This summer, Michigan had the highest recorded numbers in the country of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by a parasite. Experts said the high numbers in the state might be due to better surveillance and testing. But nationally, this summer’s cyclosporiasis outbreak highlighted safety issues in our food systems.
Cyclospora doesn’t behave like other contaminants that the large scale food system is built to destroy. It isn’t killed by chlorinated water, a common sanitizer used on industrial food. Parasite contamination can also be difficult to track, particularly with a globalized food system and federal government cuts in the U.S.
The mystery of exactly how the outbreak started has yet to be fully solved. But the recalls have been limited to imported lettuce from Taylor Farms, a huge international company. And just last week Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services put out a press release that stated, “The majority of the contaminated produce is likely no longer available for consumption.”…