COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 10 (Nationwide Times) — Fear surrounding a multistate cyclospora outbreak is changing where some Americans buy lettuce and other fresh produce. In several states, farmers-market vendors say shoppers are arriving early and supplies are selling out quickly, while national retail data show a decline in fresh-lettuce sales.
The shift has been reported in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and the Washington, D.C., region. The available evidence is regional and largely based on vendor and market-manager reports, rather than a single nationwide measure of farmers-market sales.
What is cyclospora?
Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. The illness is associated with contaminated food or water and can cause digestive symptoms.
The FDA, CDC and state public-health investigations described in the supplied reports linked illnesses to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company voluntarily recalled or removed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17, according to those reports. The product was distributed in at least 27 states.
The investigation and recall do not mean that all lettuce, all iceberg lettuce or all imported produce is contaminated. They do explain why some shoppers have become wary of lettuce sold through conventional grocery and restaurant supply chains.
The reports cite different case counts and outbreak totals, depending on the date and definition used. Public-health agencies have continued investigating the outbreak, and the supplied material does not provide one definitive nationwide total.
How have buying habits changed?
NielsenIQ data showed U.S. fresh-lettuce unit sales fell 9% in the week ending July 18, according to Reuters. The New York Times also reported a decline of more than 20% in packaged-salad sales during part of July. Those figures measure different products and periods, so they should not be treated as a single estimate of the market’s overall decline.
The effect has been different at some farmers markets. Darlene Wolnik, program director for the Farmers Market Coalition, said market managers had reported sales increases of 15% to 30%.
In Ohio, Sara Hill, executive director of the Ohio Farmers Market Network, said some vendors were selling out within 30 to 60 minutes of opening. At Michigan’s East Lansing Farmers Market, a vendor identified as Kastner reported selling 158 heads of romaine over two days during one week. The vendor later sold out of roughly 30 to 40 heads 10 minutes before the next market opened.
Ray Tyler of Rose Creek Farms told Tennessee television station WTVF that his lettuce supply at the Franklin Farmers Market was nearly gone by 10 a.m., about two hours earlier than usual. In upstate New York, Sawyer Oliver of Oliver’s Produce reported selling 1,500 heads of lettuce in July, compared with 700 heads in the same month a year earlier.
These examples show a strong response at individual markets, but they do not establish that farmers-market sales have risen nationwide. Availability can also vary because of weather, harvest timing, farm size and the number of vendors at a market.
Are local greens safer?
Not automatically. Public-health guidance cited in the reports says locally grown produce is not immune from cyclospora or other forms of contamination. A shorter supply chain may create fewer opportunities for contamination, but it is not proof that a particular farm’s lettuce is safer.
The CDC guidance cited in the reports recommends washing hands and rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before preparing or eating them. Shoppers should also follow food-safety instructions from the CDC, FDA and state health departments, especially when an investigation identifies a particular product or supplier.
What does this mean for restaurants?
The concerns extend beyond grocery stores. Reports cited by CBS Chicago described a 2% sales decline at some Taco Bell restaurants and double-digit spending declines at salad-focused chains, including Sweetgreen. The figures came from company or industry sales data as reported by the Associated Press and are not a measure of the entire restaurant sector.
For shoppers, the outbreak has made source and handling more visible parts of everyday food decisions. Farmers markets offer a direct connection to growers, but buying local is not a substitute for basic food-safety practices or official recall information. The most reliable guidance remains the information issued by public-health agencies as investigators determine which products and suppliers are affected.
