Episode summary
Protecting Consumers from Foodborne Cyclospora Parasite | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · 7 min · Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec, Emily Graffeo · Guests: William Schaffner
Summary
Food-safety worries centered on a cyclospora outbreak traced by US regulators to shredded iceberg lettuce from a particular supplier, with the host noting that affected restaurant stocks moved lower. Dr. William Schaffner said investigators appear close to the end of the outbreak because the CDC and state health officials have implicated that lettuce source, though he said the full story is not completely settled.
Schaffner said consumers should still be careful with produce: wash it thoroughly, brush it off if possible, and remember the rule to wash it, peel it, or cook it. He explained that outbreaks can spread widely now because national food distribution can turn one contaminated item into infections across many states, unlike more localized outbreaks decades ago.
On severity, Schaffner said the large outbreak justified caution, especially for older people, pregnant women, the frail, and the immunocompromised. He also addressed New York City’s Legionnaires’ cases, saying the bacteria likely came from poorly maintained cooling towers, where spray from building systems can carry infection. He said the health department has been aggressive and believes that outbreak is now at an end.
Key takeaways
- Dr. William Schaffner said the cyclospora outbreak appears to be ending after investigators linked it to shredded iceberg lettuce from a particular supplier and farm in Mexico.
- Schaffner said produce should still be washed thoroughly, and the safest approach remains to wash it, peel it, or cook it.
- He said modern national food distribution can make a single contaminated item produce a far larger outbreak than in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.
- Schaffner said the large outbreak especially matters for older, frail, pregnant, and immunocompromised people.
- For New York City’s Legionnaires’ cases, Schaffner pointed to cooling towers as the likely source and said the health department has been very vigorous in response.
Notable quotes
“we seem to be getting to the end of this outbreak because as you were saying the CDC's and the state health department disease detectives have implicated uh shredded iceberg lettuce”
“I think I still think it's a good idea if you bring produce into the house, wash it thoroughly, brush it off if you can, and as the saying goes, wash it, peel it, or cook it”
“Now that we have uh widespread national distribution, often from international sources indeed, you can get food born outbreaks that are spread over a much larger geographic area and involve more people”
“This was a large outbreak. Each year, late spring, early summer, we have some cycllospora cases that occur. But this is predigious”
“Now there are regulations in New York that require every building owner to maintain those air conditioning cooling towers in an appropriate fashion”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts radio news. — You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio.
Something though that we have been talking about um in a very concerned way around the newsroom is this outbreak um of a parasite. We've seen some stocks actually move on. I think it was late yesterday.
uh Sweet Green, Yum, owner of Taco Bell, Chipotle, um some movements lower in the trade. This is as US regulators trace the outbreak uh of this parasite to a shredded iceberg lettuce that has been served at Taco Bell restaurants and identifying a single supplier as the apparent source. So I you said you eat a lot of salads, so you stopped eating salad.
I stopped eating salads and I don't know is it when can I eat salads again? — Right. have cilantro like is it over? — What do you have to be concerned about? Right. — Yeah. Exactly.
Well, that's why we thought it's time to talk to a doctor and an expert who knows something about it. Um if you're worried and kind of who isn't with us, delighted to have with Emily and myself, Dr. William Shaner.
He is a professor of preventive medicine in the department of health policy as well as professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine joining us from Nashville. Uh Dr. Shaner, it is great to have you here with us.
Um, we have seen Michigan report over f 5 5,000 infections tied to this parasite. Um, we're worried here in New York. How dangerous is it?
Well, ladies, it's good to be with you. Uh we seem to be getting to the end of this outbreak because as you were saying the CDC's and the state health department disease detectives have implicated uh shredded iceberg lettuce from a particular supplier who got their lettuce from a particular farm in Mexico uh as as the source of this parasitic infection.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- food safety
- cyclospora parasite
- usda facility closure
- consumer protection
- foodborne outbreak
Watch the episode
Watch “Protecting Consumers from Foodborne Cyclospora Parasite | Bloomberg Businessweek” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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