Business / news
Lettuce brands launch consumer education campaigns amid cyclospora outbreak
Producers including Gotham Greens and Little Leaf Farms are using social media to assure customers their lettuce is safe, as the U.S. grapples with over 4,173 cyclospora cases since May.
Lettuce growers and salad chains are stepping up public awareness efforts to reassure consumers about food safety during an ongoing cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands across the United States.
Gotham Greens, a New York-based greenhouse grower, recently posted on social media that its controlled-environment production means its leafy greens are unaffected. Little Leaf Farms of Massachusetts has published Instagram videos featuring its CEO explaining why its lettuce remains safe to eat.
The push comes as the U.S. has recorded more than 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1. Some illnesses have been linked to iceberg lettuce in nine states, though health officials have not definitively identified the source, with mixed messaging about whether supplier Taylor Farms is implicated.
Federal investigations remain ongoing more than a month into the outbreak. Unaffected brands are using the moment to build trust, with some already reporting positive consumer response to their messaging.
Companies hope these campaigns will help consumers navigate what is safe to eat as the parasite continues to dominate news coverage.