The recent cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in five different states has sparked concern among consumers. Many are now questioning whether this health issue might lead to fluctuations in produce pricing at grocery stores.
On Thursday night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning advising people to refrain from consuming shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell outlets in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Investigators from the CDC have traced the source to a single supplier based in Mexico, though the company has not been officially named. However, a federal official familiar with the investigation disclosed to the Associated Press that Taylor Farms, located in Salinas, California, is identified as the supplier.
Cyclospora, known for causing severe diarrhea, has impacted thousands across the United States, with confirmed cases in over 30 states. The health authorities are actively examining this outbreak, cautioning that not all recent infections may stem from the same contamination source.
Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified in the investigation, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Taylor Farms said in a statement Friday afternoon that it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and sold in the U.S. The company said none of its branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce or are associated with the outbreak.
The FDA stressed that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be identified as the investigation continues, though it had not advised consumers to avoid any grocery store products as of early Friday.
Could grocery prices change?
Experts say uncertainty can influence consumer shopping habits even before investigators fully determine the source of an outbreak.
A drop in demand for fresh produce, for example, could lead to localized price declines or discounts for specific products, said David Ortega, a food economist and professor at Michigan State University.
“Because these goods are highly perishable, even modest demand shifts can move prices quickly,” Ortega said.
However, broad, sustained changes in overall grocery prices are unlikely, Ortega said, noting that any effects tend to be short-lived and become more concentrated once a specific product or supplier is identified.
That doesn’t necessarily mean consumer concerns stop with a single product.
Past outbreaks have prompted shoppers to avoid related items even after attention shifted to a specific source, according to Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst and editor of SupermarketGuru.com.
When news broke that romaine lettuce was linked to an E. coli outbreak in 2018, consumers also pulled back on other types of lettuce, including iceberg, red leaf and endive, Lempert said.
“Historically, if lettuce or leafy greens become the suspected category, related items — spinach, spring mix, other salad greens — often get dragged down in consumer perception even without evidence against them,” he pointed out.
It remains to be seen what impact, if any, concerns about the cyclospora outbreak will have on supermarket lettuce prices, which are up more than 30% over the past year, according to the Consumer Price Index.
NewsNation asked social media users whether they were shopping differently in response to the outbreak, and several said they’re skipping fresh produce for the time being. Another said they had been buying bags of greens at half price.
Where has the cyclospora outbreak hit hardest?
States with higher case counts could see larger shifts in consumer demand for certain products, particularly fresh produce.
Michigan has been hardest hit, with more than 5,000 total cases as of Friday, according to state health officials. That’s far above the 40 to 50 cases of cyclosporiasis the state typically reports each year.
Nearby Ohio has also reported hundreds of cases, according to the CDC, which says the true number of national cases is likely much higher than what’s been reported.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal disease caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora, which spreads when people eat food or drink water contaminated with feces.
It’s typically not life-threatening but can cause explosive diarrhea. Symptoms usually begin a week after becoming infected but can take two weeks or longer to appear.
The CDC recommends washing all fresh produce thoroughly but says that washing alone isn’t guaranteed to remove the parasite. Cooking produce to a temperature of at least 158 degrees is more effective.