An unprecedented cyclosporiasis outbreak scared more than one-fourth of U.S. households away from buying salads and fresh greens during the month of July, a new survey suggests.
An estimated more than 26 million U.S. households stopped buying salads and fresh greens during the month ending July 26, according to research firm Numerator, which tracks purchase behavior from 200,000 households across more than 44,000 retailers. More than 6.5 million households also stopped purchasing salad mixes and kits during the month, the research firm found.
In mid-July, a growing number of cyclosporiasis cases became a multistate outbreak. People typically get the infection, caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanesis, after consuming contaminated food or water.
Walmart recalled bagged iceberg lettuce salads sold under the Marketside brand in July, and major produce supplier Taylor Farms removed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the marketplace. Taco Bell also removed all lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from its restaurants, after shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico was linked to the outbreak.
Taylor Farms said none of its branded salads or kits were associated with the outbreak.
Shoppers skipping salad, lettuce at grocery store
Overall, one in 10 households cut back on their spending on lettuce, salad and greens. In states affected by the cyclosporiasis outbreak (with more than 200 cases), per household spending dropped by 10.7%, the research firm said.
"Consumers are pulling back on fresh produce, but our purchase data shows they’re not fully replacing it with canned or frozen alternatives, despite nearly half of shoppers saying they would," Numerator analyst Shawn Paustian told USA TODAY.
"That suggests many shoppers may simply be waiting for the outbreak to end – and points to a potential rebound, with 82% of those who stopped buying salad mixes and kits saying they plan to return once it’s contained,” he said.
Cyclospora outbreak hits fast food, too
The outbreak has had effects beyond the grocery store. Quick-service restaurant chains also saw total trips made for salads decline by more than 16% in the latest month. Spending at fast-food restaurant chains fell by 2.1% per household.
That parallels findings from analytics firm Placer.ai, which suggests that Taco Bell, during the week of July 20, saw traffic almost 20% below the average during the first six months of 2026. More recently, in the week of Aug. 3, traffic was down 8%.
Traffic at fast-food chains has rebounded, said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, in a statement accompanying the research. "Taco Bell and salad-focused chains such as Chopt remain under pressure but have partly recovered since their mid-July lows," he said.
Is lettuce safe to eat?
"Yes, lettuce is safe to eat as long as it isn’t part of the specific recall," Angela Fernandez, a food safety expert at GS1 US, a nonprofit standards organization that helps manage food safety infrastructure, told USA TODAY. "It’s understandable that consumers are cautious ... But recalls are often more targeted than some people realize."
The Food and Drug Administration, in an update earlier this month, said it "remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific cyclospora outbreak is off the market," and it will continue its investigation along with federal and state officials.
In Michigan, the state with the most cyclosporiasis cases, the state's health department said in an Aug. 6 statement that residents "can resume routine guidance for consuming lettuce and salad greens."
Still, since officials have not identified a source for all of the cases, Dr. Dana G. Mordue, associate professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology at New York Medical College, suggests caution, especially for people at risk of more serious illness, such as older adults and children, she told USA TODAY.
"Since we do not know the source and we do not know what is causing it, the idea of saying it's off the shelf probably is not going to be very reliable," she said.
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Salad, lettuce-linked outbreak is making greens shoppers see red
