Yum ‌Brands' Taco Bell said Thursday it had removed lettuce from one of its suppliers in some U.S. states after reports linked the ingredient ‌to an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak ​that has sickened thousands of people in the U.S.

"Based on ongoing ⁠conversations with public health officials, and out ​of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell ⁠has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states," Taco ‌Bell said in a statement.

"The affected ​ingredient from our ‌supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply ‌chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states."

Taco Bell did ‌not name ⁠the supplier or say which states it had removed ⁠the ⁠ingredient from.

The Washington Post reported earlier Thursday that shredded ‌iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants by California-based supplier Taylor Farms has been ‌identified ​by investigators as a ‌potential source of contamination in the outbreak of the parasitic intestinal infection.