The cyclospora outbreak is creating a PR headache for food businesses
A cyclospora outbreak from lettuce, and potentially other fresh produce, is testing how food brands respond to moments of crisis and build consumer trust.
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Global Retail // August 1, 2026 The cyclospora outbreak is creating a PR headache for food businesses By Gabriela Barkho Subscribe: Apple Podcasts • Spotify Many Americans have spent the last few weeks contemplating whether to eat fresh produce, due to concerning headlines about the ongoing cyclospora outbreak.
The parasite is creating a wave of confusion for shoppers, retailers and food service businesses. The outbreak has food service chains like Sweetgreen and Taco Bell scrambling to assure customers their produce supply is safe. But the question remains: How much responsibility do companies actually have to communicate these health concerns?
This week, the Modern Retail Podcast is diving into the new rules of retail safety, the PR challenges caused by food outbreaks and the difficulty of rebuilding consumer trust in the long run.
To discuss the cyclospora outbreak, senior reporter Gabi Barkho is joined by Helena Bottemiller Evich, the founder and editor-in-chief of Food Fix, a new online publication about food policy in Washington and beyond. This episode gets into: What makes this foodborne outbreak historically unique and difficult to trace.
Dos and don’ts: How companies can gain customer trust by communicating potential product contamination. What food brands can learn from the outbreak.
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This briefing is based on reporting from Modern Retail. Use the original post for full primary-source context.
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