With the ongoing multi-state Cyclosporiasis (stomach bug) outbreak still going strong across the United States, experts are starting to notice changes in Americans’ dietary and economic behavior, with the pendulum swinging away from fast food restaurants.
Many who used to frequent fast food outlets are now thinking twice before patronizing the outlets because of the linkage of the gastrointestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sold at Taco Bell, an American multinational chain of fast-food restaurants.
Michigan has surged ahead with over 9,000 cases of the stomach bug and has now been labelled the epicenter of the crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also pointed to four states as having a prevalence of the outbreak – Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, though there have been people reported to have this food-carried virus in 32 states across the US.
As authorities connected the outbreak to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sold at Taco Bell, Taco Bell immediately claimed that it has pulled Taylor Farms’ lettuce from its supply chain. The frontline fast-food chain of restaurants has, nonetheless, taken a large hit from crisis, with some reports stating a 31% drop in sales for an average Friday.
Other fast-food outlets are also facing the same level of customer apathy, as many as now more cautious than before concerning what they eat.
The outbreak has clearly led to a shift in dietary behaviors and consciousness among Americans. About four out of ten people now report eating or buying less produce due to the Cyclosporiasis outbreak, according to NBC NEWS. For consumers who are still shopping for lettuce and other greens that have been associated with Cyclosporiasis, farmers markets have become a preferred destination. The markets are now filling up with more new customers concerned with where their food comes from.
“I used to never really shop at farmers’ markets until I heard about the outbreak,” said New Jersey resident, Allen Scotti. “A few have popped up in my town, and I just guess I never really thought about how clean the food I bought at the grocery store was. I now do. I also love how it pulls my community together whenever we host the farmers market on Fridays.”
With the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labelling Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce as the primary cause of the outbreak, there is now a significant and noticeable shift away from fast food restaurants.
“I just think I really want to be away from fast food right now. I don’t want to risk anything,” said New York City resident Thomas Zhang. “Honestly too, I don’t know if I will ever eat it as much as I did before this outbreak. It kind of sobered me up to how dangerous and disgusting a lot of fast food can be,” he stressed.
Taylor Farms is facing lawsuits from residents in Michigan, Ohio, and California alleging negligence, deceptive marketing, and failure to warn consumers about parasitic contamination. Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. (Taylor Farms) and Taco Bell have been marked defendants for these lawsuits even when Taylor Farms has recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced in central Mexico.
The shift away from fast food and large grocery retailers may actually stick as more people become stricter with what they eat and where their food comes from in the wake of this recent Cyclosporiasis outbreak. And farmers’ markets, springing up in more locations across the country will surely be the best for it.
