How to Choose Safe Produce During Outbreaks

Shopping safely as a local against recent outbreaks

I’m sure you have seen the news about the parasite that’s been affecting our diets lately. The Cyclospora parasite has been causing an outbreak of severe illness throughout the country. It has been linked to iceberg lettuce, specifically from Taylor Farms, according to the CDC reports.

To make matters worse, we have also been hit in South Tampa by an E. coli outbreak affecting blueberries.

Healthy eating is an important part of all of our lives and creates a big ripple effect when fear is introduced to our groceries.

So I wanted to see from a local perspective what we can do to shop confidently and feed our families. Many friends have already shared that they may just skip produce altogether for a while due to the confusion and uptick of illness cases. But I feel that knowledge is power and an expectation we should all have to make educated decisions instead of fearing our food.

So who can guide us on our groceries?

Here is where I feel it would be a great case to support local grocery stores, as they may be much closer to their suppliers. If you have a farm-to- table solution, then count your blessings, but for now, I focused on stores that had less middlemen.

Local Health Food Store – I asked a neighborhood food store near me what information they could offer my friends and me. Unfortunately they didn’t have much information to give. They were welcoming to my questions but sadly didn’t know the supplier. This was set up by the owner who was not present to share at the time.
Local Franchise Grocery – Reaching out, I was forwarded to the produce department and received a very insistent response that there is no need for caution at their store. When I asked specifically about any recalls or details of suppliers we could use when shopping, I wasn’t given much detail and was pretty much shut down. The gentleman became a faster talker when stating the store was entirely unaffected (not lining up with some news reports). Due to the stonger response and underlying implications, I realized this may not be the conversation to gain clarity or confidence on the matter.
USF’s Publix – When reaching out here, I got a hold of a worker quickly and got solid information! The person I spoke to was extremely forthcoming and helpful. While information on produce changes is only shared internally, they welcomed my questions and shared what they know. It was stressed that this information only pertained to their store.

So what information do we have?

According to the location, we discussed two things to watch out for. Iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms and frozen blueberries from Greenwise. USF’s Publix doesn’t have any history of stocking Taylor Farms products; therefore, they were unaffected by the iceberg lettuce outbreak. They previously stocked Greenwise blueberries, which was the supplier that was found to have conflicts with E. coli outbreaks, and have now recalled all frozen berries and removed them from shelves. When I asked about blueberries in general, it was stressed that only frozen blueberries by this supplier were affected. Again, this is only relating to the USF Publix location so please check ahead for others.

So what now?

As an entirely unlicensed fellow citizen with general knowledge, I would advise you to first do your research if you have any particular questions.

It may be helpful to know that typically foodborne illnesses have an uptick during the summer every year, so this is not world-altering. As long as we know what is happening around us and what to do, we will be safe.

I found great insight from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread on Reddit hosted by Dr. Angela Anandappa, who gave great responses to many of the question we are thinking of!

“…the communication departments of many of our regulatory agencies and public health investigative labs have been cut or, in some cases, completely eliminated. This reduces the public’s ability to obtain this information and, as a result, the spread has not been limited because people don’t know what to do.”
– Dr. Anandappa

Some amazing advice and reliable information on the thread, so please check out that page for info on the following here:

The difference in E. coli and Cyclospora
Are other leafy greens safe or not?
What is the impact of federal cuts on the outbreak?
What was the true cause of the outbreak?
Is there other produce outside of iceberg lettuce that is affected?
Recommendations on what to buy

Reddit response to public health question relating to how risky Cyclospora

What can I Eat?

We can still eat our fruits and vegetables.

One thing I learned is that both blueberries and iceberg lettuce are considered higher-risk produce. Being harder to keep fresh longer and more vulnerable to bacteria and contaminants. If keeping track of high-risk foods feels overwhelming, consider foods that have skins to be peeled during this trying time. Fruits like bananas, apples, and avocados, and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and squash have a much lower risk of adverse effects, especially after being washed and peeled.

The big takeaway and why it matters

Food safety is for everybody, and we all have a part to play. It is worth it to ask the questions of your local grocers. What I wish for grocery stores, businesses, and neighbors alike to know is that transparency builds trust. We should expect clarity from the community we lean on and fight against fear or confusion when the answers could be one conversation away.

If you have any information you would like to add about our food safety, please leave a comment below!