HEALTH
Food Safety
What to do if your diet is mostly produce amid cyclosporiasis outbreak
Sara MoniuszkoUSA TODAY
Updated July 10, 2026, 3:07 p.m. ET
If your diet is full of fresh fruits and vegetables, the cyclosporiasis outbreak spiking across the country may be raising concerns on what to eat
Caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, the illness is usually contracted through contaminated food and causes unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
Luckily, there are still ways to get in your favorite greens, whetherlternatives. Here’s what to know
How to clean your produce amid cyclosporiasis
To reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis, health officials suggest avoiding prewashed bagged lettuce or salad mixes
Instead, buy a whole head of lettuce, throw away the outer layers of leaves and thoroughly wash the rest under running water, separating the leaves as you wash. The same applies to fresh herbs
For items like green onions, trim the root end and remove the outer layer and wash thoroughly under running water
For firm produce like melons and cucumbers, scrub with a clean brush
In addition to proper cleaning, heating food to 158 degrees or higher kills the parasite, according to officials. So, for certain produce items, you can opt to eat them cooked
You should also wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing food, officials advise
Though past outbreaks have sometimes been linked to fruits and vegetables, Dr. Tammy Lundstrom, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Trinity Health, notes thelear whether any specific fresh produce is responsible.”
Healthy alternatives to fresh produce
If you’re still wary about reaching for that lettuce, there are other ways to get fruits and vegetables on your plate: Canned and frozen items!
“Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are safe alternatives,” Dr. Steven Goldberg, primary and urgent care physician as well as chief medical officer at infectious disease laboratory HealthTrackRx, told USA TODAY. “The processing involved − blanching, cooking, freezing − effectively eliminates Cyclospora and other parasites.”
Plus, they are “nutritionally comparable across many items” for those “seeking extra reassurance” during an outbreak, he added
And while frozen produce may not seem as nutritious as fresh, registered dietitian Danielle Crumble Smith agrees that “frozen veggies are a great, very nutrient-dense option.”
“They’re flash frozen at their peak stage of ripeness when all those nutrients are there and preserved,” she previously told USA TODAY
Plus, just like frozen fruits, you can add frozen veggies to a smoothie or juice to add some extra nutrients, Crumble Smith noted
Frozen, canned and even dried fruits and vegetables count toward a healthy diet, Leslie Bonci, a registered sports dietitian and founder of Active Eating Advice, previously told USA TODAY. No matter their storage method, these foods still deliver fiber, vitamins and more important nutrients, she noted
How worried should you be about cyclosporiasis?
Though cyclosporiasis can cause severe dehydration due to it being associated with prolonged bouts of diarrhea and nausea, it is not considered a life-threatening disease
Kalmia Kniel, a professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, urged people not to panic over the outbreak
“We see cases every year,” Kniel told USA TODAY. “Remember that it’s not an organism that results in death, and it can be treated.”
Goldberg agreed cyclosporiasis is a “real but manageable concern − not a reason for panic.”
The latest outbreak does, however, raise questions about recent funding cuts to public health. USA TODAY has reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration for comment
“Outbreaks are inevitable, but our ability to catch them early, identify the contaminated food and prevent further illness depends entirely on the public health infrastructure we choose to fund,” Goldberg added
Contributing: Christopher Cann
