How Food Safety Experts Eat Amid the Cyclospora Outbreak

Cyclospora outbreak: Expert Eating Strategies

When the news broke that a Cyclospora outbreak had been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce, many consumers froze their salad bowls. Yet leading food‑safety scholars are not abandoning greens altogether. Rutgers microbiology professor Donald Schaffner says he continues to enjoy salads, avoiding only products that appear on the official recall list. “I had a salad last night and the night before, and I’ll have a salad tonight,” he tells Reuters. As of July 21, federal officials have linked 1,644 illnesses and ↓ 94 hospitalizations across five states.

Selective sourcing, not total avoidance

Barbara Kowalcyk of George Washington University stresses risk assessment: healthy adults can safely order salads, while children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals should be more cautious. Former FDA deputy Frank Yiannas echoes the sentiment, noting that Americans consume ↑ 150 million servings of leafy greens daily, so “the outbreak should be kept in perspective.”

“If a specific product is part of an active recall, I’ll avoid it. Otherwise, I don’t worry,” Schaffner adds.

Hands‑on control in the kitchen

Attorney‑advocate Bill Marler stopped buying pre‑packaged salads years ago, preferring whole heads that he trims and rinses under running water – a practice also advised by the Michigan Department of Health, the state most affected by the Cyclospora outbreak. University of Arizona professor Gerardo Lopez even rinses “pre‑washed” bags before use, warning that cross‑contamination remains a risk.

Cooking as a safety net

Heating vegetables to about 158°F (70°C) neutralizes Cyclospora. Lopez now favors grilled zucchini, Brussels sprouts and sautéed spinach, while Kowalcyk relies on digital thermometers and a strict utensil‑segregation system to prevent cross‑contamination.

Staying informed

Experts turn to the CDC, FDA and state health departments for updates, though they note that agency communications have been slower than usual. Signing up for alerts on FoodSafety.gov and watching loyalty‑card notifications are practical steps. As Kowalcyk points out, “Recall effectiveness isn’t perfect, so shoppers must stay vigilant.”

Even with the outbreak, many would still dine at Taco Bell, requesting lettuce be held or confirming the source of the greens. Detwiler says, “If a restaurant can’t tell you where its lettuce came from, I choose something else.” The lesson, reinforced by the recent pandemic experience, is clear: traceability and personal hygiene remain the backbone of food safety.