美国正面临由环孢子虫污染生菜引发的疫情，已导致数千人患病[1]。疫情始于6月下旬，最初与Taco Bell在印第安纳州、肯塔基州、密歇根州、俄亥俄州和西弗吉尼亚州供应的切碎冰山生菜相关[1]。随后疫情扩展至伊利诺伊州、堪萨斯州、俄克拉荷马州和宾夕法尼亚州[1]。确认污染来源后，Taco Bell于7月17日自愿停用Taylor Farms供应的切碎冰山生菜[1]。
疫情对餐饮企业造成显著冲击。截至7月23日，Taco Bell的客流量较平均水平下降21%[1]，而主打沙拉的连锁店也受到波及——Chopt沙拉连锁店客流量下跌12%[1]，Sweetgreen在7月上半月周支出相比去年下降10个百分点[1]。
生菜价格的飙升进一步加剧了行业困境。亚利桑那州约占美国生菜产量的三分之一[1]，该州遭遇炎热天气导致生菜价格大幅上升。1月至6月期间，冰山生菜零售价上升近20%[1]，消费者上月为新鲜生菜支付的价格比一年前高33%[1]。
The United States is grappling with a dual crisis affecting the lettuce supply chain, as a cyclospora outbreak linked to contaminated produce coincides with sharp price increases across the country. The parasitic infection, which causes diarrhea, first emerged in late June and was traced to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taco Bell to restaurants across multiple states [1]. The outbreak initially affected Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia before expanding to Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania [1].
In response to the contamination, Taco Bell voluntarily removed shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from its locations on July 17 [1]. The outbreak has taken a measurable toll on restaurant traffic: Taco Bell visits dropped 21 percent below average levels as of July 23 [1]. Other salad-focused chains experienced similar declines, with Chopt reporting a 12 percent traffic decrease across its 105 locations and Sweetgreen seeing a 10 percentage point decline in weekly spending during the first half of July compared to the prior year [1].
The contamination crisis has compounded existing market pressures on lettuce availability and affordability. Iceberg lettuce prices rose nearly 20 percent between January and June, while consumers paid 33 percent more for fresh lettuce in the preceding month compared to one year earlier [1]. The price surge reflects broader supply challenges, as Arizona—which accounts for approximately one-third of U.S. lettuce production—has faced intense heat conditions [1].