Food safety

Cyclospora, and why rinsing is not enough

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that gets onto fresh produce through contaminated water, and swallowing even a little of it can cause weeks of watery diarrhea, stomach cramps and exhaustion. In the US, outbreaks are usually traced back to imported fresh herbs, berries, salad leaves and snow peas. Rinsing washes off dirt but does not reliably wash off Cyclospora, so a rinse on its own is not protection. Cooking does kill it, which makes heat the one thing you can rely on when you are unsure about an ingredient. If a stomach illness drags on for more than a few days after you have eaten raw produce, see a doctor: it is treated with a specific antibiotic and rarely clears up quickly by itself.