Lettuce Prices Plunge, but Shoppers Stay Away

Lettuce is pretty cheap right now—and also pretty unwanted, CNBC reports. Government data show lettuce prices plunged 16.4% from June to July, the steepest monthly drop on record, as a cyclospora outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico spooked shoppers. Other lettuce varieties were also deeply discounted as retailers tried to convince shoppers to buy leafy greens again, NPR reports. Despite the fall, lettuce prices remain about 7.5% higher than a year ago, after earlier spikes driven by higher fertilizer costs linked to the Iran war and labor pressures following Trump-era deportations.

The safety scare is hitting restaurants and salad brands: Sweetgreen cut its outlook, Chipotle cited a modest sales hit, Yum Brands said Taco Bell saw a "meaningful" impact before traffic began to recover, and NBC News reports Panera also suffered. Prepackaged salad sales slid 14% in late July. "Consumers are not going to rush out and buy this now just because it's cheaper," said economist Jeremy Horpedahl. "It's fallen because nobody wants it."