Nearly 20,000 cases of cyclosporiasis have been confirmed nationwide since May 1, 2026, including dozens in New Jersey, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, two deaths have been reported among those infected.
Symptoms of the intestinal infection include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue.
Although the CDC declared the outbreak linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce over on Sept. 11, its effects on shopping habits remain a topic of discussion at local farmers markets, where vendors and customers are considering how the recalls have influenced their choices about produce.
A visit to the Trenton Farmer’s Market in late September, 2026 showed how vendors and consumers are responding to the outbreak.
Kevin Gsell, a local vendor at the Trenton Farmer’s Market said “[Customers] want to come to local markets. They know it’s fresh from the fields.”
Customers expressed freshness and overall quality of the food as being a driving factor to buy locally.
Carolyn Massey, a regular at the Trenton Farmers Market said, “I trust these people more than I do supermarkets, and I think because they don’t use as much of the chemicals and fillers as they do in supermarkets. It’s got to last a long time from where it came from and where it’s got to go.”
Other regulars at the farmers market expressed the same sentiment.
Pialarae Talbert, a local farmers’ market frequenter said, “since I’ve been able to drive on my own I’ve made a point to shop from local grocery stores or farmer’s markets.”
Some consumers are taking into account where they buy their groceries and where it comes from.
Talbert said she’s concerned about “the vegetables I buy,” adding “I don’t like a lot of GMO’s in vegetables.” She said the cyclosporiasis outbreak is “definitely a result of a weak administration and lack of funding to things like the FDA, I feel like it could have been prevented.”
“It’s impacting people like you and me who are just trying to eat and survive. It’s a shame because what about the people who can’t even afford to buy locally,” Talbert said.
