California farm company identified as possible cyclosporiasis outbreak source: Reports

[LeftInTX]

35. They have farms in Mexico and the lettuce in this case is supposedly from Mexico

NAFTA is supposed to assure the same standards, but clean potable drinking water without fecal coliforms is a big issue in Mexico. Almost everyone who lives there drinks bottled water.

I don't know how they assure that irrigation water in Mexico for produce to be exported to the US is not contaminated with fecal coliforms. We were planning to go MX City, but I got too busy, but everyone says to avoid eating salads.

Much of our frozen produce is imported from MX. I was surprised to see that was where my rhubarb was from! (Surprised that it even grows there!) And since the US consumes so much of this, there has to be some standards

Taylor probably has their own farms down there with cheap labor, while they also probably try to assure that irrigation water is consistent with US standards.

Fresh produce imported from Mexico is a major supplier to the U.S. market, though some shipments have faced scrutiny over fecal coliforms and associated pathogens. Contamination typically stems from livestock runoff into irrigation water, the use of untreated manure, or poor hygiene practices at packing facilities.While NAFTA (now the USMCA) governs the legal trade agreements between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, it does not bypass U.S. food safety standards. Produce imports are subject to the same health and sanitation rules as domestic goods. When federal agencies detect contamination, they enforce strict regulations to protect public health

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues Import Alerts and automatic detentions for commodities or regions repeatedly linked to contamination or insanitary conditions. For example, past investigations into Mexican cilantro found objectionable field conditions—including the presence of human feces and toilet paper—resulting in seasonal import block

Earlier this year, cilantro from Puebla was contaminated with cyclosporiasis
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_1148.html
Bulletin goes into detail

From 2013-2015, FDA and the Mexican regulatory authorities for farms, packing houses and processors in Mexico, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuida y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA) and the Comisi�n Federal para la Proteccion contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS), investigated farms and packing houses in Mexico, including in the state of Puebla, where they found conditions and practices that may have resulted in the contamination of cilantro and other produce with human fecal pathogens. Objectionable conditions observed at multiple firms in the state of Puebla, MX including human feces and toilet paper found in growing fields and around packing houses; inadequately maintained toilets and hand washing facilities (lacking soap, toilet paper, running water, and/or paper towels) or a complete lack of toilet and hand washing facilities; food-contact surfaces visibly dirty and not washed; and water used for washing cilantro vulnerable to contamination from sewage/septic systems. In addition, at one such firm, water in a holding tank used for hand washing at the bathrooms was found to be positive for C. cayetanensis.

But I guess they caught it in time before it spread here.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/taco-bell-pulls-lettuce-u-020130260.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall
"Consumers should avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia,"

Bags should say Product of Mexico, even if under a US label.