Parasite Outbreak Sends Lettuce Industry Into a PR Crisis
Shoppers are putting the lettuce down, even though health officials have not confirmed it is to blame food poisoning across the nation, THE fromll Street Journal reports. More than 30 states have reported cases of the parasitic cyclospora, with over 140 people hospitalized. The disease can cause explosive diarrhea and vomiting, and Michigan officials have pointed to lettuce and salad greens as a possible source. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but that hasn’t stopped diners and businesses from leaving.
A Michigan catering the company is already taking requests to exchange wedding salads for cooked vegetables. Growers are feeling it too. “People are calling and reducing orders across the board because they think consumers won’t buy fresh produce,” said Joelle Mosso of Western Growers.
Industry veterans fear an infamous 2006 E. coli the outbreak, which was traced to a single spinach farm. After that, spinach sales never fully recovered—a warning sign of how long this kind of reputational damage can last, even for growers unrelated to the outbreak.
Shoppers are putting the lettuce down, even though health officials have not confirmed it is to blame food poisoning across the nation, THE fromll Street Journal reports. More than 30 states have reported cases of the parasitic cyclospora, with over 140 people hospitalized. The disease can cause explosive diarrhea and vomiting, and Michigan officials have pointed to lettuce and salad greens as a possible source. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but that hasn’t stopped diners and businesses from leaving.
A Michigan catering the company is already taking requests to exchange wedding salads for cooked vegetables. Growers are feeling it too. “People are calling and reducing orders across the board because they think consumers won’t buy fresh produce,” said Joelle Mosso of Western Growers.
Industry veterans fear an infamous 2006 E. coli the outbreak, which was traced to a single spinach farm. After that, spinach sales never fully recovered—a warning sign of how long this kind of reputational damage can last, even for growers unrelated to the outbreak.
