(KSBW/WKYT
) – Thousands of people across 17 states were sickened by the Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce that came from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico.
The outbreak led to a drop in fresh produce sales throughout the U.S. But experts say that’s starting to change.
Demand for produce rises
The Grower Shipper Association reported that demand for fresh produce is starting to rebound after concerns over Cyclospora.
“I think 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 Valdez, president and CEO of Grower Shipper Association.
But the association said some growers are still concerned about whether people feel comfortable buying fresh produce.
Data from Nelson IQ shows dollar sales of prepacked salads after the outbreak was announced plunged 14% through July 25 compared with the previous year.
Concerns over Cyclospora continue
JP Dundore-Arias, an associate plant pathology professor at CSU Monterey Bay, referred to Cyclospora as a silent, invisible threat and also said there’s still uncertainty about the biology of the parasite.
“It is unclear what are exactly the factors or the environments that drive that survival outside of a human host in an agricultural environment, whether the soil depositions, whether there are specific crop tissues or plant parts that might be more conducive for the pathogen to survive,” Dundore-Arias said.
Valdez noted that the lettuce linked to the recent outbreak was not grown in the U.S.
“The product from the region, the Salinas Valley, California, and the United States for that matter was not, is not, and has not been implicated in the cyclospora outbreak,” he said.
Consumer confidence rebounds
There’s more consumer confidence now in fresh produce as the FDA continued its investigation.
Some said that while their spending habits haven’t changed, they’re taking a more cautious approach when preparing lettuce at the dinner table.
“Well, I still think that 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 person said.
“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,” another person said.
Another piece to the recovery: The growing season
Production here will eventually taper off as the season changes, making it harder to know what comes next.
“What recovery looks like is not, you know, is not crystal clear. It’s not certain, but I think what is certain is to ensure that that the public knows with respect to the safety of the product and the origin of their product that product from California and the United States was not and has not been implicated in the in the Cyclospora outbreak,” Valdez said.
The Food and Drug Administration said all of the recalled iceberg lettuce linked to the Cyclospora outbreak has been taken off the market.