Here’s why cilantro from Puebla, Mexico, is banned in US

As a result of shortage of sanitation facilities in Mexican produce fields, a product has been banned in the US. However, Mexico is not the only place where there are problems related to field sanitation, according to US farmworker groups.

It was reported that some Mexican farm workers are relieving themselves in cilantro fields that are intended for making American tables. It may lead to concerns for consumers. It may also lead to other health problems for the farmworkers.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump said that "infectious disease is pouring across the border" and could affect the quality of Mexican cilantro and it is completely a foreign policy issue. According to farm worker advocacy groups, this problem is also there in American fields.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned fresh cilantro from the Mexican state of Puebla from reaching the US. The ban was imposed after an investigation found that human feces together with toilet paper in fields were growing the herb. This was reported in an alert issued by the FDA.

This partial ban creates problem for cilantro imported from the state of Puebla. The FDA has associated it with 2013 and 2014 outbreaks of stomach diseases in the United States.

According to the FDA, "Conditions observed at multiple such firms in the state of Puebla included human feces and toilet paper found in growing fields and around facilities; inadequately maintained and supplied toilet and hand washing facilities or a complete lack of toilet and hand washing facilities".