Cyclosporiasis cases continue to climb as the source of the outbreak remains focused, yet uncertain. But with a new recall, heightened awareness and a suspected source, is it safe for you to eat lettuce?
Federal health officials said Monday they remain focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a multistate outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasite, despite inaccurate test results that the government briefly publicized over the weekend.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday the outbreak was “under control,” but Mexican Health Secretary David Kershenobich said the same day that his country’s investigation had not found evidence the outbreak originated at Taylor Farms.
So what should you know? Here’s where things stand:
Are cases still climbing?
Yes.
FDA’s acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas, said health officials have continued to see new cases associated with the latest outbreak, including some as recent as last week.
“Which means it’s imperative for us to take action to ensure that contaminated product is not making its way to the market,” Diamantas explained.
As of July 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,173 confirmed cases of the parasitic infection, with over 300 hospitalizations.
That’s up from a previous update, which reported 1,645 cases and 141 hospitalizations.
The agencies are investigating five separate clusters of illnesses, including the one traced to Taylor Farms.
The CDC said it is also aware of another 7,400 cases being reported by other state and local health departments, mostly in Michigan and Ohio, but they have not been “laboratory confirmed.”
Michigan health officials said 7,171 were reported as of Wednesday.
Do we know the source of the outbreak?
Food and Drug Administration officials on Monday said a laboratory test incorrectly identified a positive result for cyclospora on a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms. The FDA posted the finding to its website on Saturday but then said Sunday that the result had been a false positive.
Federal and state authorities have been investigating a rise in cases of the parasite, initially linking the outbreak in five states to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations. On Saturday, Taylor Farms announced it was recalling 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. The products are used by a number of U.S. food chains and suppliers.
“FDA’s traceback investigation and the outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ locations in central Mexico,” FDA’s acting food chief, Donald Prater, told reporters on Monday.
In addition to tracing the supply chain of lettuce, FDA staff have begun testing samples of produce coming across the U.S. border.
FDA officials on Monday said the false positive result came from a rapid test used to screen for traces of cyclospora. The sample that initially appeared positive for the parasite came from Taylor Farms but was not part of the company’s lettuce recall. FDA officials said they felt compelled to alert the public to the finding.
But a subsequent quality control check showed the positive finding was an error. FDA officials notified Taylor Farms of that on Sunday.
The company touted the updated test results on social media and claimed “FDA apologized to us.” Agency officials said there was no official apology.
Is it safe to eat lettuce?
While lettuces are being investigated as a potential source, and have been the source for previous cyclosporiasis outbreaks, officials urged anyone eating or preparing lettuce or salad greens in areas where cases have been reported to take added precautions.
That includes:
Purchase whole heads: Buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits. Discard outer layers: Before preparation, throw away the outer two to three layers of leaves. Wash inner leaves: Thoroughly wash the remaining inner leaves under clean running water. Prioritize cooking: For any greens that can be cooked, cooking to a temperature of at least 158 F (70 C) is the safest option, as the parasite is resistant to routine chemical disinfection and washing alone cannot guarantee its removal.Other recommendations include:
Cook produce when possible: Heating food to 158 F (70 C) or higher kills cyclospora. Peel produce: Peeling is highly effective for food items with removable skin as the parasite sits on the outer surface. Wash all fresh produce: Wash under clean running water, even if you plan to peel it. “Pre-washed” does not guarantee safety and rewashing bagged lettuce is unlikely to remove cyclospora. While washing alone may not fully eliminate cyclospora, it enhances protection when combined with cooking or peeling.As of Friday, foot traffic was down at a number of dining chains compared with the day-of-the-week averages between Jan. 1 and July 6, according to Placer.ai, which tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.
Taco Bell suffered the biggest drop — an 18.9% decline — after federal health officials named the chain in its investigation of the cyclosporiasis outbreak. Foot traffic fell 14.3% at Chopt, Placer.ai said. Both Chipotle and Panera Bread had close to a 7% drop in traffic, while Cava’s drop was less — at 4.2% — according to the firm.
Meanwhile, local farms are seeing a rise in demand.
“Since the parasite break out we’ve had crazy demand. People are finding us, everybody wants to know where their food comes,” said Nic Geudtner, owner and operator of Living Roots Farm in Fox Lake.
What else to know
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.
Food safety investigators often cannot draw a direct biological connection between recalled produce and outbreaks of foodborne illness. Some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been geared to detect cyclospora. Technicians aren’t able to grow the parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated produce.
Instead, investigators draw conclusions based on accounts of what people ate, the proximity and timing of cases and other patterns.
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