WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in recent years in the United States can be traced to cilantro from the state of Puebla, Mexico, where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it found evidence of human feces and toilet paper in the herb fields.
The FDA issued an alert saying it is detaining all cilantro from Mexico at the border through August and won't allow the import of any cilantro from Puebla without inspections and certification showing it's not contaminated. All cilantro from anywhere else in Mexico must be transported with documentation proving its origination.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said outbreaks of cyclosporiasis -- severe diarrhea caused by a parasite -- in 2013 and 2014 can in some cases be linked to fresh cilantro from Puebla. An outbreak in 2012 and an ongoing outbreak may also be linked to the same farms, though those findings have not been confirmed.
The FDA said the contamination is likely a widespread problem across the state, including fecal contamination in growing areas, irrigation of fields with sewage-contaminated water, cleaning or cooling produce with contaminated water, poor hygienic practices of workers involved in the harvest and process of produce, and lack of adequate cleaning of equipment. U.S. officials inspected 11 farms and packing houses in Puebla and found "objectionable conditions" at eight of them, including no soap, toilet paper, paper towels and running water in some cases.
In one case, the holding tank containing water workers used to wash their hands was found to be contaminated with cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite that causes cyclesporiasis.
The import ban does not cover multi-ingredient foods that contain cilantro.
The Washington Post contacted Chipotle and Taco Bell restaurants, both of which said in statements that they source their cilantro from California, not Mexico, therefore they don't expect the import ban to affect them.
