Cyclospora Infects Lettuce Worldwide: What Is Jenks Doing to Keep Students Safe?
By Ollie Pratt
You're hungry. You go to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat, but what will you get? A chicken sandwich? A burrito? Maybe even some nachos? But then you see it… at the front of the lunch line, a delicious salad. You take it, pay for it, and take a bite. Well, congratulations, you may have Cyclospora.
Much of the world's lettuce supply has been infected, and you may be next, so what is Jenks doing to make sure that doesn't happen? Are you in danger from these potentially dangerous foods? What could happen if you did seem to get one of these diseases? These are the questions that the Trojan Torch will be asking.
What’s Wrong with Meat?
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has actually recalled meat as well due to concerns about Listeria, Salmonella, and inspection issues.
“What's wrong with the lettuce?” you're surely asking as you read these letters. Scientists say it's Cyclospora, which can cause diarrhea, abdominal bloating, weight loss, fever, and more.
30,000 pounds of beef have been recalled from entering the US. That said, the USDA has not recalled Jenks' beef supplier. According to Jenks cafeteria worker Pat Meadows, Jenks only gets USDA commodity beef, such as Tyson and JTM brands, which is safe to eat.
The beef was recalled because it was imported from Argentina and failed to go through the necessary steps to ensure it wasn't contaminated. Since the beef that was being imported may not be safe to eat, the US is checking to see if the majority of beef is safe to eat.
Recalls are actually very rare, and when they do happen, they hardly affect Jenks. Even when a major piece of food is pulled from the menu, there is such a wide array of items that it doesn't change much.
So don't worry about those delicious chicken sandwiches, or those amazing nuggets leaving the menu. But what about the lettuce? How can it affect you?
How Did it Become Such a Worldwide Danger?
As stated before, much of the lettuce around the world has been infected with Cyclospora, so why is it at Jenks? According to Meadows, Jenks buys their lettuce from both Arizona and California, which is actually completely safe from the parasite infecting most of the lettuce around the world.
After the outbreak, Arizona and California were completely unscathed. No one really knows how it started, but there are some promising culprits.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the three big reasons are: contaminated Irrigation Water, Pesticide Mixing, and Field Worker Sanitation. To put it simply, human sewage, feces-contaminated pesticide water, and poor sanitation. For this to be the reason for the outbreak, it would need to make contact with the crops.
With that being said, it’s safe to say that no students at Jenks have been harmed due to eating lettuce or beef. Jenks has gone through all of the necessary steps to keep its students safe. So even if you don't like the food being served, or you think the 1% fat milk tastes like trash, at least you're not getting Cyclospora. So the next time you see the people in charge of your food, like Pat Meadows, be sure to thank them for keeping you safe.
