Twin Cities Farmers Markets Draw More Shoppers as 27-State Produce Outbreaks Shake Grocery Trust
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 7
Twin Cities Farmers Markets Draw More Shoppers as 27-State Produce Outbreaks Shake Grocery Trust
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 7
Summary
Twin Cities farmers markets reported heavier shopper traffic Friday as consumers sought local produce after contamination scares tied to grocery-store lettuce and jalapeños.
At least 15 states have been hit by a cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce that has sickened thousands and been tied to 2 U.S. deaths, while a salmonella outbreak linked to Mexican jalapeños spans 27 states and tops 100 cases in Minnesota.
Vendors said customers are asking where food comes from and how it is grown; WCCO found no lettuce for sale at the markets it visited, with shoppers instead buying items such as corn and peppers.
The fallout is also hitting larger suppliers: Revol, a major greenhouse lettuce company in Owatonna, Minnesota, may shut down, citing broader leafy-greens market challenges.
Farm Action says 4 companies supply more than half of U.S. fresh-cut salad, a concentration the watchdog group says helps outbreaks spread quickly nationwide.