Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety
This short article is intended to help fruit and vegetable farmers quickly understand how to talk with their customers about the current Cyclospora outbreak and to dispel misinformation.
What you need to know about the parasite as a farmer
- Cyclospora is a microscopic protozoan parasite that can cause severe, watery diarrhea among other symptoms when ingested.
- It comes from feces from infected humans, not animals or wildlife.
- Cyclospora can contaminate fresh produce when water that is used on the farm during growing (most often from sources like rivers and streams) contains human feces from a person who is ill with the parasite.
- It can be very difficult or impossible to wash the parasite off produce once it gets on.
- The source of the current outbreak is likely contaminated surface water used for irrigation, but the investigation is ongoing.
- Well water is much less likely to be contaminated with fecal material. Produce that is irrigated and rinsed with well water would have a very low probability of containing Cyclospora, since the water is protected from runoff and pollution from sewage. Learn more about water testing here.
- To understand your risks related to Cyclospora and other contamination of your farm's water, test your farm’s well and surface water sources for the presence of generic E. coli. If E. coli is present in the water, it is a good indicator that feces are present. Where there is feces, there may be other contaminants, such as Cyclospora.
- If you use surface water for irrigation, this is a much riskier practice than using well water. Use caution when using this water to irrigate your produce. Apply the water to produce that will be cooked, and apply it so that it does not touch the part of the produce that will be eaten.
Image credit: University of Minnesota Extension
What to tell your customers
- The produce implicated in this outbreak was likely irrigated with surface water, meaning water that is at the surface of the earth in the form of a river, lake, stream, canal or holding pond.
- Remind your customers that you use tested well water (if you do) for rinsing produce and irrigation, and that you always have. Well water or ground water is much more protected from contamination at the surface. Therefore, your produce has a very low probability of being contaminated with this parasite.
- Remind them that Cyclospora gets onto produce from water contaminated with human feces. If no one who is ill with the parasite has been on your farm, or polluted your farm's water, you do not have any reason to think that Cyclospora would be on your fresh produce.
- Remind them about handling: they should not use soap, vinegar, bleach, or anything else special to wash their produce. This might cause more harm than good. Just rinse all produce under running cold water before eating it. Scrub all firm produce with a soft, clean brush. Wash all produce before peeling.
- Cooking produce to 158 degrees is the only guaranteed way to kill the parasite, if they are still worried.
- Farmers use and learn about Good Agricultural Practices to reduce the risks related to all foodborne illnesses, including parasites like this. Farmers take produce safety seriously.
- Locally grown produce is safe and wholesome, and not involved in the recall.
- People should not stop eating produce. Almost all produce is healthy, safe, nutritious, and they should not avoid buying these foods for their families.
- For more information: https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/2026/07/cyclospora-what-you-need-to-know-as.html
- For more information on farm food safety: https://extension.umn.edu/managing-farm/growing-safe-food
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