As Food Recalls Make Headlines, SC State Expert Talks Produce Safety
Author: Jada Walker, Multimedia Journalist, Strategic Communications | Published: August 24, 2026
Dr. Subash Shrestha, SC State food safety expert, explains what families should know before fresh produce reaches the table
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A trip through the produce aisle may feel routine — pick up lettuce for dinner, grab a container of berries and head home. But when another food recall flashes across the news, families may find themselves wondering whether the food in their carts is safe.
That question has become especially timely this summer.
As of Aug. 4, South Carolina had reported 59 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in 2026, already surpassing the approximately 50 cases the state has averaged annually over the previous five years. Forty-nine of this year’s cases were reported in July, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
Behind those numbers are illnesses that can begin days after someone sits down for a meal.
Dr. Subash Shrestha, director of the Center for Food Safety & Health with South Carolina State University Public Service & Agriculture, said Cyclospora differs from some foodborne illnesses consumers may recognize by name.
“Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes gastrointestinal illness. It cannot grow in food or water. Infection happens when someone consumes contaminated food or water,” Shrestha said.
Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and dehydration. Because symptoms may not appear immediately after exposure, someone may not realize an illness could be connected to food eaten days earlier.
Cyclospora is only one part of the broader food safety conversation underway across the nation and the state.
South Carolina sees an average of approximately 1,500 Salmonella cases each year and about 81 cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
“Salmonella and E. coli are highly infectious,” Shrestha said, noting that certain E. coli infections can lead to serious kidney complications.
For families standing in the grocery store wondering what those numbers mean, the answer is not to abandon the produce aisle. It is to make informed choices.
A food recall can happen at different points along the journey from farm to table. Produce is grown, harvested, packed, transported, stocked in stores and eventually brought into homes. Food safety practices matter throughout that process.
Protecting families starts long before food reaches the grocery store with the farmers who grow and handle it.
Through the Center for Food Safety & Health, Shrestha works with South Carolina small-scale producers to strengthen food safety practices before their products reach consumers. Part of that work includes helping producers prepare for Good Agricultural Practices, or GAP, certification.
GAP certification focuses on food safety practices used during the growing, harvesting, packing and handling of fresh produce. Shrestha works with small-scale producers to help them understand those practices and prepare their farms for the certification process.
Consumers have a role, too.
Simple habits can make a difference. Consumers can wash their hands before and after handling food, keep food preparation areas clean, properly separate foods and stay aware of current recall notices.
When a product is recalled, consumers should check identifying information such as the brand, package size, lot number and purchase location rather than assuming every version of that food is unsafe.
That shared responsibility is central to the Center for Food Safety & Health’s work across South Carolina. Through research, education and Extension, Shrestha and the center help small-scale producers strengthen food safety practices while giving consumers practical information about foodborne illness, recalls and safe food handling, helping reduce risks from the farm to the family table.
