By Clint Thompson and Josh McGill
The cyclospora outbreak linked to imported iceberg lettuce and sickened nearly 13,000 people across 21 states could have lingering repercussions long after the CDC and FDA declared it over on Sept. 11.
That’s the fear shared by Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) President Mike Joyner.
“Our growers will tell you that they feel like every single day that they have to earn the customer’s trust. And right now, it feels like that trust is broken. We’ve got to do things to mend that trust,” Joyner said. “The impact (from the outbreak) is that we are not in season in Florida, you know. We planted in August and will start harvesting in October, November and December.
“There’s a lot of anxiety to be blunt with you out there for those who are growing lettuce and leafy greens. There’s just a lot of anxiety not knowing how the customer is going to feel. They are hearing stories about their friends that grow out in the western part of the country who are really suffering right now because that product is just not moving. The impact it’s had on us, we’ve not seen in Florida because we don’t have anything in the ground.
“I did have a grower the other day tell me that in addition to; lettuce seems to be the issue, but other things that are in that salad are suffering too; tomatoes, peppers, other things.”
Cyclospora Background
Crops can become contaminated if they come into contact with soil or water where the parasite is present. How the scale of the outbreak became so large is still under investigation. In a normal year, anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 illnesses are confirmed by lab testing.
The CDC recorded nearly 20,000 confirmed cases from May 1 to Aug. 31.
Joyner hopes that one of the things that will occur because of the outbreak is increased inspections at the border.
“We expect there to be food safety hearings in Congress, and one of the things that I hope comes out of those hearings would be just increased inspections at the border,” Joyner said. “I think that would help.”