Cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce impacts produce sales, but recovery begins
By Jazmon DeJarnette
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SALINAS, California (KSBW) — A Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from a farm in Mexico sickened thousands across 17 states, leading to a decline in fresh produce sales, but the Central Coast industry is beginning to recover.
The Grower-Shipper Association reports that demand for fresh produce is rebounding.
“Things are rebounding right now. You know, many factors. One of which schools back in session. So there is naturally more institutional purchase that would typically occur of many produce items, including fresh vegetables,” said Christopher Valadez, President and CEO of The Grower-Shipper Association.
Despite this progress, the association noted that some growers remain concerned about whether consumers feel comfortable buying fresh produce.
Data from Nielsen IQ shows that dollar sales of prepackaged salads dropped 14% through July 25 compared to the previous year after the outbreak was announced.
JP Dundore-Arias, an associate professor of plant pathology at California State University, Monterey Bay, described Cyclospora as a “silent, invisible threat” and highlighted the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the parasite.
“It is unclear what are exactly the factors or the environments that drive that survival outside of a human host in an agriculture environment, whether the soil, the positions, whether they are specific crop tissues or plant parts that might be more conducive for the pathogen to survive,” Dundore-Arias said.
Valadez a emphasized that produce from the Salinas Valley, California, and the United States has not been implicated in the outbreak.
“The product from the region, the Salinas Valley, California, the United States, for that matter, was not, is not, and has not been implicated in the Cyclospora outbreak,” Dundore-Arias said.
As the FDA investigation continues, consumer confidence in fresh produce is improving. Some shoppers say their spending habits have not changed, though they are taking extra precautions when preparing lettuce.
“Well, I still think the vegetables are the healthiest way to eat. And so, it seems like when you research it, it comes out of Mexico waterborne. So I think that Taylor Farms has stopped completely that line. So I feel comfortable buying,” one shopper said.
Another shopper added, “I have a lot of friends in ag, and they do a good job. So again, we just clean it better than we did before.”
The recovery process faces challenges as the growing season in the region tapers off, making future production uncertain.
“What recovery looks like is not, you know, it’s not crystal clear. It’s not certain. But I think what is certain is to ensure that the public knows with respect to the safety of their product and the origin of their product. That product from California in the United States was not and has not been implicated in the Cyclospora outbreak,” Dundore-Arias said.
The FDA has stated that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to the Cyclospora outbreak is now off the market.
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