BENNINGTON, NE. — Rising cyclospora cases in Douglas County are prompting Bennington residents to take a closer look at where their food comes from.
Taryn Stern, a Bennington resident, said the outbreak has put her on high alert and has shifted her perspective on food sourcing.
"For me it is definitely scary. I don't want my health to be impacted," Stern said in an interview with KMTV. "It has definitely changed where I think about where my food comes from."
Rachel Birge and her husband, Will Birge, operate Mealbox, a meal delivery service in Omaha.
Rachel Birge said customers have been calling with concerns about cyclospora and the risks connected to the lettuce used in their meals.
"Definitely a lot more phone calls about the fear of cyclospora … (and) being more cautious about going to the grocery store and wanting to know where the food is coming from," Birge said.
According to Birge, Mealbox sources its lettuce from Ashland Lettuce Company, a farm in Ashland that grows lettuce hydroponically.
Hydroponics is a farming technique that uses a nutrient-rich, water-based solution to grow crops rather than soil.
"That is going to be grown without soil in a very controlled environment. So, (there is) a lot less risk of any contamination, since cyclospora usually created from water contamination," Birge said.
Rachel and Will Birge said their goal amid the outbreak is to grow Bennington's food economy while educating people on where their food comes from.
"And now with this whole outbreak, people just care more about where their food is coming from," Birge said.
Stern said the outbreak has been a wake-up call about the complexity of the food supply chain.
"Its really eye opening. Somewhere that I have eaten for years gets their food from across many states, and I have no way of knowing what has happened to that food, where it has come from, (or) if it has been handled properly or taken care of properly," Stern said.
According to the Douglas County Health Department, symptoms of cyclospora include nausea, a low-grade fever, stomach cramps and frequent, watery diarrhea.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms who suspects cyclospora exposure is encouraged to contact their doctor.
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