64. Lettuce Talk About the Diarrhea Outbreak

We’re back with a solo episode, because I couldn’t resist the topic.  A Cyclospora parasite outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce is making headlines across the US, and while the CDC's warnings have left a lot of people wondering whether they can safely eat a salad, I want to set the record straight: this moment is less about contaminated lettuce and more about what happens when 40% of a country's salad comes from one company.This is a short episode where I break down exactly how a parasite ends up on your lettuce, why consolidation makes outbreaks like this inevitable, and what you can actually do (starting today!) to step out of the most fragile parts of the food system.Tune in to learn more about:What Cyclospora is, how it spreads, and how a parasite that can only be transmitted through human feces ended up on grocery store lettuceWhy not all produce is affected, and why the blanket fear of fresh fruits and vegetables is misinformation Who Taylor Farms is: over 40% of all salad kits sold in American grocery stores, plus ownership of Earthbound Organics, plus major growing and processing operations in Mexico and CanadaWhy the scale that makes companies like Taylor Farms profitable is the exact same scale that makes outbreaks like this inevitableThe COVID parallel with distribution system failures and general systemic fragility. Why small farms are structurally less likely to cause this kind of widespread harm, and more likely to be able to answer your questions directlyWhat food sovereignty actually looks like in practice: knowing your farmer, asking questions, growing something yourself if you canConnect with Hannah: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@hannahkeitel ⁠⁠⁠