'Explosive diarrhea' parasite prompts some restaurants to change menu
A cyclosporiasis outbreak is causing widespread illness across the United States, prompting some restaurants to adjust their menus. While experts advise caution, major national chains have remained largely silent regarding their specific safety response plans.
Why it matters
The outbreak highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in the food supply chain and the challenges consumers face in ensuring food safety when dining out.
Hear this story A cyclosporiasis outbreak has sickened hundreds, possibly thousands, of Americans with a long-lasting parasitic infection, and dining out presents a unique challenge for people who want to avoid it.
While experts have tips for preparing food at home, dining out means letting someone else do the prep work, including washing produce and cooking food to the right temperature.
“Consumers, whether they’re at home or at restaurants, have to be a bit more cautious and, frankly, paranoid,” Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer, told USA TODAY. As someone who has represented people with bouts of the illness , he said, “It is not pleasant, and it can last for months.”
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