US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has sought to reassure Americans about food safety amid a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak, saying the country’s food system remains secure despite concerns over contaminated produce.
Event Context
Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Rollins was questioned by host Andrew Ross Sorkin about growing public anxiety over whether consumers should avoid certain foods, including lettuce, following reports of thousands of Cyclospora infections.
“The FDA has got their arms around it,” she added.
Also Read: Who is Alonso Zaragoza? Chicago man hospitalized due to cyclosporiasis names Taco Bell menu item he ate
The comments came as health officials continue to monitor a rise in Cyclospora cases across the country.
Team Analysis
“So, is the lettuce bad or not? Should we be eating lettuce?” Sorkin asked, noting that some people were reconsidering buying produce or ordering salads at restaurants.
“First of all, yes. The food is safe. America has the safest food in the world,” Rollins responded.
She said the recent lettuce-related incident was an exception and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was managing the situation.
“Obviously, there are outliers, this lettuce outbreak that the FDA is managing,” Rollins said, adding that the affected lettuce was linked to a supply chain originating in Mexico.
“The finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive,” the FDA said while clarifying its earlier assessment.
Taylor Farms, the supplier linked to the investigation, said it was informed that the FDA’s result was incorrect.
Match Outlook
“We were informed that FDA made a mistake, and this was a false positive,” the company said in a statement. “To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora.”
The company had already recalled the product as a precaution after the initial alert.
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According to data cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,500 confirmed cases have been reported since May, while around 5,000 additional reports remain under investigation.
A large number of cases have been reported in Michigan, while some other states have seen infection levels that are typically associated with the summer season.
Cyclospora is a foodborne illness caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. The infection can cause symptoms including prolonged watery diarrhoea, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Concerns over lettuce intensified after the FDA issued an alert involving shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
The warning was later withdrawn after the agency reviewed the sample again and determined that the reported positive result was a false positive.
Also Read: Cyclospora outbreak: Why haven’t health officials identified the source yet? Explained
