As cyclospora cases rise, experts share the best way to wash your fruits and vegetables

If the recent Cyclospora outbreak has you side-eyeing your salad, you’re not alone. The parasite spreads through contaminated fresh produce, and has sickened thousands of people across multiple states since May 1, 2026—think days or weeks of watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Unfortunately, Cyclospora is notoriously difficult to wash off fresh produce. Unlike bacteria, it can cling stubbornly to leafy greens, herbs, berries, and other fruits and vegetables, making your usual rinse less effective than normal.

That doesn’t mean you should stop eating produce altogether, but it does mean it’s worth taking a few extra precautions.

“Washing can reduce risk, but it cannot guarantee that Cyclospora has been removed,” Darin Detwiler, food safety expert and professor emeritus at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies, tells Good Housekeeping. “Food safety rarely depends on one perfect action. It depends on several layers of protection working together.”

Here’s some expert advice based on what we currently know about the parasite.

How to choose the right produce

If you’re choosing between a whole head of romaine and a bag of chopped greens, Detwiler says the whole head has a slight edge.

“Whole lettuce may offer some practical advantages because it has undergone less cutting, mixing, and handling before reaching the consumer,” he says. Precut greens may also combine lettuce from multiple farms, which can widen the impact if one ingredient is contaminated.

That said, don’t assume whole lettuce is automatically safer. Cyclospora contamination often occurs before harvest, meaning either product could be affected.

How to wash produce the right way

• Remove outer leaves. Before washing lettuce, peel away any damaged, wilted, or visibly dirty outer leaves. You may have heard advice to throw away the outer two or three leaves, but Detwiler says there’s no scientifically established number that guarantees you’ll remove the parasite. Instead, discard the leaves that appear dirty or damaged, then wash the remaining lettuce, leaf by leaf, under cool, clean running water. Firm produce like cucumbers or melons can also be scrubbed with a clean produce brush.
• Skip the vinegar and produce washes. Despite what social media might tell you, vinegar soaks, baking soda, commercial produce washes, soap, and bleach aren’t the answer. “There is no established household washing solution that can reliably eliminate the parasite from contaminated produce,” says Detwiler. FDA and USDA recommend sticking with plain running water instead.
• Don’t bother rewashing pre-washed greens. It may seem like an extra rinse would help, but experts say it probably won’t. According to CDC and FDA guidance, produce labeled “prewashed,” “triple washed,” or “ready-to-eat” doesn’t need to be washed again. In fact, rewashing can actually introduce new contamination from your sink, colander, countertop, or hands. And if contaminated greens do contain Cyclospora, another rinse isn’t likely to remove it.

Add more protection

• Cook food when possible. If your recipe allows it, cooking is your best line of defense. “Washing is an important step, not a kill step,” says Detwiler. “A kill step is a process, such as adequate cooking, that destroys or inactivates the organism.”
• Thoroughly cooking leafy greens provides an extra layer of protection over raw salads. While experts don’t recommend relying on a specific consumer cooking temperature for Cyclospora, the produce should be cooked until it’s steaming hot throughout—not just lightly wilted or warmed.
• Don’t assume local or organic produce is safer. Shopping at a farmers’ market or choosing organic produce can have plenty of benefits, but it’s not a guarantee against Cyclospora. “Produce from a farmers’ market is not automatically safer or riskier than produce from a grocery store,” says Detwiler. “Local is a description of distance. It is not a food safety guarantee.” Likewise, organic certification doesn’t protect produce from microbial contamination. The FDA explains that Cyclospora contamination occurs before produce reaches stores, typically through contaminated water or unsanitary conditions during growing and harvesting. That’s why buying local doesn’t inherently reduce risk; the key is whether good agricultural and food safety practices were followed.

Bottom line

As the investigation continues, Detwiler says the biggest mistake consumers can make is ignoring public health alerts.

“Pay attention to public health advisories and act when credible information tells you to act,” he says. “Continue washing produce under clean running water…But do not assume that extra rinsing can rescue a product named in a recall or outbreak warning. When officials tell consumers to avoid or discard a specific food, do it.”

The most important things you can do: Wash your produce. Cook it when you can. But if health officials identify a specific food or brand tied to the outbreak, don’t try to save it—throw it away.