Story perspectives

CDC Links Lettuce, Jalapeño Outbreaks; Salad Chains Suffer

8/9/2026

Summary

CDC Links Lettuce

The CDC linked cyclospora cases to iceberg lettuce in 15 states and warned of a salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños in 27 states.
The FDA recalled berries and more than one million cartons of eggs last month.
Dr. Reezwana Chowdhury of Johns Hopkins Medicine told shoppers to avoid pre-packaged salads and wash lettuce.
Nashville shopper Billie Austin discarded jalapeños and bought from local growers within 20 miles.

Summary

Salad Chains Stumble

Salad and Go filed Chapter 11, closed all locations, and blamed the cyclospora outbreak for worsening its finances.
Chopt Creative Salad Co. foot traffic fell 24% on July 18, the day the FDA announced the lettuce outbreak.
Sweetgreen reported a six-point drop in July same-store sales due to outbreak worries, prompting a full-year outlook downgrade.
FDA and CDC staffing cuts, officials say, limit rapid detection and containment of food-borne outbreaks.

1 of 2

CDC Links Lettuce

The CDC linked cyclospora cases to iceberg lettuce in 15 states and warned of a salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños in 27 states.
The FDA recalled berries and more than one million cartons of eggs last month.
Dr. Reezwana Chowdhury of Johns Hopkins Medicine told shoppers to avoid pre-packaged salads and wash lettuce.
Nashville shopper Billie Austin discarded jalapeños and bought from local growers within 20 miles.

1 / 2