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Shoppers are letting go of lettuce, even though health officials haven\u2019t confirmed it\u2019s to blame for food poisoning across the nation, the\u00a0<\/span>Wa<\/span>ll Street Journal<\/a> reports. More than 30 states have reported parasitic cyclospora cases, with over 140 people hospitalized. The illness can cause explosive diarrhea and vomiting, and Michigan officials have pointed to lettuce and salad greens as a possible source. Nothing is confirmed yet, but that hasn\u2019t stopped diners and businesses from steering clear.<\/p>\n One Michigan catering company is already fielding requests to swap wedding salads for cooked vegetables. Growers are feeling it too. \u201cPeople are calling in and reducing orders across the board because they think consumers won\u2019t buy fresh produce,\u201d said Joelle Mosso of Western Growers.<\/p>\n Industry veterans are fearful of an infamous 2006 E. coli outbreak, which was traced to a single spinach farm. After that, spinach sales never fully recovered \u2014 a warning sign for how long this kind of reputational damage can linger, even for growers with no connection to the outbreak.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Shoppers are letting go of lettuce, even though health officials haven\u2019t confirmed it\u2019s to blame for food poisoning across the nation, the\u00a0<\/span>Wa<\/span>ll Street Journal<\/a> reports. More than 30 states have reported parasitic cyclospora cases, with over 140 people hospitalized. The illness can cause explosive diarrhea and vomiting, and Michigan officials have pointed to lettuce and salad greens as a possible source. Nothing is confirmed yet, but that hasn\u2019t stopped diners and businesses from steering clear.<\/p>\n One Michigan catering company is already fielding requests to swap wedding salads for cooked vegetables. Growers are feeling it too. \u201cPeople are calling in and reducing orders across the board because they think consumers won\u2019t buy fresh produce,\u201d said Joelle Mosso of Western Growers.<\/p>\n Industry veterans are fearful of an infamous 2006 E. coli outbreak, which was traced to a single spinach farm. After that, spinach sales never fully recovered \u2014 a warning sign for how long this kind of reputational damage can linger, even for growers with no connection to the outbreak.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n