Food Safety Has a Produce Problem

Fresh produce is having a rough run, and the salad drawer is starting to look less wholesome and more like a risk-management exercise with ranch dressing.

Lettuce pray: Federal investigators have been tracking a nine-state Cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The investigation grew after nearly 2,000 cases were reported among people who had eaten at Taco Bell, which is not the kind of value meal anyone ordered.

Traceback trouble: The outbreak has put renewed attention on how fast suppliers, restaurants and regulators can identify the source of contaminated produce. The cluster involved shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, and it expanded while officials worked through the usual food-safety puzzle: who ate what, where it came from and how many stops it made before landing in a taco.

Pepper problem: Then came another produce headache. Taylor Fresh Foods recalled guacamole, pico de gallo, taco dip and other products containing jalapeños after a supplier recalled peppers over possible Salmonella contamination. The recall covered products sold through major retailers and landed while federal and state partners were already investigating a multistate outbreak.

Why it matters: Produce supply chains move quickly, but microbes do not care about brand calendars, restaurant menus or consumer confidence. When lettuce and jalapeños both end up under review, food safety gets less fresh and a lot more complicated.