Cyclosporiasis - Yikes and Yuck!

I just watched a video from a nutritionist/health expert I trust and she mentioned that things like raspberries and lettuces are big culprits because they are hard to wash with all their nooks and crannies and their delicate nature. She also mentioned if you have something like a cantaloupe that you need to use a hard brush and go at the hard skin.

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And probably wash the knife that cuts through the rind

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From WP
Why it’s hard to trace: Most people don’t remember everything they’ve eaten in the last two weeks, and it can take that long to get sick

I actually do food logging (MyNetDiary) app. But… for produce I don’t have any brand info.

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If you bought the produce at a store, you probably will remember where you shopped. So it can be traced down to the grower that way.

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What numbers do the colors represent? And is produce grown at home as much as an issue as purchased produce? I guess raspberries are off my shopping list now, and I guess blackberries have the same risk?

The color key shows in full in the link I posted earlier.

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/map-where-cases-of-explosive-diarrhea-causing-parasitic-illness-have-been-reported/

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I’m in NC and the local TV station had an article on their website about an uptick in cases. I try to buy locally grown produce as much as possible. And I am pretty good about washing it, but I will be extra good from now on. Will tell the fam, too, but they are not as good as I am about washing stuff. Live and learn I guess. I suspect my husband will be more vigilant because he does not like stomach issues, but not sure about the grown kids.

This is a good non-paywalled article in the Detroit Free Press that has more detail than most. Cyclospora FAQ: How to prevent it, how long it lasts, can pets get it

How to protect yourself from cyclosporiasis

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued updated recommendations July 4 to help people reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis infection.

The safest option is to cook leafy greens, cilantro, basil, green onions, snow peas and raspberries after carefully washing them under clean, running water. Heating food to 158 degrees or higher kills the parasite.

If you must eat raw, fresh produce, the health department suggests:

  • Washing hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing food.
  • Avoiding prewashed bagged lettuce or salad mixes. Instead, buy a whole head of lettuce. Throw away the outer two or three layers of leaves and thoroughly wash the inner leaves under running water.
  • Thoroughly washing herbs, such as cilantro and basil, under running water. Separate the leaves as you wash them.
  • Trimming the root end and removing the outer layer of green onions, which also are known as scallions. Once that’s done, wash them thoroughly under running water.
  • Considering using frozen raspberries, rather than fresh, to reduce risk. The fruit’s bumpy surface makes raspberries especially difficult to clean. The parasite can hide in its tiny crevices. Freezing may reduce the risk, but the health department warns it does not guarantee the fruit won’t be contaminated.
  • Rubbing the surface of snow peas while washing them under running water.
  • Washing all fresh produce under clean running water, even if you plan to peel it. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush and cut away any damaged or bruised areas before preparing and eating.
  • Refrigerating cut, peeled or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible.
  • Washing and sanitizing utensils and surfaces before and after handling food. Wash and sanitize display cases and refrigerators where fresh produce is stored along with cutting boards, surfaces and utensils used to prepare, serve or store fresh produce.

Will washing fruits and vegetables completely eliminate cyclospora?

No.

Although the washing and hygiene recommendations are good practice to prevent most foodborne illness, Eisenberg cautioned that cyclospora is a tough parasite to kill.

“Washing will not reliably remove all cyclospora, especially [on] fruits like raspberries, [which were] the cause of many cyclospora outbreaks in the past,” he said. “But it will reduce the concentration of contamination. That’s important because the dose ingested matters with respect to whether you will be infected and have symptoms. So, washing will reduce the risk of infection.”

The FDA warns on its website that cyclospora isn’t killed by commonly used disinfectants, including household bleach, either.

“Cyclospora is highly persistent in the environment,” Eisenberg said. “Heat is the only definitive way to kill the parasite, which is why cooking your food is recommended. … The best way to remove the parasite from surfaces and utensils is through hot water and soap and/or a dishwasher,” aiming for a water temperature above 158 degrees.

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I recently bought these before of hearing about this so that I could wash and store our berries (not everyone here is good about washing them).

I actually use soap and water on any fruit or veggie that can take it. Like I wash apples and tomatoes and pears and cucumbers and zucchini with soap and water just like washing my hands. And always was melons with soap and water. Those typically are grown on the ground and lots of farmers use manure as fertilizer.

One article said that vinegar can help reduce the number of cyclospora too although it won’t kill them all so I might add a little vinegar to my rinse water for other veggies that can’t be soaped up.

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I found myself judging any one who had raspberries in their cart this morning at Costco. :joy:

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Just gotta wash em good.

If anyone wants to nerd out about it here is the study on washing berries https://cdn.blueberriesconsulting.com/2021/02/foods-10-00481.pdf

I think the average person is only going to be willing to wash so carefully - I for one will just avoid raspberries because that task is gonna be too time intensive for me. Maybe I’m off base but that is me. I will wash and rinse, wash and rinse, scrub when needed but I’m not going to take care with each berry and/or each lettuce leaf (in a bagged lettuce situation) - I’ll just avoid them for other less time intensive choices

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If you just wash under running water it reduces the bad stuff by 80% and by more if you do more. If you read the study you might feel better (or maybe not). Made me feel better. I will rinse under running water and probably in my salad spinner with a little dish soap and then with a little vinegar and then rinse with clean water in between. Just three washes to your two.

Please do not go overboard with dish soap!

“ * Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.”

Source: Selecting and Serving Produce Safely | FDA

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I washed my strawberries in water with baking soda. No idea if that was helpful

H went to the doctor today. The verdict was inconclusive. Could be a lot of things. Said to wait another week to see where things are then.

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I don’t eat raspberries or blackberries because of the seeds. My hunch is that this is coming from bagged lettuce, you know, the kind that says “triple washed”. I confess that I hadn’t been washing it before eating.

I’ve been washing produce with a small amount of dish soap for decades and have never gotten sick from it. I almost never get sick to my stomach. It’s a rare occasion when I have that kind of problem (my sinuses, OTOH :roll_eyes:). Got Norovirus 20+ years ago.

I had read a while back that you shouldn’t wash the pre-washed lettuce/greens.

https://www.allrecipes.com/what-does-triple-washed-mean-on-salad-packages-11854896

So … everything is confusing.

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I’m so mad about this as we have guests back to back this month and I make lots of pasta salads with fresh vegetables. So now I have to rethink my side dishes. Plus just the fact I can’t eat salads now.

I’m making a pasta salad tonight furbjydtvys talks for cherry tomatoes and green peppers. ChatGPT sushi can roast them all for minutes at 400 degrees. It kills them when cooked. Let them cool, refrigerate and cut as normal. I have them in the refrigerator now, so it will interesting how it tastes tomorrow

But my go-to pasta salad uses green and parsley. It doesn’t taste the same without them.

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But we can’t realistically forego fresh produce forever. It’s really important to identify the source and to put regulations into place that have real consequences for companies that don’t follow them. I know big business detests regulations, but profits cannot be more important than the health of our citizens.

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