Salads are often seen as healthy, but recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in the US, like cyclosporiasis linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, challenge this perception. Leafy greens, including romaine and spinach, are frequently involved in such outbreaks due to their widespread consumption and the way they’re grown and packaged. Contaminated irrigation water and the lack of a “kill step” in processing make lettuce particularly vulnerable to pathogens. With lettuce being the second-most-consumed vegetable in the US, these outbreaks highlight the risks associated with eating raw produce.
QUESTION: How might the way lettuce is grown and processed change in the future to prevent foodborne illnesses?
Why Lettuce Is Always Making People Sick
