A record monthly drop in lettuce prices reflects consumer avoidance amid a multistate foodborne illness outbreak linked to a Mexican processing plant.
Lettuce prices fell 16.4% in July from June, marking the steepest one-month decline on record for the category in the consumer price index. The drop followed a cyclospora outbreak that prompted widespread consumer avoidance of leafy greens, despite overall food prices rising 0.1% in the same period.
While lettuce prices remain 7.5% higher than a year ago—outpacing the broader CPI’s 3.4% annual increase—July’s decline was the sharpest among all food items. A Taylor Farms facility in Mexico was identified as the likely source, leading to a voluntary recall of affected products.
NielsenIQ data showed prepackaged salad sales fell 14% year-over-year in the four weeks through July 25. Restaurant chains, including Chipotle, reported a roughly 2-percentage-point sales impact from the outbreak, even without direct ties to contaminated products.