News Room

As federal regulators struggle to pinpoint the source and scope of the Cyclospora outbreak, Professor Julie Swann explains the complicated food supply chain.

Every retailer in every industry is looking to increase profits, perhaps none more so than the grocery channel where margins are razor thin. For grocers, there may be a big opportunity in the produce (and other perishables) aisle.

According to new research in the INFORMS journal Management Science, grocery retailers may not need new technology or behavior change from shoppers to do so. Small operational decisions already under a retailer’s control — including how perishable items are displayed and when (and how much) they’re discounted — can increase profits while also reducing spoilage.

As the largest Cyclospora outbreak in U.S. history continues to unfold, restaurant operators are once again facing the reputational fallout of a food safety issue that may have originated long before produce reached their kitchens.

Food safety experts say the nationwide cyclospora outbreak could have lasting impacts on consumer buying behavior as cases continue to rise.

When reports of foodborne illness begin appearing across multiple states, identifying the contaminated product is rarely straightforward. Investigators often start with little more than patients describing meals they ate weeks earlier, then painstakingly reconstruct supply chains that can span continents before determining where contamination likely occurred.