FDA Bans Some Cilantro Imports After Finding Feces and Toilet Paper in Fields The polarizing plant has been causing stomach illness outbreaks.
By Kate Taylor
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Here's something that might make you put down your burrito.
On Monday, the FDA announced the partial ban of fresh cilantro imported from farms in Puebla, Mexico. The reason: farms in the region were found to lack running water and toilet facilities, with the FDA and health authorities discovering toilet paper and feces in fields.
The FDA's investigation of Puebla's cilantro farming practices began after cilantro imported from the area was linked to annually recurring outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in 2013 and 2014, as well as potentially 2012. Cyclosposiasis is an intestinal illness, most commonly caused by eating or drinking a food or beverage contaminated with feces.
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The ban will affect select shipments of fresh cilantro shipments from April to August of every year.
Mexican companies selling cilantro that may be from Puebla must prove to health authorities that they have taken appropriate safety and health measures if they wish to export products to the U.S.
