A multistate cyclospora outbreak tied to recalled iceberg lettuce expanded sharply after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on July 21 that it was under control. By August 5, the CDC (U.S. public health agency) reported 6,358 illnesses across 15 states, at least 278 hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan, up from roughly 1,600 cases across five states, 94 hospitalizations and no deaths at the time of Kennedy’s remarks. The outbreak has rattled the broader salad category beyond the companies directly tied to the recall. Salad and Go filed for Chapter 11 on August 5 and closed all locations, citing the outbreak as an accelerant to existing pressures. Sweetgreen said consumer worries hurt demand even though CEO Jonathan Neman said on X that the chain has never served iceberg lettuce and buys only U.S.-grown greens; on August 6 it cut full-year guidance to same-store sales of -8.0% to -7.0% and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of -$27.0 million to -$23.0 million. Taco Bell, the only major chain actually linked to the recall, also took an early traffic hit but still posted 7% same-store sales growth, while Chipotle cited a late-July drag from cyclospora fears separate from its salmonella recall. The episode underscores how food-safety scares can spread across an entire category even when exposure is uneven.