08/27/2026
In a food-safety crisis, silence is not caution. It is surrendering the conversation.
The Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico was serious, and the people who became sick must remain at the center of the discussion.
But California and the broader U.S. agriculture industry have a responsibility to explain what happened, which products were affected, which were not, and what consumers should do now.
That means leading with safety, facts, transparency, and credible independent experts.
A press release is not a strategy. Waiting for the headlines to disappear is not a strategy.
The consumer conversation will continue with or without agriculture. My latest article explains why the industry must act.
https://patch.com/california/sacramento/silence-not-food-safety-strategy-nodx
