You cannot even choose frozen over fresh. Refer to my post above about Publix frozen fruits.

ETA: I am going to buy head lettuce, not organic, from Publix. Organic uses natural poop, I do not trust that. I like chemical fertilizers and organic pest control.

TV - I so appreciate your calm, science-based information. I see this current outbreak (am I allowed to use that word? 😄) as bad - and still spreading. The CDC even admits there are current outbreaks where they can't find the source. It is in something like 41 states now, although many of those states are indeed reporting low numbers. For now anyway.

There is huge lag between disease onset and getting recorded in the outbreak numbers - and my hunch is many people are just riding it out at home unless it really gets bad.

And yay! Now we can add E coli to the outbreak mix. Good times everywhere!

Obviously I have an intense personal interest, considering I am now housing some of those nasty little buggers. I will say it again - given the continuing spead - including some WHERE THE SOURCE HASN'T BEEN FOUND - and the serious lag in reporting, this is nowhere near over.

There are plenty of fruit/veg options which are low risk. I will be eating only those for quite some time.

Years ago I had some undiagnosed diarrheal illness that lasted for weeks. My HMO doctor was an hour’s drive away, and closed on weekends. I felt too ill to go to a doctor (foolish of me, but I was not myself). I guzzeled Imodium, mostly stayed home (I have no idea how I could do that). After about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, I was better.

Another time, I felt ill, all the time. Hungry, but could not eat. After 2 or 3 weeks, I went to my HMO doctor. Did stool sample fun. Doctor did not find anything much, nothing remarkable. She did say that there was one organism found that usually doesn’t give people problems, Blastocystis hominis . Just to be conservative since I was feeling awful, she treated me with ? flagyl? I got better.

A secretary who worked with me in the basement building of our university heard me talking about this with someone. He picked up on the name of the organism. He said that he had also been feeling very ill and had been treated (as I was) for the very same organism!

Weeks later, I was reading the university newsletter and through that learned that there has been a rupture/break in the water lines to the building we worked in. Groundwater had been able to contaminate the water lines to that building. So, you know, ground water in a woodsy suburban campus — think of raccoons, dogs, other critters and their waste entering the ground, groundwater, runoff and contaminating the water (hot, cold) to the building we worked in. [A friend who had attended then worked at that university had years before commented to me about how CHEAP the place was, always delaying repairs and so on.] I was really peeved when I learned of the polution caused by the break in the waterlines, causing the secretary and I and who knows how many others to feel ill for weeks and also miss work as well as upheaval in our lives.

With the current cyclosporis (sp) outbreak, it is troubling because there is an incubation delay and it can be difficult to pin down, even when inspected. The samples might not contain enough of the organism, thus appearing (registering) as ”negative.” It can be very difficult for even experienced epidemiologists to tease out the infectious culprit.

There could also be cross contamination. Think of someplace like a busy deli or sandwich shop — preparing some sandwiches with lettuce, others without but often made using the same cutting or prep board and equipment — and this more likely before the word gets out on the suspected food items carrying the suspect organism.

Organic agriculture does not use 'poop' on crops - fresh manure is a big no-no for organic and any other kind of gardening.

And FWIW, IIRC, the big lettuce contamination from several years ago was from a hog farming operation upstream, not human waste.

Also saw yesterday that lettuce growers in CA are plowing their crops under as demand has plummeted.

I recall that one of the Salinas area contamination events some years ago was traced to the use of untreated well water in the processing building to wash off the produce after harvest.

The presence of E coli and other contaminants in ground water isn't that unusual

I do not care if the poop is one day old or several years old, no poop used on my food. I only want chemical fertilizer on my food, no s*^t.

Do you eat mushrooms?

How do you know that produce you eat wasn't grown in fields where the soil was enriched with compost? And if it was, how do you know what was in the compost?

Just because someone is growing produce that isn’t qualifying as ’organic’ but is using chemical fertilizers, doesn’t mean they aren’t also using compost and composted manure to enrich their soils.

All my Spring lettuce bolted last month so I started some more last week. Instead of using lettuce I've been using Swiss chard in its' place, from my garden.

Grateful to have lettuce from my garden. Second sowing should sprout soon. Make my own compost tea from my little sub pod (outdoor worm bin, fully enclosed). . Couldn’t be easier!

Sooo jealous of those of you with gardens!

I need to find a friend who likes to garden....🤣

I don't use a lot of lettuce, but perhaps the ban contributed to my craving. I would have picked up a simple dinner after a busy day yesterday, but too weirded out to trust the green salads even though anything being sold today in California should be fine. So I stopped at Trader Joe's, and wasn't inspired by the produce beyond some spinach, but they had some made salads that had point of origin printed right on the boxes with the expiration date (I can't remember which date so said expiration as a generic term--salad doesn't expire, and looking at the bottom is more informative than the date). I've seen Taylor packages in stores but I never realized how spead out their stuff is. This is the best I could think of to balance my desire for lettuce and a reasonable amount of caution, with the added benefit of not having to make dinner,

Ally De, wish you a complete and speedy recovery,

Trader Joe's lettuce has sticker with point of origin and date picked. Not expiration.

Well, I think it happened here. My husband was fine , we each had a salad at Panera Friday night, and only three hours later he had diarrhea. Saturday he still had it, and yesterday he said he was fine until 4 AM when it started again. I'm not a doctor, but I know this is what he has.

Ally , how long till symptoms appeared? I know that three hours couldn't possibly be the culprit, but something else he ate days before. He just called the doctor and has an appointment tomorrow. Any tips except keep hydrated?

@sushipup2 TJ’s pre-made salads all have an expiration or use by date. I think that’s what pilllog was referring to.

Yes. Exactly. The pre-made salads all have a date but the CA laws changed. They can no longer have "sell by" dates as of July (I just looked it up). From Food Safety Magazine:

• “Best If Used By” or “Best if Used Frozen By” to indicate the date by which a product will reach its peak quality. For smaller packages, the abbreviation “BB” may be used.
• “Use By” or “Use By or Freeze By” to indicate the date by which a product’s safety can no longer be guaranteed. For smaller packages, the abbreviation “UB” may be used.

They're not allowed to have "sell by" dates. They can have stocking codes that indicate dates, instead, meant for the retailer's use, but to be somewhat opaque to consumers.

For things like prepared salads there are different regulations than for just vegetables, pertaining to meat or dairy products enclosed.

The point of the new law is to pursuade the public not to throw out unspoiled food based on a printed date. The amount of good food that is discarded this way is shocking, even to me who has been riding this hobby horse for decades.

Aw Lily. I am so sorry. Let's hope it isn't cyclospora. Google tells me the symptom onset range is 2 days to 2 weeks, with a week being average. Mine was likely exactly a week. (I say likely bc I also had some shredded iceberg in a take out veggie wrap - if it was that then mine was ~10 days.)

Imodium works reasonably well for me, after about the first 3 days. The first few days were not well controlled by meds. Honestly, I have had no trouble staying hydrated, my worst symptom by far is nausea. Certain foods are still absolutely no go. I am still dropping weight bc I just don't feel like eating very much.

Good luck!!! If he gets sent home with the test kit....have fun. 😄🤢

You don't need a garden to grow lettuce and salad greens, they do very well in containers, as long they can get some sun. Most grow pretty quickly too.

Oh and about the poop - birds fly everywhere, just saying...

Just saw that California farmers are destroying their crops. Not because they are contaminated but because they can't market them. So I'm guessing lettuce prices and salad prices will probably rise next year to make up for the loss if there is a next year. In local news California has had 1/2 the confirmed cases of cyclospora illness this year as in the past years which averaged 80 cases. Of the 41 cases the news stated all but 7 were from travel outside the state. It's odd and they are closely watching and studying the issue. Interesting.

Havin IBS if I panicked at every episode of gastric problems I would never be able to eat anything. It's awful when you get sick and think something you ate caused it. I have had genuine food poisoning twice in my life and it was hard to start eating the suspected foods again for some time.. It's hot here so my dinner tonight was a cold roast beef sandwich I made on sourdough with provolone , mustard, a bit of horseradish and lots of crunchy iceberg.

Hope anyone who is ill recovers quickly.

" You don't need a garden to grow lettuce and salad greens, they do very well in containers, as long they can get some sun. "

This reminded me that they grow well hydroponically too. Although I don't generally eat lettuce, a coworker brought everyone a couple of heads of romaine last year, lettuce that her boyfriend had grown hydroponically in their garage. They were awesome. She would occasionally bring me odd varieties of eggplant too.

@plllog, totally off-topic re: leafy greens, but on-topic with food waste that you mentioned above. I had some unopened Bay's English muffins in my refrigerator that I purchased for my mother. Since my mother is no longer a factor, I thought I should open these and see if they are still edible and use them or trash them. There was no mold. They were a little bit drier than when fresh, but still retained some moisture and were fine when toasted. Note the date:

Yes...that is 2020!!!

ETA: Now everyone is making a mental note to NEVER eat at Fun's house.

Preservatives do a great job of preserving!

Update on husband. After his recurrent bout of diarrhea the night before last and nothing since then, he still kept his doctor's appointment. Doc said it's very unlikely this is cyclosporiasis, but more likely a virus. Keep hydrated with electrolytes, and if it recurs, call back to be seen again.

LOL! But that's a prime example of what I was talking about. I have a friend who can't smell. I'm not sure that her family members know what to check for, and she can't teach them. She relies on her eyes and the dates, and I get that. Even before the new law in CA, the dates were either stocking dates for retailers, who would either put them on super discount or give them to charity, from what I've heard, or, more recently what the use by date is defined as by the article, above, The date after which you can't get a refund if the food is spoiled.

All fresh produce starts to degrade when it's picked. It looses nutrients. People have stored such foods as long as they'd had a way to store them. I've read that nomadic hunter gatherers had a better diet than the first settlers, but in the end civilization had longer lived people. If food smells like rot, it's probably unsafe. If it has common mold cutting it off with a generous margin makes the rest safe to eat. If its skin is sticky, but not smelly, and the sticky can be wiped or washed off, it's safe after peeling. If it's oozing beige goo, it's rotting--throw it out. If it's past a made up date on the packaging, but doesn't have any signs of mold or rot, it's food. The date may be taken as a reminder to use it up, already. If it's been properly stored since you bought it and it's spoiled before the date, you can ask for your money back.

And while doubtless California has had it's own problems with crop contamination, I'm pleased to eat romaine from Salinas. ;)

I've continued to eat the romaine bundles from Costco and prepared salads from Trader Joe's with no ill effects. However, if I were immuno-compromised, I definitely would be more cautious.

I bought a head of iceberg at Aldi a few days ago and ate some on BLTs last night. The lettuce said it was grown in Cali (I think it was Santa Maria or something like that). Hopefully it is OK and not contaminated with any crud. So far so good. If I do come down with it I could stand to lose a few pounds anyway.

I buy only iceburg lettuce, whole head. I get from Publix. I intend to ask tomorrow if it is from California????

It just cracks me up to no end that I got it from iceberg. I don't even really LIKE iceberg lettuce! This was back when it was first breaking and I figured, well, it's probably romaine again. It is ALWAYS romaine, you know? So I deliberately bought a head of iceberg thinking that was safer. Joke's on me.

I am really starting to feel better and I am craving a huge salad. I'm heading to the grocery store tomorrow for the first time in about 3 weeks. Chances are high I'll be buying some kind of romaine, or butter lettuce, or something crunchy and green. Part of me thinks this is the dumbest idea I've had in awhile, but I am so craving a fresh crunchy salad. Right now anyway, we'll see how I feel when I'm staring it in the face and reading packages!

Ally De, just ask where it is grown. Taylor farms in Mexico is a hard no!

Agreed Sherry. I'm hoping they have everything clearly labeled. We shall see....

My friend at Traders said yesterday, as I was buying spinach, that they pulled products from Taylor Farms and haven't heard otherwise. I think Taylor supplies most of the grocery stores, at least in my area.

Ally De -- I hope you continue to do better. I think if you follow the recommended washing procedures with whole produce, you may reduce risk.

I was at Costco this morning, after our big road trip, and noticed the stocks of lettuce were overflowing. I really think it would help if the supplier just invested in some stickers to note the origin or if Costco noted the origin (which is common in many parts of Europe). I had a nice Caesar Salad for lunch.

Alley De — thinking of you and hoping you continue to improve.

Jaques Pepin puts lettuce in soups, like any green. I sometimes do this as well (add to ramen mix).

I guess we know in which states people don't eat fresh vegetables!

Petalique - sorry that I'm being dense. Is the the orange or the gray that show where the cyclosporiasis outbreak is?

Orange is the cyclosporiasis. There are four states on the mainland with no reported cases.

Suzieque - it is definitely orange. My new BFF cyclospora* has been reported in all but ~4 states now.

* Worst house guest ever. Causes wild disarray, no respect for personal space, and just will not leave no matter how many ways you try to evict them. 0/10, do not recommend.

😄

I just bought produce at Publix, including head lettuce. Everything was labeled with country of origin, which was the United States.

It's apparently getting worse.

Just read this from USA Today:

"...Cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection known for causing explosive diarrhea, have now reached 47 states as the illness reached unprecedented numbers.

There have been 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclospora infections since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its weekly update Aug. 4. The new numbers represent an increase of more than 3,700 since the CDC's last report July 28.

Cases have now been recorded in 47 states, up from 45 last week. At least 12,255 additional cases have not yet been confirmed by laboratories, the CDC said.

There have been 517 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the agency...."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2026/08/04/cyclospora-outbreak-cases-update-august-2026/91173578007/

Ugh. Stay vigilant.

FWIW, I found a smallish provider of lettuce, who put out a very reassuring statement on their website. They explained their hydroponic growing and various sanitation and employment practices. They said they have never tested positive for any ick, and that if they ever did they would publicize it themselves.

I bought their lettuce. It tasted fabulous. It was a bit more than I usually pay, but assuming all is true, it is worth it to me. Fingers crossed.

We live in interesting times.

Sadly, this is not one of those things where illness confers immunity. You can get reinfected (Different from relapse where the initial infection flares up).

Edited to add: Ally De we posted at the same time, my post was not directed at you. Although I of course want you to to stay healthy.

No worries Lucille. You are entirely correct and it's important to keep in mind. Heck, I'm not fully recovered so I suspect a recurrence would be even worse for me, you know?!

I was SO HUNGRY for a salad. I stood there in the produce aisle googling various companies, and liked what I found on this one enough to take a chance. I believed what they said on their website. I paid more for a product that said they are safe. Time will tell if that makes me a fool.

Given the 340,000.000+ people in the USA, statistically, public food safety is pretty darned good. This has been awful for Ally and the rest who suffer from this nastiness, but in general, the food is pretty safe...

Ally, your choice sounds excellent, and I know the salad craving...

Pllog, I agree with you completely that from a numbers perspective, the risk is still pretty small relative to our overall population. What frustrates me to no end is the lack of information/clarity on exactly who/what products are behind the still growing numbers of infections.

First it was a positive test, then apparently someone visited with someone else and may or may not have paid a "donation" - and then suddenly the positive test was false alarm. That's reassuring!

Meanwhile no one has issued any information on lot numbers, or exact products involved, or dates of production, or anything, you know, USEFUL to know if the risk has been identified/contained - or if the carp that is STILL BEING SOLD in stores from the company we all THINK is behind this is now safe. Does anyone even care? What about the lettuce being sold to Sysco and restaurant chains - is that now safe? Who knows, no one says anything anymore. We're stuck googling things in produce aisles and trying to figure it out on our own.

The band of misfits running this clown car of an administration does not inspire confidence. In me anyway, I guess other people strongly disagree. And so it goes.

Alley, I agree with you completely! It not only a clown show, it is a farce. I am lucky that I have a grocery that lists where their produce is from, Publix, US, plum tomatoes, Canada.

I will eat nothing at a restaurant that is produce.

I agree about the clown car and it's frustrating to see our safeguards all get destroyed for no good reason. No one is keeping any records anymore, no research, no information on the current incidents. And the saddest part is that the head clown doesn't care about all of us in the least. It's every person for themselves.

I also agree about the clown car, but they’re on BOTH sides of the aisle. The clown we have running CA has shown a total lack of leadership and confidence. And he wants to be next in the WH? Good grief, he can’t handle CA! Then there’s the charming mayor of LA who’s a complete MESS.😵‍💫 Again, Left or Right…the behavior’s concerning in BOTH directions.

The map is not accurate. It's disingenuous to count cases as those in a state that were aquired out the country and out of a state .

Since May 1, when cyclospora cases began to rise nationwide, California has reported 201 cases. Of these cases, the vast majority — 172 — were acquired while the individual was abroad, which is traditionally how most U.S. residents get sick.

Of the 43 domestically acquired cases, 15 involved people who left the state but stayed within the U.S. Just two individual cases are believed to be linked to the outbreak that’s connected to tainted lettuce. They were sickened after traveling outside California and eating items at a Taco Bell.

Cases In California