Cyclosporiasis outbreak sends local Illinois farms' lettuce sales skyrocketing – CBS News

Cyclosporiasis outbreak sends local Illinois farms’ lettuce sales skyrocketing  CBS News

The cyclospora outbreak tied to contaminated iceberg lettuce continues to grow, and has also made many consumers suspicious of the lettuce in grocery stores. An investigation by the CDC, FDA and public health officials found that the over 1,000 cyclosporiasis cases across Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico.Taco Bell, which was one of the largest purchasers of the contaminated lettuce, has seen some stores lose 2% in sales due to consumer concerns. Salad-focused chain restaurants like Sweetgreen have also seen spending drop by double digits, according to the Associated Press. "It did make me hesitant, I definitely purposefully didn't go to that section of the grocery store with all of that bagged lettuce and all that," said shopper Jacquelyn Kinder.

But one group is cashing in on consumers looking for fresh veggies and peace of mind: local farmers.Many people have headed to local farmers markets, where growers say demand for lettuce and other greens has skyrocketed."I think more people are just looking to get it more homegrown and more local to make sure that they hopefully don't get sick," said Kaleena Mark from Mark's Family Farm, which sells at the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market. As Mark weighed up produce and checked out customers, she would take the time to have a