Sorry to bum out all of you who consider cilantro a way of life, but the Food and Drug Administration has banned some of the cilantro imported from Mexico. Since 2012, there have been hundreds of outbreaks of cyclosporiasis – an intestinal illness that can cause diarrhea and vomiting – in the U.S. The FDA found that out of the 11 farms and packing houses in Puebla that were inspected, five were linked to Moctezuma’s Revenge cyclosporiasis. Also, eight of them had subpar conditions, with feces and toilet paper found in the fields. I know, you’re feeling a lot like this:
But, it’s also important to note that the people who are making sure we can sprinkle cilantro on everything deserve better. Some of the farms had no toilets, running water or soap. Last year, the Los Angeles Times did a great, 4-part investigative series on the labor conditions at nine Mexican mega-farms, finding that thousands of laborers endure harsh conditions and exploitation while supplying produce for American consumers.
Check out the series here, and if you’re a cilantro lover fear not, we grow plenty domestically. But also, let’s face that there’s probably more human poo on our produce than we care to ever admit/know.