FSM 400: Safe Produce Practices During Cyclospora Outbreaks

Transcript [Music] I’m Susie Craig, this is Food Safety in a Minute. Human illness from the parasite, cyclospora results from eating food or drinking water contaminated with human feces. Most often, fresh produce becomes contaminated after coming into contact with irrigation or washing water of produce where the parasite is present. What can you do to stay safe? • Wash your hands with soap and water before and after preparing produce. • Purchase produce locally or regionally. • Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, scrub firm produce with a clean brush • Ask restaurants about their sources. • Check with your state health department, know what products are implicated, where they come from. • Discard implicated foods, clean and sanitize containers and surfaces they touched. • And call your doctor if you have symptoms. From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute. [Music] References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026, July 17). Preventing cyclosporiasis. https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/prevention/index.html. Accessed 7/26/26. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2022, November 18). Cyclosporiasis and fresh produce. https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce#Parasite, Accessed online 7/26/26. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2026, July 19). Investigation of nine-state outbreak of Cyclospora illnesses: Iceberg lettuce. https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026. Accessed online 7/26/26.