FDA DOUBLES DOWN on contaminated lettuce outbreak despite false positive

[00:00:00]All right, the FDA is standing by its investigation into the nationwide cyclospora outbreak saying Taylor Farms remains the likely source of the contaminated lettuce even after a lab test turned out to be a false positive.

[00:00:13]The agency writing quote, "To clarify this false positive lab sample does not change the basis for FDA's outgoing ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms." Meanwhile, Taylor Farms in a statement said, "At this moment FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for cyclospora. Based on initial information provided by health officials in an abundance of caution, we completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico where we are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues." Here to discuss is the former CDC director, Dr. Robert Redfield. Dr. Redfield, thanks for joining us again on this issue. So, what are the facts here? It Can we trace it back to this company? One person said FDA saying one thing, they're saying another.

[00:01:11]>> Yeah, the most important thing is the epidemiological investigation which the FDA and CDC still says all the evidence points to the Taylor Farms source from Central Mexico.

[00:01:23]Unfortunately, the test that they did was really on a border sample that was coming in of lettuce and the FDA was testing these lettuce that was coming in and they did a test that we call PCR test and they initially said it was positive, but after they looked at it and looked at the criteria for being positive, they found that the the test really was less stringent than it needed to be and in retrospect it was not really positive.

[00:01:49]Very common with that type of testing, but I think the real information here is the epidemiological evidence that continues to point to Taylor Farms to the iceberg lettuce as one of the major sources. I do think there's probably other sources, unfortunately. They saw an outbreak in New York that suggested it was cilantro in 400 cases.

[00:02:10]So, again, the warning that you've put out is an important one about reminding people you right now that these uncooked fresh vegetables, particularly lettuce, leafy vegetables, cilantro, these things are something you may want to put out of your diet for a little while.

[00:02:28]>> Yeah, so Dr. Redfield, are the regulations different down in Mexico? I mean, we're eating foods, lettuce that's grown in Mexico. And it sounds like this is probably feces that might have gotten in the water system. What caused this?

[00:02:42]>> Yeah, that's the only way. There's no animal reservoir for this pathogen. The only reservoir is the human. And as you point out, the real reservoir is the small intestines of the human. So, it comes from contaminated fecal material that gets in the water, then gets in the irrigation system, then gets on the vegetables. And as you pointed out before, the problem with this parasite is you can't just wash it off. It's very sticky. Even if you put, you know, lettuce into a spinner and spin it and spin it and spin it, it's still going to be on the lettuce. The only way you can really remove this pathogen from your food is to cook it to 158°.

[00:03:21]And so, for now, you know, I encourage people probably to move away from packaged iceberg lettuce. If you do use iceberg lettuce, we tell you to, you know, take off, you know, two or three or four layers of the of the lettuce before you eat it and wash it thoroughly. But there's no guarantee washing any of your produce will get rid of this parasite.

[00:03:43]>> So, the problem I guess you said the problem has not been taken care of. Can we have confidence in the system that this is caught and >> I don't think I don't think we know the whole story right now.

[00:03:55]I think you you know, it's the right thing to recall the Taylor lettuce the Taylor Farms lettuce which they've done.

[00:04:04]But again, as I said, I I have >> [snorts] >> New York was looking at a cilantro outbreak.

[00:04:10]I suspect that there may be other sources and only time will tell. And by removing the lettuce from the marketplace, if the epidemic stops, then you know, you got the right answer. But I doubt that that's going to be the case here. I think there's probably other contaminated sources.

[00:04:29]>> Yes, sir. So, just stay on the safe side. Maybe no lettuce for a little while. Thank you so much, Dr. Redfield.

[00:04:34]Great to see you.

[00:04:35]>> Yeah, good to see you again.

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