Across the nation, people have been on high alert for cyclospora, a foodborne parasite that causes watery diarrhea. It is commonly known simply as “the diarrhea parasite,” and can be killed only at temperatures of 158 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Until Friday, the source of the outbreak was a mystery. To avoid catching it, many people chose to steer clear of produce that is typically eaten raw, such as berries and lettuce.
To understand why this hasn’t affected Cambridge and Somerville residents or businesses, we looked at American Flatbread in Somerville’s Davis Square – known for its wood-fired pizza and candlepin bowling – where there’s been a 15 percent increase in salad sales in June and July from a year earlier despite illnesses around the United States that began in May.
James Harrison, co-owner and former operations manager of American Flatbread, is not surprised. “I think we built a real strong trust with people when it comes to handling food and what we do with it,” he said. “I think that’s why people feel safe coming to Flatbread when things like this happen.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 1,645 domestic cases of cyclospora as of Tuesday and is aware of an additional 5,100 that require verification. Michigan, with 1,141 confirmed cases, makes up the majority of the outbreak.
Massachusetts has seen just 18 cases of cyclospora this year, and according to the state’s Department of Health, these are seasonal cases and normal for the commonwealth. Despite this, locals on social media have expressed concern about what produce is safe to eat.
Cyclospora spreads when people eat food or water that has come in contact with infected feces. It wasn’t until Friday that the CDC linked the multistate outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico. This contaminated produce was delivered to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Greenhouse grown with sterilized water
American Flatbread in Somerville uses only lettuce grown at Little Leaf Farms in Devens. Because it is grown hydroponically in greenhouses, Harrison said it doesn’t carry the same risk of contamination that comes with the traditional method of farming lettuce in outdoor fields.
“They’re not in the soil, so you’re not getting the runoff,” Harrison said. “Most of these problems come when animal or human feces gets out into the system and in the water, and then it contaminates the plants.”
In a statement, Little Leaf Farms confirmed that its packaged salads and kits are not affected by this outbreak. They credited this to food safety practices such as using ultraviolet-sterilized rainwater for irrigation and an automated growing system that minimizes human handling.
“We have never in our company’s history had an outbreak of any human pathogen such as E. Coli 0157 or cyclospora,” Little Leaf Farms said. “We continue to monitor updates from public health agencies and remain committed to providing our customers with safe, high-quality products.”
Harder for home cooks
Harrison emphasized the importance of knowing the details about where your food is grown. For most of the year, American Flatbread Somerville offers only one salad on their menu – the Evolution. In the summertime, it offers an additional “farmer’s market salad” that includes seasonal produce from local farms.
The farmer’s market salad on Friday included lettuce from Little Leaf Farms, peaches from Kimball Fruit Farm and burrata from Narragansett Creamery.
When deciding what farms to buy from, Harrison said it’s important to do a lot of research. “Do they have animals on the property? Where are the animals? What are they doing with the soil? You know, it really starts at the source, and then it carries through once it gets to the building.”
Home cooks don’t often enjoy the same level of control over their produce. In restaurants such as American Flatbread, workers must also take sanitation courses and check temperatures periodically to make sure food is being stored safely.
In a weekly newsletter sent out Friday, Somerville American Flatbread acknowledged the recent lettuce recalls. “We’re happy to share that the greens we use at American Flatbread come from Little Leaf Farms, whose hydroponically grown lettuce is not affected by the current outbreak,” it read. “We’re committed to sourcing high-quality ingredients and serving food you can feel good about.”
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