Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jul 18
DC Farmers Markets See More Orders as Cyclospora Cases Hit 30-Plus States
Updated
Updated · WTOP · Jul 18

DC Farmers Markets See More Orders as Cyclospora Cases Hit 30-Plus States

3 articles · Updated · WTOP · Jul 18

Summary

  • Local growers and vendors around Washington are reporting a pickup in customers and orders as shoppers shift away from supermarket produce over cyclospora fears.
  • More than 30 states have reported a record number of cases, and five states — Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia — traced an outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell.
  • The FDA is working with the supplier to determine whether contaminated lettuce is still on the market, while food-safety experts are steering shoppers toward farmers markets and other local sellers.
  • Kinship Gardens in Beltsville and The People’s Market, which delivers D.C.-area produce and sells at regional markets, say their local sourcing and direct farm relationships are drawing added demand.

Insights

Is 'buying local' a true fix for food safety, or a comforting illusion in a broken global supply chain?
With new food tracing rules delayed until 2028, how can we stop the next major outbreak hiding in our salads?