‘We aren’t impacted’: Lettuce brands are on an awareness push amid the cyclospora outbreak

CPG Playbook // July 24, 2026 ‘We aren’t impacted’: Lettuce brands are on an awareness push amid the cyclospora outbreak By Julia Waldow Little Leaf Farms Lettuce growers and salad chains are embarking on a consumer education push to share that their products are safe amid a cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across the U. S.

Gotham Greens, which was founded in New York, recently took to social media to say that its products are grown in controlled greenhouses and therefore not affected by the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Little Leaf Farms, which is based in Massachusetts and also uses controlled greenhouses, has published several Instagram videos with its CEO, explaining why its lettuce is OK to eat.

And fast-casual chain Sweetgreen published an open letter from its founders, saying, “Our food has not been identified in connection with the current cyclospora outbreak.” Companies hope this messaging will reassure consumers wondering what they can and cannot eat as news of the parasite dominates headlines. The U. S.

has received reports of more than 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis (the illness caused by the parasite cyclospora) since May 1. Some of these cases have been linked to iceberg lettuce in nine states, per the CDC, although there has been mixed messaging from health officials on whether the supplier Taylor Farms is responsible.

More than a month into the outbreak, federal officials are still conducting investigations into the source of the illness. Unaffected produce brands and lettuce growers are now embarking on trust-building campaigns to distance themselves from the outbreak. Already, some companies are seeing their efforts pay off.

Gotham Greens said its website traffic from July 9-19 was up more than 800% from the prior 10 days, while its engagement rate on social media was up double-digits.

View this post on Instagram Gotham Greens decided to issue more information about its products after noticing “an increase in questions from consumers,” its vp of marketing, Jodi Genshaft, told Modern Retail. The company has received 1,300 messages through social media and email.

Gotham Greens sells greens and herbs, in addition to salad kits, dressings, dips and cooking sauces. These are grown and packed in indoor hydroponic greenhouses in nine U. S. states. The company says its products don’t encounter soil, dirt, manure or chemical washing agents, and that it uses independent testing to monitor its water.

Gotham Greens is hoping its messaging can “restore confidence in fresh produce,” while also building trust with both loyal shoppers and new ones, Genshaft said. “We believe that consumers deserve to know how and where their food is grown,” she explained.

“Giving people greater transparency into how their food is produced empowers them to make better, safer and more informed decisions for themselves and their families.” Across Threads, Facebook and Instagram, Gotham Greens’ posts about the outbreak have garnered more than 9,000 likes. One Threads user commented, “Bought some today and it was so fresh!

I am a first time customer, and you immediately became my preferred brand.” On Facebook, another commented, “You just earned yourself another customer. Going out tomorrow to find your greens.”

Meanwhile, Little Leaf Farms, which has greenhouses in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, published a post about its lettuce process, as well as three Instagram videos featuring CEO and founder Paul Sellew. In the videos, Sellew wears a hairnet and stands in a greenhouse before rows of lettuce.

He talks about the company’s growing process and why the brand’s lettuce doesn’t need to be washed before eating. “I eat it every day unwashed, and it’s perfectly fine,” Sellew said. View this post on Instagram Little Leaf Farms sells to some 8,000 grocery stores across the United States and cuts and delivers its lettuce within 24-36 hours, per the company.

It uses treated rainwater and human-quality drinking water for irrigation, and its leaves do not get wet. “[Our product] is separate and distinct from the field product, which is where, historically, all these food safety incidents have come from,” Sellew told Modern Retail in an interview.

In Little Leaf Farms’ 10-year history, “We’ve never had a food safety incident,” Sellew said. But he also acknowledged that consumers have questions about all types of produce right now. Putting out social-media videos has been a way for Little Leaf Farms “to get out ahead of it,” he said.

“I’m not really a social media person, but many people get their information from social media. … For us, it’s an opportunity to educate people about our process. We welcome the scrutiny. We want people t