Should you wash your prewashed lettuce? An infectious disease expert explains how to eat your greens safely during the cyclospora outbreak

A cyclospora outbreak affecting more than eleven thousand five hundred Americans has prompted significant caution around fresh produce, The Conversation reports. A recent poll found that forty percent of U.S. adults have cut back on buying and eating fresh greens as a result. Infectious disease expert Lisa Cuchara, writing in The Conversation, explains that prewashed lettuce, while convenient, isn't sterile — and the cyclospora parasite is particularly resistant to the chlorine and sanitizers used in commercial processing. Each stage of production, from harvest to packaging, creates an opportunity for contamination, and the parasite's eggs adhere tightly to leafy surfaces. Cuchara recommends choosing whole heads of lettuce instead, washing them thoroughly at home, and buying locally grown produce when possible. Locally sourced items undergo fewer processing steps, reducing contamination risk. The bottom line: the health benefits of salads far outweigh the small risk of foodborne illness if you follow basic food safety practices.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton