This cyclospora story is proving to be a tough one to leaf behind.
Renewed confusion over the source of the illness that’s sending Americans running to their bathrooms has everyone unsure of what they can eat.
Our diarrhea-fueled national nightmare appeared to be at least partially resolved last week. On Friday, the FDA’s investigation into the cyclospora parasite linked a food (shredded lettuce) and a source (Taylor Farms) to the outbreak. Taylor Farms also enacted a voluntary recall.
But on Sunday, the FDA said an earlier test involving a Taylor Farms lettuce sample was a “false positive.” Taylor Farms said in a statement that the FDA apologized, but that it was still recalling iceberg lettuce processed in central Mexico “out of an abundance of caution.”
The story took another twist on Monday. The FDA said on X that the false-positive lab sample doesn’t change the basis for its investigation or the “overwhelming epidemiological data” that backs the Taylor Farms’ voluntary recall. Case in point: The FDA’s website still suggests people don’t eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms.
The back-and-forth messaging of the past few days has lettuce lovers confused about what is and isn’t safe to eat. And while Taylor Farms was quick to highlight the FDA’s false-positive test, crisis PR pros told BI its response ended up muddying the waters in a way that could pose a bigger issue down the road.
Still confused? My colleague Mia de Graaf is answering all your cyclospora-related questions on Reddit at 2:30 p.m. ET today. Details here.
A bigger question remains amid the confusion: What am I supposed to eat for lunch?
The false-positive test feels like less of a win for Taylor Farms than a loss for anyone serving produce at their restaurant or store. The more confusion there is, the less likely some customers will be to eat lettuce at all while they look for some clarity.
And since salad is a lunch staple for many office-goers, it raises an interesting question: Do you upend your routine in the face of the outbreak?
Some will likely still risk it, either because of ignorance, apathy, or not wanting to disrupt their daily schedule.
Others might change their lunch routines until they feel the danger (and uncertainty) has passed. That poses a big problem for some businesses. It’s also an opportunity for others to tout that they don’t serve shredded iceberg lettuce at all.
Status as a go-to lunch spot for a customer doesn’t come easy and is hard to shake. Office workers aren’t the type to try experimenting every day. Most want something that’s fast, affordable, and reliable.
If the cyclospora scare gets your restaurant sent to the sidelines — even if you were fine to begin with — there’s no guarantee you’ll make it back into a starting spot.
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