By admin 
Cases of cyclosporiasis, a stomach bug that causes severe diarrhea, are rising across the U.S. as a result of shredded lettuce grown in Mexico that’s now linked to a Monterey County produce supplier.
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More than 1,600 cases caused by the foodborne parasite have been reported and confirmed in the country, with multiple states reporting elevated levels compared to the same time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The primary outbreak stems from shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations mostly located in the Midwest.
The California Department of Public Health is saying cyclosporiasis cases in California remain within normal limits. In fact, The Sacramento Bee reported this week that the agency said the number of reported cases in the state so far this year is lower than at this time last year. The department is still urging Californians to thoroughly wash produce.
Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis occur when a person with the cyclosporaparasite and poor hand hygiene handles food. Once the food is contaminated, it can spread to consumers.
A single supplier in Mexico grew the lettuce that sparked the outbreak, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The supplier is Salinas-based Taylor Fresh Foods, more commonly known as Taylor Farms. In a statement to The Bee Friday, the company said it is pulling the lettuce from the market.
Taylor Farms said the FDA identified a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak.
No other Taylor Fresh Foods products in the U.S. are affected by the FDA’s findings, the company said. It also said that no Taylor Farms salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.
“As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken,” the statement to The Bee said. “That trust is something we’ve worked for decades to earn, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence.”
The company said it would provide updates as new information surfaces.
Taylor Farms grows and processes produce throughout North America, including Mexico, a region where cyclospora is endemic. The parasite is not endemic to the U.S., and outbreaks in the country have historically been linked to imported produce, according to the CDC.
Taco Bell said in a statement that it has “taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.” The ingredient is being indefinitely removed from the restaurant’s supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states, the company said. It did not respond to requests for comments about which states are involved.
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“While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” the company said.
In light of the outbreak, The Bee spoke with two industry experts involved in California’s produce supply chain to understand how the system works to mitigate the spread of foodborne illnesses in the state and keep consumers safe.
Here’s what they said:
After the 2006 E. coli spinach outbreak in California, a group of farmers and shippers committed to a food safety program in 2007 called the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement. The organization is optional for growers and overseen by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Once signed on to the agreement, growers are subject to annual government audits. Currently, there are more than 80 member companies, including Taylor Farms. Around 99% of California’s leafy greens volume is produced by those members, according to the organization. California’s Monterey County is known as the “Salad Bowl of the World.”
Tim York, CEO of the California leafy green agreement group, said there has not been a single year since the organization’s founding that its standards have not evolved. It is constantly adapting after learning lessons from outbreaks, he said.
Their standards include, but are not limited to testing water quality as well as soil assessments, machinery and harvest cleanliness rules and traceability and training requirements. Cyclospora is not specifically included in the group’s standards because “it isn’t typically a pathogen of concern,” York said.
“I have been (in this role) for five-and-a-half years, and I have never heard of a case where there was a cyclospora issue” stemming from California-grown produce, York said.
He added that if cyclospora did become present in California-grown produce, the organization would take steps to address it in its practices and regulations.
The standards have made a difference in preventing the spread of foodborne illness in California, York said, but it is hard to demonstrate it as the CDC’s ability to track and trace illness have continued to improve simultaneously.
Ron Fong, president and CEO of the California Grocers Association, said his organization works with the California Department of Public Health to share information with its members when illness outbreaks are reported. From there, those grocers and suppliers have their own food safety protocols. The association represents approximately 400 grocery stores and suppliers, ranging from small (less than 11 stores) to large (over 270 stores) operations.
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