The Produce Problem Isn't Produce. It's Working Conditions.
With the recent Cyclospora outbreak, people are wondering if fresh produce is more of a health risk than meat. The short answer is no—but the risks are different.
The CDC’s most recent estimates indicate:
Overall, produce causes more foodborne illnesses, largely because it is often eaten raw. Without cooking, viruses, parasites, and bacteria that may be present are not destroyed.
However, meat and poultry are responsible for a greater share of severe illness and deaths, especially from pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria. When properly cooked, these risks are reduced.
The recent Cyclospora outbreak may have resulted from human fecal contamination, likely through contaminated irrigation water or poor sanitation along the production chain.
What does “poor sanitation” mean? One reason is that some agricultural workers still lack adequate access to toilets, handwashing facilities, and sufficient time to use them, despite the FDA’s Produce Safety Rule that requires farms covered by the rule to provide:
adequate toilet facilities,
handwashing stations,
hygiene training, and
policies excluding ill workers from handling produce.
These requirements exist because good sanitation protects both workers and consumers. When they aren't consistently met, the consequences can extend well beyond the farm.
Investigations by labor organizations, journalists, and researchers over many years have documented that many agricultural workers experience:
insufficient numbers of toilets in the fields,
long distances to restroom facilities,
pressure to keep picking rather than taking breaks,
inadequate handwashing supplies, and
fear of retaliation for slowing production.
These conditions are not universal—many farms comply with regulations—but they have been documented often enough that they are considered an ongoing concern by occupational health experts. Poor sanitation increases the risk that human pathogens can contaminate produce, particularly when eaten raw.
From an intersectional perspective, this clearly demonstrates that food safety, labor rights, immigration, our food system and public health are all deeply interconnected. Protecting farmworkers isn't just a matter of fairness—it’s also one of the most effective ways to protect the food we eat.
As a registered dietitian, I feel it’s important that people should not stop eating fruits and vegetables. The health benefits of produce remain overwhelming. What you can do to minimize risks is:
Wash fresh produce under running water;
Refrigerate it promptly;
Follow recall notices during active outbreaks; and
Be especially cautious if you have a weakened immune system.
Each new food safety outbreak reminds us that consumer health is inseparable from the well-being of the people who harvest our food. Protecting one ultimately helps protect the other.
Question for readers: Had you ever considered that access to bathrooms and handwashing facilities for farmworkers is also a food safety issue?
Thank you for reading. My goal with Vegan-Intersection.com is to explore the often-overlooked connections between food, health, justice, and compassion. If this article resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts—or feel free to share it with someone who might find it interesting.
