Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
News

Iowa, Nebraska Link Bagged Salad to Their States' Cyclospora Cases

July 31, 2013


Iowa and Nebraska health officials announced July 30 that they have linked a nationally distributed packaged salad mix to an outbreak of Cyclospora parasite infections in their states that has sickened 221 people. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that almost 400 people across 15 states are confirmed with the parasite. Federal health officials said they are working to determine if the findings apply to cases in other states, according to the Minneapolis-based Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP).

In a statement issued July 30 by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Steven Mandernach, chief of the Food and Consumer Safety Bureau of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA), said epidemiologic and food history interviews with sick patients point to a bagged salad mix containing iceberg and romaine lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage.

The IDPH said the DIA's investigation found that about 80% of the sick patients had been exposed to the same prepackaged salad mix that came from a single source. Mandernach said the salad mix is no longer in Iowa's food supply chain, and he told the state's residents it was safe to continue eating salads.

He said that because of the delay between eating the contaminated food and getting sick, there were no products on shelves to be tested for parasites, and most of the investigation focused on tracing suspected products through the food chain.

The IDPH said it conducted the investigation jointly with the DIA, the State Hygienic Laboratory, local health departments, and public health officials from Nebraska who were investigating a similar outbreak.

Shortly after Iowa announced its findings today, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) announced that prepackaged salad mix was the source of its Cyclospora outbreak, which has sickened 78 people in the state so far.

The NDHHS also said its investigation found that the salad mix, which contained iceberg and romaine lettuce along with carrots and red cabbage, came through national distribution channels, with no indication that locally grown produce was connected to the outbreak.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both posted outbreak updates on July 30 saying they are aware of the Iowa and Nebraska investigation findings about the salad mix, but that they are still assessing information from other states to see if the findings apply to illnesses there.

The FDA said it is following the strongest leads provided by the states and has prioritized the salad mix ingredients identified by Iowa for the trace-back investigation, but that it is following other leads as well.

According to the FDA, its trace-back team identifies clusters of people sickened in the outbreak from different geographic areas and follows the foods they ate back to a common source, which is labor-intensive, painstaking work. The FDA added that it has appointed a seven-person team at its headquarters to help solve the outbreak.

Christine Mann, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), told CIDRAP News that so far Texas investigators have not determined a common source of exposure linking the state's Cyclospora illnesses.

Florida epidemiologists also don't have conclusive evidence of a common food item that the state's Cyclospora patients consumed, Ashley Carr, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health (FDH), told CIDRAP News. She added that state health officials are working with the CDC to identify the source of the infections and that interviews are under way to carefully examine the patients' food and ingredient exposures.

So far it's not clear which ingredient was contaminated or if any of the salad components came from imported sources. Cyclospora infections are rare, and past outbreaks have been linked to imported vegetables and fruits. No prepackaged salad products have been recalled as yet.

The July 30 CDC update said that as of July 29, the agency had received reports of 372 Cyclospora infections from 15 states and New York City. The only new location that was reported is outstate New York, which notified the CDC of a case in a patient who was likely infected in another state.

Some states that had reported cases earlier, such as Florida, Texas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, reported additional cases, according to the CDC's update.

Florida's outbreak update included information about the epidemiologic patterns seen among the sick patients. The average age of the patients is 57.5 years, with an age range of 22 to 78. Patients comprised 14 women and 10 men.

Meanwhile, Texas health officials on July 30 announced 11 more cases beyond the CDC's total. Additional new cases reported by Nebraska would raise the unofficial outbreak total to 385.


Author(s): Staff and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Food Type
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Management
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Risk Assessment
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • mold
    Sponsored byIFC

    Tackling Mold Remediation in Food Processing Plants

  • a worker in a food processing plant
    Sponsored byLPS® DETEX®

    How a Beverage Facility Improved Food Safety and Compliance with Detectable Packaging Solutions

  • Two men standing in a produce storage facility having a discussion.
    Sponsored byOrkin Commercial

    Staying Compliant With FSMA

Popular Stories

carton of dozen brown eggs

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Eggs Ends With One Dead, 38 Hospitalized

close-up macaroni noodles with FDA logo overlay

FDA to Revoke 52 ‘Obsolete and Unnecessary’ Standards of Identity for Food Products

blue iced donuts next to pie of sugar with blue written in it

FDA Authorizes Use of Fourth ‘Natural’ Food Dye, Gardenia Blue

Events

July 22, 2025

Beyond the Binder: Digital Management of Food Safety

Live: July 22, 2025 at 3:00 pm EDT: During this webinar, attendees will learn best practices for the use of digital food safety management systems across industry and regulatory agencies.

August 7, 2025

Achieve Active Managerial Control of Major Risk Factors Using a Food Safety Management System

Live: August 7, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn about changes to the FDA Food Code, which now includes a requirement for FSMS. 

August 28, 2025

Strategies for Rodent Control in Distribution Facilities

Live: August 28, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn how to understand rodent behavior and innovative strategies for rodent management.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • Jewel-Osco voluntarily recalls bagged Signature Farms Garden Salad due to possible cyclospora contamination

    Jewel-Osco voluntarily recalls bagged Signature Farms Garden Salad due to possible cyclospora contamination

    See More
  • Cyclospora Outbreak Tops 400 Cases; Louisiana Joins Affected States List

    See More
  • Taylor Farms Suspends Production of Salad Mix and Leafy Greens at Mexico Facility Linked to Cyclospora

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 0813808774.jpg

    Improving Import Food Safety

  • 1119237963.jpg

    Food Safety in China: Science, Technology, Management and Regulation

  • 1119258073.jpg

    FSMA and Food Safety Systems: Understanding and Implementing the Rules

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • May 15, 2025

    Alarm Fatigue: How to Ensure Out-of-Compliance Alarms Serve Their Purpose and Ensure Food Safety

    On Demand: This session will explore the challenges of setting effective alarms for out-of-compliance hot and cold holding temperatures in food safety management. 
View AllSubmit An Event

Related Directories

  • Associated Bag

    Leading packaging supplier offers popular and hard-to-find packaging and shipping products at low prices, every day! Thousands of sizes of plastic bags. Wide selection of boxes, liners, tape, mailers, stretch wrap, static control products, clean-up supplies, janitorial supplies, and more. Call 800-926-6100 for a FREE catalog and samples, or visit our website at www.associatedbag.com to see our products. Contact us today!
  • PLM TrustLink

    PLM TrustLink® is a comprehensive software platform for tracking & tracing food throughout the supply chain. From origin to destination, PLM TrustLink® utilizes unique product markers to provide transparency, traceability, and trust of key date elements through critical tracking events. The PLM TrustLink® solution delivers real-time actionable data to improve operational efficiency, food safety and regulatory compliance for customers.
  • Recall InfoLink Inc.

    Recall InfoLink is a subscription software that makes recall process management easier and more effective. The cloud platform enables companies across the supply chain to easily distribute recall information, track progress in real time, generate reports for compliance needs, and complete modernized mock recall exercises.
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing