{"id":975324,"date":"2026-08-02T08:44:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T08:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/975324\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T08:44:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T08:44:26","slug":"california-lettuce-growers-skip-harvest-amid-cyclospora-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/975324\/","title":{"rendered":"California lettuce growers skip harvest amid cyclospora outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"

A nationwide explosive diarrhea crisis\u00a0<\/a>that has left thousands clinging to their toilets and hospitalized others also seems to have another victim: lettuce growers in California.<\/p>\n

Some like Larry Cox, who runs Coastline Family Farms in Salinas Valley, are trashing their lettuce crop and throwing the vegetables back into the soil as demand for the crop dries up, the Wall Street Journal<\/a> reported. This week, Cox dumped 300,000 pounds of his romaine hearts.<\/p>\n

California farmers are trashing their lettuce crop and throwing the vegetables back into the soil. Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is incredibly demoralizing,\u201d Cox said. \u201cI would\u2019ve been better off taking a vacation in the South of France than planting the crop.\u201d Getty Images<\/p>\n

The ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak <\/a>has been linked to Taylor Farms, a California-based lettuce supplier.<\/p>\n

Even though the source responsible has been \u201clinked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico,\u201d according to the FDA it\u2019s still impacting Salinas Valley, a region with the nickname of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Salad Bowl\u201d and responsible for growing nearly half<\/a> of the nation\u2019s lettuce.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is incredibly demoralizing,\u201d Cox said. \u201cI would\u2019ve been better off taking a vacation in the South of France than planting the crop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite that transmits through contaminated food and water. It causes a range of unpleasant symptoms \u2014\u00a0including sudden, watery diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and fatigue.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the latest on the \u2018explosive\u2019 cyclosporiasis outbreak:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The outbreak has affected at least 1,947 people across nine states. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Chris Rotticci and another man watch a water jet harvester working rows of romaine lettuce. REUTERS<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s outbreak, which has affected at least 1,947 people across nine states, was linked<\/a> to a Mexican facility under a California-based lettuce supplier. That has caused people, rightfully or wrongly, to be more wary of purchasing lettuce \u2014 and leave farmers like Cox stranded with unwanted lettuce.<\/p>\n

Foot traffic, for instance, at salad-heavy chains such as Taco Bell or Chopt has fallen dramatically up to 21% in the year so far, the Journal reported.<\/p>\n

Unit sales of fresh lettuce slipped 8.7% in much of July \u2014 more than 7.6 million pounds of lettuce \u2014 when compared with the prior year, according to data from consumer intelligence company NielsenIQ. Other produce also saw sale declines.<\/p>\n

The ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak has been linked to Taylor Farms, a California-based lettuce supplier. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Unit sales of fresh lettuce slipped 8.7% in much of July \u2014 more than 7.6 million pounds of lettuce \u2014 when compared with the prior year. REUTERS<\/p>\n

\u201cConsumers aren\u2019t sure what\u2019s right anymore so, out of an abundance of caution, they\u2019re just passing on everything,\u201d said Joelle Mosso at Western Growers, a family farm trade group. She confirmed to the Journal that many growers in California are also plowing their crops back into the ground.<\/p>\n

Max Teplitski, chief science officer for the International Fresh Produce Association, told the Journal that big disease outbreaks can dampen sales for years, such as with the 2006 E. Coli outbreak that affected spinach.<\/p>\n

Some chains are desperately trying to revive demand. Taco Bell recently rolled out a string of steep discounts<\/a> of lettuce-free items.<\/p>\n

The consumer cutback has real consequences on the ground. Cox said sales of his produce, which he supplies to some of the country\u2019s biggest restaurant chains and grocery store, are down 20% to 30%. Jobs for farmworkers have also been cut as a result.<\/p>\n

Lettuce still is being harvested even if much of it ends up getting thrown away.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t afford to be downcast very long,\u201d Cox told the Journal. \u201cYou better pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep pushing forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

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