On a hazy Thursday in New York City, Hagen Wenzek was ready to dig into a bowl of lettuce and berries when I swooped in like the salad grim reaper, asking if he was aware of cyclospora, the parasite that’s led to explosive diarrhea and hospitalizations across the US.
“I did very much know about it, but I forgot,” Wenzek said. “Now you remind us.”
Hours later, the US Food and Drug Administration would link the parasite to shredded lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. In the days leading up to this lunch time in Manhattan’s Bryant Park, foods like lettuce, green onions, and pre-prepared salads had been under suspicion — staples of salads and bowls popular with corporate workers. So far, the parasitic infection has been reported in 34 states this year, with 374 cases in New York City diagnosed since May.
Despite concerns around produce, various Sweetgreen bags and slop bowls dotted Midtown’s Bryant Park at lunchtime. I broke the unhappy news to others who, after ordering crunchy, leafy bowls at various outposts, had surely dreamed of a reporter descending to ask if they thought it would induce explosive diarrhea.
“This is breaking news to me,” said Ethan Mutterperl, who was enjoying a paradoxically healthy grilled cheese and french fries. His dining companion, Gabriela Medailleu, was more clued in but said she hasn’t changed her grocery shopping habits. Indeed, most workers in the know were taking precautions here and there, but not cutting out any habits or consumption entirely.
Others digging into their own bowls were skeptical of raspberries and raw vegetables writ large. One said they trust Trader Joe’s, which washes its own produce, potentially “too much.” Some bought the lunch bowls anyway. Two tourists opted for bagels, calling the parasite “spooky.”
Russell Peffer, 28, was digging into a kale-and-quinoa salad from his office cafeteria. So far, the little he’s heard hasn’t moved the needle for him. He chalked up some of the parasite’s spread to “a failing of the administration, gutting a lot of federal agencies that would oversee this stuff.”
Isabel Bermudez, a 25-year-old neuroscientist, was dodging diarrhea with two slices of pizza. Bermudez has been more hesitant to buy spinach at the grocery store, and said she was frustrated by the lack of information from health agencies. She pointed out that rising produce prices may actually spare those who can’t afford fresh food.
Meanwhile, Jonas Kell and Alex Dickhoff were happily devouring fast-casual Mediterranean salads. Dickhoff hadn’t heard about the parasite at all — he thought I was talking about the pandemic. Kell said his wife had told him about the parasite, but he hadn’t changed any habits yet.
“I know that it’s been for certain produce and then fruits, like berries specifically. At home, the instruction was we should try to avoid these,” Kell said. “But for office lunch … I’m going a little bit more rogue here.”
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