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Cyclospora outbreak

Cyclospora Outbreak: Protecting Your Minnesota Kitchen from Fast-Moving Produce Threats

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A severe Cyclospora outbreak that started in Michigan has exploded, and just as we warned in our initial alert on this fast-moving threat, supply chains move incredibly fast. We are now looking at over 22,000 reported cases nationwide, and tragically, this wave has already resulted in two deaths. When you’re managing a busy kitchen, it’s easy to assume an out-of-state alert won’t affect your daily prep.

But contaminated greens can travel over 600 miles and reach a Minnesota prep table in under 48 hours. A bad batch of produce harvested on a Monday can easily sit in your St. Paul walk-in cooler by Wednesday morning. Kitchen managers must strictly verify their sourcing and enforce rigorous receiving protocols immediately to protect customers from these microscopic threats.

The Reality of Interconnected Supply Chains

Supply chains cross state lines overnight, transforming a localized issue into a national crisis involving tens of thousands of people. This microscopic parasite is notoriously difficult to wash off delicate leafy greens and fresh herbs. This makes cross-contamination a massive risk during a Friday rush.

As an experienced kitchen manager, I know how easily prep cooks can rush their washing routines when tickets are printing non-stop. You can’t let that happen. You must treat incoming produce with the exact same caution you apply to raw poultry. If a massive supplier experiences a contamination event hundreds of miles away, that ripple effect hits local distributors across the country within days.

Why Minnesota Consistently Stays Safe

There’s a very clear reason Minnesota consistently records one of the lowest levels of foodborne illness outbreaks in the country. We rarely see our local restaurants caught up in these massive, multi-state alerts. Even with 22,000 cases nationwide, our state remains highly protected and largely untouched by this specific wave.

Cyclospora outbreak

Help keep Minnesota safe!

That success isn’t an accident. It’s the direct result of our state’s rigorous certification standards and mandatory continuing education requirements. The hard work you put into training your staff actually works. As a NEHA Registered Trainer and an Always Food Safe Instructor & Proctor, I see firsthand how dedicated local managers are to keeping their dining rooms safe.

Keeping Your Certification Current

Professionals must complete continuous education to stay updated on specific, fast-moving threats. Don’t forget that Minnesota professionals who take our 4-hour recertification refresher before their current 3-year certification expires get to skip the exam completely. Letting your license lapse means you’re stuck retaking the entire 8-hour exam. Taking that short refresher is the absolute easiest way to keep your team informed. I teach Minnesota Department of Health-approved courses that tackle real-world issues exactly like this outbreak.

Use SFT10 for $10 off online recertification!

Frequently Asked Questions About Cyclospora

Here are a few common questions we’re hearing from local kitchen managers regarding safe produce handling right now.

What exactly is Cyclospora?

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes a severe intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis. People generally get sick by consuming food or water contaminated with infected feces, which often happens in agricultural fields where fresh produce grows.

Does washing produce remove the parasite?

Washing helps remove dirt and some surface contaminants, but it’s very hard to wash Cyclospora completely off leafy greens or berries. This is why purchasing from reputable, transparent suppliers and paying close attention to national alerts acts as your primary line of defense.

Can hand sanitizer kill Cyclospora on the prep line?

No, standard alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not effectively kill parasites like Cyclospora. Your staff must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling unwashed produce to prevent spreading the parasite to other ready-to-eat foods.

Protect Your Customers Today

You can’t control the national supply chain, but you can control how your team handles incoming produce. Give us a call at (952) 210-0195 or register to get your staff up to speed by visiting our upcoming course schedule. Register for your next class today to keep your kitchen compliant and your dining room safe.

News Sources & Outbreak Data:

How Strict New Romaine Growing Standards Help CFPMs

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Over the course of the past several years, we’ve seen numerous recalls on romaine lettuce and other leafy greens due to foodborne illness outbreaks. These recalls have caused headaches for Certified Food Protection Managers (CFPMs) as they’ve had to pull popular items like Caesar salads off of menus and scramble for replacement greens with every recall. The good news for CFPMs, the romaine lettuce growing industry is adapting and large growing regions in California and Arizona are adopting stricter regulations to prevent contaminated greens from being shipped to restaurants and grocery stores around the country.

Strict New Romaine Growing Standards Help CFPMs
Image credits: PxHere

CFPMs Benefit FromTougher Romaine Growing Standards

CFPMs should be able to rely on the quality of produce they receive in order to keep their customers safe. When they receive romaine or other greens that are tainted with E.coli, salmonella, listeria or other bacteria, there is often little they can do to prevent this contamination from spreading to their guests. In many cases, even rinsed and cleaned lettuce still contains traces of contaminates that are only killed at high temperatures.

The instability of the safety of the greens for major growing regions has forced CFPMs to reconsider where they source their produce. Some source it from outside California and Arizona, and others rely on indoor hydroponic farms to ensure the safety of their fresh greens. This has put pressure on major growers to adopt new standards to keep their greens safe. Some new rules going into effect in Arizona and California growing regions include:

  • Stringent treatment of water sources to remove pathogens
  • Enhanced water testing methods
  • Rewritten protocols to prevent groundwater from contacting edible parts of plants
  • Updated regulations for equipment storage and sanitation
  • Outlined practices to prevent the edible portion of greens from contacting soil during harvest

As you can see, the studies that have linked contaminated water and pathogens in Romaine lettuce have led to changes in the testing and treatment of water. Growers are also recognizing the connection between soil contact and contamination and taking steps to prevent contamination through contact with the ground, tools that have touched the soil and other possible contacts that could contaminate lettuce during harvesting.

While there’s very little CFPMs can do with some contaminates, it’s important to be aware of changes in the lettuce growing industry that could make volatile ingredients such as leafy greens safer to consumers.

Do you feel large growers are doing enough to keep the greens they ship safe for consumption?