Local farms see interest rise as cyclosporiasis outbreak raises concerns about produce

MEDIA, Pa. (WPVI) -- As a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to contaminated produce continues to spread, some farmers' markets say they are seeing more customers seeking locally grown fruits and vegetables.

At Linvilla Orchards in Delaware County, workers spent the morning harvesting raspberries and apples that would be stocked on shelves at the farm's market within hours.

Farmer Norman Schultz said customers can feel confident about produce grown and harvested at the farm.

"I know who's picking the fruit and I'm supervising those men, so you can feel very comfortable buying your fruit here at Linvilla," Schultz said.

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Schultz, who works with a staff of five in the fields, said locally sourced produce offers customers added peace of mind.

"Big commercial farming has its own series of problems. Buying fresh, buying local gives people a lot more confidence," he said.

Customers shopping at the farm echoed those concerns.

"Obviously I have two littles, and so with the fresh produce and stuff like that, it's really hard. So I'm making sure I'm washing everything really well," said Kate Walker of Aston.

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While health officials have linked some of these cases to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states -- Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia -- it is possible there are other potential sources, which officials are investigating.

The lettuce was supplied to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms and sourced from central Mexico.

Last week, Taylor Farms de Mexico issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, with the recall affecting 27 states. The recalled products were distributed from June 29 through July 16 and have best-if-used-by dates up to Aug. 3.

Taco Bell said Friday that it is no longer using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico at any of its restaurants.

Over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, which was not part of the recall, tested positive for the parasite.

However, the agency later clarified that during a re-review of the sample results, it determined the result was a false positive. Taylor Farms issued a statement on Sunday, saying "we were informed that FDA made a mistake."

However, acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said during a press conference on Monday that the false positive did not change the FDA's findings that linked cases to shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms.

On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News that the multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak is "under control."

Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic infection spread through contaminated food.

According to health officials, more than 11,000 cases have been identified nationwide. Pennsylvania and New Jersey had already recorded cases, and Delaware recorded its first case this week.

Dr. Tyler Evans, CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, said additional cases may continue to emerge.

"There is going to be a delayed effect. We have seen, just the last few days, the number of suspected cases has gone up significantly," Evans said.

Evans said consumers should pay attention to where their produce originates.

"For areas that you can control that, particularly locally sourced, yes, it is generally going to be safer," he said.

Back at Linvilla's farmers market, shoppers said supporting local agriculture remains important to them.

"I believe in doing it in your neighborhood and everything else," customer Bill Stires said.

Workers at Linvilla said shoppers can identify produce grown at the farm by looking for the label "Linvilla's own," which indicates the product was grown on-site.

ABC News contributed to this report.