LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Michigan’s summer cyclospora outbreak sickened more than 14,000 people, hospitalized 366 and killed two, while triggering an economic ripple effect that reached growers well beyond the produce directly linked to the illness.
Although health officials declared the outbreak over in September, Michigan State University researchers say the agricultural industry is still recovering from consumers pulling back on fresh produce purchases and prices falling as demand weakened.
The outbreak’s financial consequences extended beyond the specific products associated with the illness, according to MSU professor David Ortega, who examined the economic impact. Consumers became more cautious about buying fruits, vegetables, herbs and other produce, creating a broad decline in demand that affected growers in Michigan and across the country.
Michigan’s agricultural industry faces substantial exposure when consumer confidence in produce drops. The state generates more than $5 billion annually from field crops, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“We are the second most diverse agricultural state in the country,” Ortega said.
Ortega said the outbreak dealt a significant blow to the industry as consumers reduced purchases of fresh products. Lower demand can force growers to sell smaller quantities and accept lower prices, compounding the financial strain.
The impact was not limited to produce specifically linked to cyclospora. Iceberg lettuce was among the products associated with the outbreak, but sales of other fruits and vegetables also declined as shoppers changed their buying habits.
Raspberry sales fell nearly 30% during the first two weeks of the outbreak, Ortega said, illustrating how concern about a foodborne illness can spread across product categories even when those foods are not identified as sources of contamination.
“So that is what leads to that demand shock, which, you know, then has trickled down effects into growers in the state and, you know, across the country,” Ortega said.
The shift in consumer behavior created challenges for larger producers while offering an unexpected opportunity for some local and regional food businesses.
Ortega said consumers showed increased interest in buying directly from farmers markets rather than relying on supply chains associated with the affected produce. That shift provided a boost for some local growers and regional food systems during the outbreak.
“We saw tremendous interest from consumers on trying to acquire products from farmers markets instead, given sort of the nature of those supply chains that were impacted,” Ortega said. “And so that was a boost for some of these local and regional food systems, which is, you know, what consumers turn to during this outbreak.”
The outbreak was caused by Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis. The Michigan outbreak sickened more than 14,000 people, according to the report from News 10, which cited the outbreak’s toll on public health and agriculture.
Ortega said produce sales and prices are now beginning to stabilize as the industry works through the effects of the outbreak. However, the recovery underscores how a food safety crisis can affect the broader market, changing consumer behavior and reducing demand for products beyond those directly implicated.
The findings were reported by News 10 in Lansing.
