By Zoe Sottile, Leah Asmelash, CNN
(CNN) — With growing cases of explosive diarrhea around the country, restaurants have had to make some changes.
Street Beet, a vegan restaurant in Detroit, has been stripping the first layer of lettuce heads and double washing them. Around a quarter of guests have been asking for no lettuce in their orders, and others have requested omitting pico de gallo, cilantro and other green-heavy ingredients from their orders. The restaurant’s chicken Caesar wrap — made with tofu chicken and a miso dressing — is one its most popular offerings, but there’s been a drop in orders.
Overall, sales were down $3,000 in the past week compared to the same period in previous years.
“We are attributing it to the community’s concern about eating out and commercial produce,” said Danae Florias, the restaurant’s director of operations. “It was a noticeable decrease, and we expect it to continue this way until the outbreak lessens or is contained, and the source has been identified.”
Is salad as we know it over? No specific food, grower or supplier has been identified as the source of this summer’s outbreak of cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that has been linked to cases of explosive diarrhea across the country, particularly in Michigan and Ohio. But salad greens and fresh berries, which have been linked to cases in the past, could be a fast track to days of digestive distress.
Hannah Hargrove, a pediatric dietitian in Detroit, says her family has shifted how they eat, especially after some of her friends contracted the parasite (they all recovered within a few days). Her family has opted for frozen berries and vegetables, fruit with thick skins and peels, and canned fruit in place of fresh produce. While she’s still washing the fresh produce they are buying with just water, she’s paying “extra attention” to how well she’s washing, rather than just doing a quick rinse.
She’s also worried that confusion over the outbreak could lead to unhealthy choices, noting that most people already don’t eat enough fiber.
“As a dietitian, the last thing I want to see is people not eating fruits and vegetables because of the outbreak,” Hargrove said.
“It sucks because it’s summer, when you want cold and refreshing things,” said Denise, an archivist in New York City, who has pivoted away from most fresh produce as cyclospora cases have spiked.
Since health authorities have recommended cooking produce to an internal temperature of 158 degrees to kill the tiny parasite, she’s considering blanching fruit so she can still enjoy it. And she’s sticking to produce you can peel, like avocados, bananas and lemons.
But Caesar wraps — usually a favorite — are off the menu for now. So are cherries, which are reaching their seasonal peak, and gyros stuffed with fresh lettuce.
It’s a nightmare for fruit- and veggie-lovers across the country — and plant-based restaurants, which rely on fresh produce for much of their menus, are feeling the consequences.
Parasite? What parasite?
Not everyone seems so concerned. In New York City — where hundreds of people have been sickened by cyclospora — veg-forward lunch spots were still busy as usual on Tuesday afternoon.
Employees at the Williamsburg, Brooklyn, outpost of salad behemoth Sweetgreen said that some customers had asked about the kitchen’s cleaning protocols before placing their orders. But the location had seen no drop in sales over the past week. Neither had the neighboring locations of Cava — a Mediterranean-style chain that serves salad bowls loaded with fresh vegetables — or the fast-casual Dig Inn.<