Hot Cyclospora Summer: What An Outbreak Can Teach Us About Risk Communication
September is National Food Safety Education Month, and this year it arrives with unusual weight. On September 11, the CDC declared the Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce officially over, after nearly 13,000 illnesses across 21 states and two deaths. Add this summer’s salmonella and listeria outbreaks, and it’s clear: this is a moment to reflect, review, and renew our commitment to food safety.
The outbreak may be over, but questions remain. Food safety isn’t seasonal; it’s an everyday responsibility shared by growers, processors, regulators, retailers, health professionals, and consumers alike. And when something unexpected happens, how we talk about it matters almost as much as how we respond to it.
What Americans Heard, And What They Did
This outbreak didn’t stay in the background. In our IFIC Spotlight Survey on Cyclospora in Lettuce, nearly nine in 10 Americans said they had heard about it. And they acted: among those aware, three in 10 stopped eating all lettuce, not just iceberg, and more than one in five cut back on produce altogether.
What You Can Control, And What You Can’t
Food safety lives in two worlds. There’s what we can control: clean, separate, cook, and chill. Then there’s what we can’t— the risks that enter the food supply long before anything reaches our kitchens. For those moments, people depend on timely, clear, and science-based information. That’s where risk communication becomes a public health tool.
And the stakes are high. As dietitians, we spend our careers encouraging people to eat more fruits and vegetables. When an outbreak pushes consumers away from produce entirely, who could blame them for being concerned? When information feels slow or confusing, avoiding the whole category can feel safest. If we don’t clearly explain what’s affected, who’s affected, and what to do, fear fills the gap.
What To Do: Principles For Communicating Risk
It’s tempting to hold back and remain silent when we don’t have all the answers. But the conversation does not always wait for us to feel comfortable. Consumers are forming opinions and changing behaviors in real time, and silence rarely reads as caution; rather, it can read as absence. In these moments, we should consider reflecting upon our role as trusted food safety and nutrition communicators. A few principles can help all of us show up prepared:
- Plan ahead. Build a network of experts before a potential crisis and prepare for a response framework in advance.
- Accept uncertainty. You can be helpful without having every answer.
- Communicate compassionately. Acknowledge public concerns, and be open and honest, including communicating about what is not yet known.
- Focus on actions. We know consumers often look for practical, actional steps to keep them and their families safe and healthy.
- Keep improving. Revisit issues preparedness and crisis management plans after every event and acknowledge areas for continuous improvement.
This likely won’t be the last recall or outbreak we face, though we hope none match this summer’s scale. The best way to communicate with confidence is to be prepared. As food safety and nutrition communicators, we can inspire consumer confidence, help people protect themselves from the risks they can control, navigate the ones they cannot, and keep healthy foods on their plates.