Lettuce recall drives shoppers to farmers' markets amid cyclospora fears

Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce on July 17 after federal health officials linked a 15-state cyclospora outbreak to iceberg lettuce in July. The recall pushed shoppers toward farmers’ markets and small produce stands as grocery chains and big retailers saw lettuce and salad kit sales fall.

In Midland, Michigan, some shoppers changed where they bought produce once cyclospora concerns spread. Infectious-disease expert William Petri said locally grown lettuce had not been implicated in the outbreak. Farmers’ markets were a safer option when produce came from nearby growers.

The FDA first opened a 9-state outbreak page and later updated it to an investigation tied to iceberg lettuce. Federal health officials identified Taylor Farms as the likely source of the nationwide outbreak, and at least 34 states had been affected. The lettuce had moved through retailers and food-service buyers including Walmart, Jack in the Box and Taco Bell.

A greenhouse lettuce grower said customer fears cut sales by double digits. Taco Bell foot traffic dropped 20.8% as diners pulled back from lettuce-heavy orders. One Taylor Farms sample outside the recall tested positive for cyclospora before being ruled a false positive.

Cyclospora can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, including explosive diarrhea.