Cyclospora Outbreak Triggers Sharp Decline in Salad Sales

The financial fallout from the parasite outbreak is hitting both fast-casual giants and retail shelves. Chopt Creative Salad Co. saw store traffic drop by 24% on July 18, immediately following the FDA announcement. Sweetgreen reported a 6 percentage point impact on same-store sales for July, leading the company to lower its full-year outlook. The strain proved fatal for Salad and Go, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and shuttered all locations, citing the outbreak as the final blow to existing business difficulties.

Grocery outlets are mirroring this trend, with dollar sales of prepackaged salads falling 14% through late July. While the FDA identified iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico as the primary source for the largest outbreak, the agency is currently investigating six additional clusters of the water-borne parasite. Because cyclosporiasis features a long incubation period, tracing contaminated ingredients remains a complex challenge for health inspectors. Although Taco Bell experienced an initial dip in visits after being linked to the crisis, Yum Brands executives noted that their customer volume is already stabilizing.