taco Bells in five states. Great, right? Not so fast. Taco Bell's statement urged "all relevant restaurants" to act responsibly, and Taylor Farms' recall included lettuce for Sysco, which supplies restaurants, hospitals, and schools. Walmart pulled bagged lettuce in 15 states.

On Saturday, the FDA posted a since-deleted announcement that it found cyclospora on lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico not part of the initial recall. But the FDA reversed course the next day, calling it a false positive. Taylor Farms then issued a statement starting with "Today, FDA apologized to us" - which the FDA denied.

The FDA still believes Taco Bell and Taylor Farms lettuce caused the spike. Over 1,600 people who tested positive for cyclospora in the five-state outbreak reported eating Taco Bell. Yet the FDA's website warns, "Don't eat recalled lettuce at any Taco Bell location or other restaurants." Which other restaurants? No one's saying.

As a Chicagoan, I'm particularly sensitive: the government hasn't explained why my local Taco Bell is safe when one 40 minutes south in Indiana is part of the outbreak. Meanwhile, elevated cyclosporiasis cases elsewhere - like North Carolina's 83% spike to 561 cases since May - remain unexplained. State officials hint at parsley, cilantro, or lettuce, but not Taco Bell's.

In the absence of clarity, Americans are opting out. Foot traffic to chain restaurants is down. We're in a better place than a week ago - experts traced the outbreak to a common source - but confusing communication means we still eye a salad with suspicion.