Salad bowl chains are flexing that they don't serve iceberg lettuce anyway
Major salad bowl chains are distancing themselves from iceberg lettuce following an FDA link between the ingredient and a recent cyclospora outbreak. Brands like Chipotle, Chopt, and Sweetgreen are emphasizing their use of alternative greens to reassure customers of food safety.
Why it matters
This highlights how food safety crises can influence supply chain transparency and marketing strategies in the fast-casual restaurant industry.
No iceberg allowed at Chopt's restaurants. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Restaurant brands are reassuring customers about food safety during the cyclospora outbreak. While the cause remains unclear, salad bowl chains agree on one thing: iceberg lettuce is over. The ingredient is one of the least nutrient-dense salad greens available, but it has some benefits. In periods of uncertainty, it can be comforting to find common ground. For salad lovers , the ongoing cyclospora outbreak has become an opportunity to throw shade at one of the least cool leafy green options, iceberg lettuce. After the US Food and Drug Administration linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce, further details surrounding the contaminated food supply continue to evolve. Still, some salad bowl chains have been quick to point out that your lunch would be safe to eat since the tainted leaf is flora non grata in their kitchens.
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