Gulf Coast produce vendors urge shoppers to buy local amid a rise in cyclosporiasis cases

A nationwide cyclospora surge, with over 4,000 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, has raised concerns about fresh produce, prompting local growers and experts to highlight the importance of locally sourced food.

"It makes me really sad because people are going to deter from eating fresh produce," said Elizabeth Etnoyer, owner of Southwest Florida Produce. "You always see them online like 'a donut never made me sick,' and it's like, oh, that's hurting everything that we do."

Data from the Florida Department of Health shows 14 cases of cyclosporiasis in Lee County since May 1. However, Etnoyer said she has never seen an outbreak linked to her own products.

SWFL Produce's fruits and veggies come directly from farms on the Gulf Coast, where growers carefully monitor their crops.

"It's definitely a labor of love, because it's not like you can grow something and then forget it," Etnoyer said. "But these huge farms, you know, these are thousand-acre farms. There's no way they can do that."

Naples gastroenterologist Dr. Raymond Phillips said locally grown produce is less likely to be the source of such outbreaks.

"If it's grown locally that doesn't distribute across the United States, well, they're not likely the source of any infection," Phillips said. "I feel more confident in terms of eating, sort of, like you said, locally sourced items and food products, where you have a little more confidence about where they came from."

The FDA and CDC are currently conducting two investigations to determine the source of the outbreak.

"There’s just been too many outbreaks," Etnoyer said. "I know it's a big industry and there's a lot of money involved, but when is the point where we got to take money out of the equation and do what's best for society?"