Before You Break Up With Lettuce: What to Know About the Cyclospora Outbreak

If lettuce has suddenly started looking a little suspicious in the grocery store, you’re not alone.

A major Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce has made plenty of Americans rethink their salads, sandwiches and taco toppings. But before you banish lettuce from your refrigerator forever, food safety experts say there’s some reassuring news: you don’t necessarily need to stop eating lettuce. 

So, what exactly happened?

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue, and illness can sometimes last for weeks.

The CDC says an outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17. As of the CDC's August 13 update, the outbreak included 9,481 confirmed illnesses

across 17 states, 398 hospitalizations and two deaths.

Here's the important part: the recalled lettuce had best-by dates that have now passed, and federal officials say those products should no longer be available in stores or restaurants.

Can we eat lettuce again?

Food safety experts interviewed by Food & Wine say yes, most people can.

Rather than avoiding every leafy green in sight, experts recommend paying attention to FDA and CDC recalls and avoiding products specifically named in those alerts. The investigation is still ongoing, and public health officials are also looking into other Cyclospora illnesses that may have different sources.

In other words, lettuce itself hasn't suddenly become the villain of the produce aisle.

Want to be extra cautious?

Experts suggest buying whole heads of lettuce instead of heavily processed or shredded versions when possible. Remove the outer leaves and thoroughly rinse the remaining leaves under running water. Hydroponic or greenhouse-grown greens may also reduce exposure to some outdoor contamination pathways, although no growing method is completely risk-free.

And one important note: washing produce can reduce risk, but the CDC says washing cannot guarantee Cyclospora will be removed. Cooking produce to at least 158°F can kill the parasite.

The bigger lesson? Don't panic. Pay attention.

Food recalls can make it tempting to swear off an entire category of food.

But the smarter move is much simpler:

Know what was recalled. Check where your food comes from. Wash fresh produce. And keep an eye on FDA and CDC updates.

So yes, you can probably invite salad back to dinner.

Just keep one eye on the lettuce... at least for a little while.

Source: Food & Wine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Food & Drug Administration.