# Food Safety News > Breaking news about food recalls, food-related disease outbreaks and policies and products designed to make the food supply safe for everyone. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About this site URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/about/ Last updated: 2025-10-03T12:34:04.000Z Food Safety News is an independent publication launched in October 2025 by Scott Fennell. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it's available. Your subscription makes this site possible, and allows Food Safety News to continue to exist. Thank you! ### Access all areas By signing up, you'll get access to the full archive of everything that's been published before and everything that's still to come. 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This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, including all subdomains and associated services, and when you interact with us through other means. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our site. By accessing and using Food Safety News, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the provisions of this Privacy Policy. **1\. Information We Collect** **1.1 Information You Provide Directly** We collect information you voluntarily provide to us, including but not limited to: **Account Information:** When you create an account or register for a membership, we collect your name, email address, postal address, and phone number. **Payment Information:** When you purchase an FSN+ paid membership, payment information is collected directly by Stripe, our payment processor. We do not store your credit card details on our servers. 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These analytics help us improve our website and content offerings. **Cookies:** Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small files stored on your device that help us recognize you on return visits, maintain your login session, and personalize your experience. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Please note that disabling cookies may limit certain website functionality. **Log Data:** Our servers automatically record information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, and the time and date of your visits. **Device Information:** We may collect information about the device you use to access our website, such as device type, operating system, and unique device identifiers. **2\. Cookies and Tracking Technologies** **2.1 What Are Cookies?** Cookies are small text files stored on your device that allow websites to recognize you and remember your preferences. 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These include: \- **Stripe** (payment processing) \- **Ghost** (website hosting and member management) \- **Outpost** (email marketing automation) \- **Google AdSense** (targeted advertising) \- **Plausible Analytics and TinyBird** (website analytics) \- **CookieYes** (cookie consent management) These third parties use cookies in accordance with their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. **2.4 Cookie Control and Opt-Out** Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through browser settings. You can typically: \- Accept or reject cookies when prompted \- Delete cookies already stored on your device \- Set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies \- Disable cookies entirely (though this may limit website functionality) To manage cookie preferences, refer to your browser's help documentation or settings menu. 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These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to the extent necessary to provide services to us and are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information. Our primary service providers include: **Stripe:** Processes all payment information for FSN+ memberships. Stripe does not receive or store sensitive payment card details on our servers; all payment processing occurs through Stripe's secure payment infrastructure. **GiveButter:** Processes donations to Food Safety News. When you make a donation through GiveButter, we collect your name, email address, and payment information to process your tax-deductible donation. GiveButter handles all donation payment processing securely and does not store sensitive payment card details on our servers. Your donation information is used to generate tax documentation for your charitable contribution. 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Please review Google's privacy policy for more information about how Google collects and uses your data. **4.2 Legal Requirements** We may disclose your information when required by law or when we have a good faith belief that disclosure is necessary to: \- Comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes, including subpoenas or court orders \- Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements \- Protect the safety, rights, and property of Food Safety News, our users, and the public \- Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing or fraud **4.3 No Sale of Personal Information** We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. Any sharing of your information occurs only as described in this Privacy Policy and is necessary for the operation of our website and services. **4.4 Business Transfers** If Food Safety News is involved in a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, dissolution, reorganization, or similar transaction or proceeding, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy. **5\. 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You can opt out of promotional emails at any time while maintaining your free newsletter subscription, or you can unsubscribe completely from all communications. **5.3 Transactional Communications** Regardless of your email preferences, we will send you transactional communications such as membership confirmations, billing statements, and other service-related notices necessary to manage your account. **6\. Data Retention** We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services, fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and comply with applicable law. Specifically: **Account Information:** Retained as long as your account remains active, plus a reasonable period for record-keeping purposes **Payment Information:** Not retained on our servers; handled entirely by Stripe in accordance with their data retention policies **Email Communications:** Retained for as long as you remain subscribed to our newsletters **Analytics Data:** Retained in accordance with our analytics providers' retention schedules **User-Generated Content:** Retained as long as your account remains active; you may request deletion of your comments You may request deletion of your personal information at any time by contacting us, except where we are required to retain it by law. **7\. Security** We are committed to protecting your personal information. We implement appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These safeguards include: HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our website Secure payment processing through Stripe's PCI DSS-compliant infrastructure Regular security audits and updates to our systems Restricted access to personal information by authorized employees only However, no security system is impenetrable. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and notifying us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account. **8\. Your Privacy Rights** **8.1 Access and Portability** You have the right to access the personal information we maintain about you. You can view and update your account information by logging into your account at any time. **8.2 Correction and Updates** You may correct or update your account information at any time through your account settings. If you need assistance, please contact us. **8.3 Deletion Requests** You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions. We may retain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes. To request deletion, please contact us with your request details. **8.4 GDPR Rights (European Residents)** If you are located in the European Union, United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions covered by GDPR, you have the following additional rights: **\- Right of Access:** You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you **\- Right to Rectification:** You can request correction of inaccurate personal data **\- Right to Erasure:** You can request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances **\- Right to Restrict Processing:** You can request that we limit how we use your information \- **Right to Data Portability:** You can request your information in a portable format \- **Right to Object:** You can object to our processing of your information, including for marketing purposes \- **Right to Lodge a Complaint:** You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below. **8.5 CCPA Rights (California Residents)** If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you the following rights: **\- Right to Know:** You can request what personal information we collect, use, share, and sell **\- Right to Delete:** You can request deletion of personal information we have collected from you **\- Right to Opt-Out:** You can opt out of any potential sale or sharing of your personal information **\- Right to Correct:** You can request correction of inaccurate personal information **\- Right to Limit Use:** You can limit our use of your personal information to what is necessary to provide you with our services You also have the right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights. To exercise any of these rights, please submit a request through our website or contact us using the information below. **9\. Third-Party Links** Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including those of our partners and advertisers. This Privacy Policy applies only to Food Safety News and does not cover the practices of third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites before providing your information or interacting with them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. **10\. Children's Privacy** Food Safety News does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13\. Our website and services are not directed toward children under 13\. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will promptly delete such information. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately. **11\. International Data Transfers** Food Safety News is based in the United States. Information we collect may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States or other countries. If you are located outside the United States, by using our website you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your home country. If you are a resident of the European Union or other jurisdictions with laws protecting personal data, we will implement appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect your information in accordance with GDPR requirements. **12\. Changes to This Privacy Policy** We reserve the right to update, modify, or change this Privacy Policy at any time. Any substantial changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. If we make material changes to how we use your personal information, we will provide you with notice by email or prominent notice on our website prior to implementing the change. Your continued use of our website after any modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. **13\. Contact Us** If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about our privacy practices, please contact us: **Food Safety News** **Email:** mholm@foodsafetynews.com **Website:** www.foodsafetynews.com For GDPR-related inquiries and to designate a Data Protection Officer contact, please include "GDPR" in the subject line of your email. For CCPA-related inquiries, please include "CCPA" in the subject line of your email. We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days or as otherwise required by applicable law. \--- **Last Updated: February 6, 2026** ### Find Your Health Department to Report Food Poisoning URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/find-your-health-department-to-report-food-poisoning/ Last updated: 2025-11-21T19:19:55.000Z Most state health departments encourage consumers to report food poisoning incidents to local health departments. Some counties and cities refer to these as environmental health departments. Here we have provided links to pages on state health department or public health association websites where you can directly report a foodborne illness, get health inspection information, or where you can obtain contact information for your local/county public health agency. [Alabama Department of Public Health](https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Alaska Division of Environmental Health](http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/Documents/01-Internal/id/dod/foodwater/HowToReportSuspectedFoodborneIllness.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Arkansas Department of Health](http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/health-units?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Arizona Department of Health Services](https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/food-safety-environmental-services/how-to-report-a-foodborne-illness/index.php?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [California Department of Public Health](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment](https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/foodborne-illness-contact?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Connecticut Department of Public Health](https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Local-Health-Admin/LHA/Local-Health-Administration---Site-Map?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Delaware Division of Public Health](http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/hsp/foodsafety.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [District of Columbia Food Safety and Hygiene Inspection Services Division](https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/food-safety-hygiene-inspection-services-division?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Florida Department of Health](https://www.floridahealth.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Georgia Department of Public Health ](https://dph.georgia.gov/contact-dph?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Hawaii Department of Health](http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/reporting-an-illness/restaurant-related/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Idaho Department of Health and Welfare](http://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Health/HealthDistricts/tabid/97/Default.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Illinois Department of Public Health](https://dph.illinois.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Indiana State Department of Health](https://www.in.gov/health/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Food and Consumer Safety Bureau](https://dia.iowa.gov/food-and-consumer-safety-bureau?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Kansas Department of Health and Environment](http://www.foodsafetykansas.org/??ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Kentucky Department for Public Health](https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/Pages/default.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Louisiana Department of Health](https://ldh.la.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Maine Division of Public Health](https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/public-health-systems/lphd/index.shtml?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Maryland Department of Health](https://health.maryland.gov/Pages/Home.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services](https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-public-health?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Michigan Department of Health and Human Services](http://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-73970%5F5461%5F74040---,00.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Minnesota Department of Health](https://www.health.state.mn.us/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Mississippi State Department of Health](https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/%5Fstatic/19,0,166.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services](https://msdh.ms.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Montana Department of Health and Human Services ](https://dphhs.mt.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services](https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/public-health.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Nevada Department of Health and Human Services](http://dpbh.nv.gov/Programs/OPHIE/Public%5FHealth%5FInformatics%5Fand%5FEpidemiology%5F-%5FHome/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [New Jersey Department of Health Services](http://nj.gov/health/lh/community/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [New Mexico Department of Health](https://nmhealth.org/location/public/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [County Health Officials of New York](http://www.nysacho.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3779&ref=foodsafetynews.com) [North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services](https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [North Dakota Department of Public Health](https://www.ndhealth.gov/localhd/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Ohio Department of Health](https://odh.ohio.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Oklahoma State Department of Health](https://oklahoma.gov/health.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Oregon Health Authority](http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ProviderPartnerResources/LocalHealthDepartmentResources/Pages/lhd.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Pennsylvania Department of Health](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/health?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Puerto Rico Department of Health Office of Epidemiology](https://www.salud.pr.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Rhode Island Department of Health](http://www.health.ri.gov/food/about/illness/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control](https://dph.sc.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [South Dakota Department of Health](https://doh.sd.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Tennessee Department of Health](https://www.tn.gov/health.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Texas Health and Human Services](https://dshs.texas.gov/region2-3/localhd.shtm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Utah Department of Health](https://dhhs.utah.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Vermont Department of Health](http://www.healthvermont.gov/local?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Virginia Department of Health](http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/local-health-districts/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [US Virgin Islands Department of Health](https://doh.vi.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Washington State Department of Health](http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Food/LocalFoodSafetyContacts?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [West Virginia Center for Local Health](http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/localhealth/pages/map.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Wisconsin Department of Health Services](https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lh-depts/counties.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [Wyoming Department of Health](https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/foodborne-illness-complaint/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ### Subscribe via RSS Feed URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/subscribe-via-rss-feed/ Last updated: 2025-11-26T14:01:54.000Z `https://www.foodsafetynews.com/content/files/2025/11/feed-1.xml` Subscribing by RSS will send the post to you immediately after it is posted to the blog. To receive content in this way, you will need an application called an “RSS reader” like Feedly or Reeder. Many websites publish updates via RSS, so investing in a good reader application can be worthwhile. ### Home URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/home-2/ Last updated: 2025-02-18T16:42:17.000Z _No content available._ ### Food Safety Summit 2022 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/food-safety-summit-2022/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T21:49:18.000Z – SPONSORED CONTENT – --- **These companies extend a special invitation to visit their booths on the trade show floor at the Food Safety Summit this year.** --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2022/03/doceo-ad-food-safety-summit-2022.png) BD Consulting Booth #228 DOCEO from Latin translates to “I Teach”. DOCEO Learning Management System is an e-learning tool for workforce training. LMS comes with pre-loaded content (English and Spanish), that is compliant with HACCP, FSMA and GFSI requirements for food safety training. System allows for uploading company specific content such as videos, presentations, and more. Employees can take individual training on smartphones, tablets, or desktops, or attend a group training session. There is no need to purchase additional equipment such as remote controls or receivers. No set up fees! Save time and money with DOCEO LMS. With us, employee training is easy! **Link:** [**http://bdfoodsafety.com**](http://bdfoodsafety.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2022/03/michigan-state-university-ad-food-safety-summit-2022.png) Michigan State University Booth #414 Michigan State University’s Online Food Safety Program strives to educate professionals on how to make global food systems safe and supports individuals as they advance in food safety-related careers. The program consists of a Master of Science in Food Safety degree, a Graduate Certificate in Food Safety, and non-credit continuing education courses—all 100% online. The program also offers an on-campus executive education program, Creating a Food Safety Culture, where executives come to campus to learn from high-level food safety experts. Each program will provide food safety professionals with applicable knowledge to navigate the ever-changing concerns surrounding food safety, food protection, and public health. Who will keep food safe? Spartans Will. Link: [http://foodsafety.msu.edu](http://foodsafety.msu.edu/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2022/03/rgf-ad-food-safety-summit-2022.png) **RGF Booth #712** RGF Environmental Group, an ISO9001:15 South Florida-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of industrial environmental technology since 1985, has developed PhotohydroionizationTM (PHI), a disinfection process that combines several non-chemical, non-penetrating radiation approaches, which together can reduce harmful microorganisms in food and air more efficiently that any single approach. PhotohydroionizationTM has been approved for food processing facilities inspected by the USDA, FDA and FSIS. PHI technology is adaptable; it is designed to treat food and equipment surfaces, as well as facility air. RGF also offers high output germicidal ultraviolet light systems for treatment of process water, brines and marinade solutions. Link: [http://www.rgf.com](http://www.rgf.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2022/03/saldesia-ad-food-safety-summit-2022.png) Saldesia Booth #219 Saldesia “Goddess of Food Safety” is a focused distributor of Food Safety products and solutions. At this year’s show, we will be introducing and featuring Dycem Antimicrobial Flooring & Mats. These high-performance contamination control solutions are the most effective way of controlling all forms of foot, wheel, and airborne contamination from entering critical areas. 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The Group has built up a global network of food testing laboratories and Competence Centres that perform more than 150 million assays per year to establish the safety, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of food. Eurofins thus offers the broadest portfolio of any food testing lab and makes this unique offer available globally from any of our laboratories using optimised processes, logistics and IT. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/06/logo-fsn-lafp-2019-advertisement.jpg) **Booth #264** **Contact: Chuck Jolley** **Email: Chuck@JolleyAssociates.com** **Web Link:** [**https://www.foodsafetynews.com**](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/home/) **Phone: +1 913.205.3791** The entire food industry knows when something important in food safety happens, they’ll read about it first in **FOOD SAFETY NEWS**. We’re their only daily resource with the largest reporting staff in the industry so, of course, we’ll get the story before anyone else. Come meet Timothy Lytton, author of the new book “***OUTBREAK*** *, Foodborne Illness and the Struggle for Food Safety.*“ Advertisers, **FOOD SAFETY NEWS** has 35,000+ direct subscribers and 250,000+ people follow us on social media. Stop by our booth and let’s talk about how we can dramatically expand your reach. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/06/logo-michigan-state-lafp-2019-advertisement.jpg) **Online Food Safety Program** **Booth #140** **Web Link:** [**https://foodsafety.msu.edu/**](https://foodsafety.msu.edu/history?ref=foodsafetynews.com) Designed for working professionals and accepting its first students in 2002, the Online Master of Science (MS) in Food Safety Program at Michigan State University was created in response to a market research study conducted in the year 2000\. This study revealed an overwhelming need on the part of food industry, government and public health for their employees to be specifically educated in the many aspects of safeguarding our food supply. The study also revealed concern by employers over losing their best employees to a traditional on-campus program. Therefore, the Online MS in Food Safety program was designed to meet both the needs of the individual, as well as the employer, by offering this comprehensive program in a fully online format. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/06/logo-sgs-lafp-2019-advertisement.jpg) **Booth #328** **Web Link:** [**https://www.sgsgroup.us.com/**](https://www.sgsgroup.us.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) As agricultural goods progress from field to fork they require attention, tracking and integrity. We offer an end-to-end supply chain range of services that reduce risk, ensure quality and improve productivity. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/06/logo-stop-lafp-2019-advertisement.jpg) **Booth #568** **Contact: Stanley E. Rutledge** **Email:** [**srutledge@stopfoodborneillness.org**](mailto:srutledge@stopfoodborneillness.org) **Web Link:**[ **http://www.stopfoodborneillness.org/stories**](http://www.stopfoodborneillness.org/stories?ref=foodsafetynews.com) Food safety is everyone’s business. The stories of individuals and families who have come together and transformed isolated losses into something bigger than an individual tragedy are the history of Stop Foodborne Illness. We are focused on collaboration to influence food safety decisions where they begin- at the farm, factory and store. And where they end – in your home. Come visit us to find out how we can facilitate impacting your world. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/06/logo-testo-lafp-2019-advertisement.jpg) **Testo Solutions USA, Inc.** **Booth #337-339** Web Link: **[www.testofoodsafety.com](http://www.testofoodsafety.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)** Testo is a leader in the design, development, and manufacture of portable measurement instrumentation. The fully integrated Testo Saveris system (Hardware/Software/Services), fulfills the compliance gap and leads the food safety market into a new era. Executives can now automate checks, create visibility and improve accountability. Saveris changes the dynamic from paper-based reporting to automated exception management through software notifications. ### Food Safety Summit 2019 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/food-safety-summit-2019/ Last updated: 2019-04-25T20:25:43.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-22-33-pm.png) **Put these great companies on your ‘must see’ list at the** **FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-22-42-pm.png) **Booth #813** **Amrita Puri** **Email: amrita\_puri@bio-rad.com** **Phone:** **(510) 631-2857** **Bio-Rad Laboratories** manufacture tests for food safety with a complete line of solutions for food pathogen testing. We offer a full menu of real-time PCR test kits for the detection of key pathogens, culture media for nutritive enrichment and RAPID chromogenic media with easy colony identification for detection of pathogens and enumeration of quality indicators. As an instrument manufacturer, **Bio-Rad** also provides instrument options for both low and high volume users, including our iQ-Check Prep automation system. Stop by our booth and let’s talk about how we can help you improve your food safety program. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-22-48-pm.png) **Booth 613** **Call 872-810-4123** **Website: www.CertusFoodSafety.com** **Email** [**info@CertusFoodSafety.com**](mailto:Minfo@CertusFoodSafety.comA) **Visit 4809 N Ravenswood Ave #113** **Chicago, IL, 60640** **CERTUS** changes the way that food safety is done and helps reduce food-borne illness with a rapid pathogen detection system that is Simple. Safe. Smart™. **CERTUS** integrates historically embraced values into future technology bringing innovation and expansive vision to the food safety industry. Building on a foundation of over 200 years of quality and precision, **CERTUS** joins the Toho Technology group of companies as a new brand specializing in Food Safety. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-22-54-pm.png) **Booth #220** **Contact: Megan Frahm** **Email:** [**megan.frahm@ifsworld.com**](mailto:MEGAN.FRAHM@IFSWORLD.COM) **Website: www.ifsworld.com/us** **IFS** develops and delivers enterprise software for customers around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. The industry expertise of our people and solutions, together with commitment to our customers, has made us a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 3,500 employees supports more than 10,000 customers worldwide from a network of local offices and through our growing ecosystem of partners. For more information, visit **IFSworld.com** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-23-02-pm.png) **Booth #234** The International Association for Food Protection’s Annual Meeting, IAFP 2019, will be held July 21–24, in Louisville, Kentucky. Attended by more than 3,600 food safety professionals from six continents, this leading food safety conference covers three days of sessions featuring more than 1,250 presentations. Other networking events include Committee and Professional Development Group (PDG) Meetings; Opening Session and Ivan Parkin Lecture; Business Meeting; U.S. Regulatory Update on Food Safety; John H. Silliker Lecture; and the Awards Reception and Banquet. The meeting will also showcase 200 companies and organizations demonstrating the latest products and technologies in the Exhibit Hall. Six Pre-Meeting Workshops will take place July 19 and July 20. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-23-06-pm.png) **Booth #413** **Contact: Brian Sharp** **Email:** [**BSharp@safetychain.com**](mailto:bsharp@safetychain.com) **Website: www.safetychain.com** **SafetyChain** is a Quality Management System (QMS) that helps food and beverage companies improve productivity, profitability and compliance with a flexible, user-friendly software platform that captures, manages and analyzes real-time operations data. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-23-10-pm.png) **Booth #127** **Contact: Stan Rutledge (**[**srutledge@stopfoodborneillness.org**](mailto:srutledge@stopfoodborneillness.org)**)** **Website: www.stopfoodborneillness.org** Stop Foodborne Illness is the voice for all who turn awareness into action. We advocate tirelessly to regulate food handling and processing from farm to table. We partner with Congress, the USDA, the FDA, the CDC, and other relevant agencies and organizations to mitigate food safety risks through policy and legislation. There’s still work to do. And we can’t do it without you. Help us achieve our vision of a safe food supply for all. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-23-14-pm.png) **Booth #213** **Website: www.sqfi.com** Our Mission is to deliver consistent, globally recognized food safety and quality certification programs based on sound scientific principles, consistently applied across all industry sectors, and valued by all stakeholders. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2019/04/screen-shot-2019-04-25-at-3-23-16-pm.png) **Booth #209** **Phone: (800) 227-0729 x200** **E-Mail:** [**esolutions@testo.com**](mailto:esolutions@testo.com) **Website: www.testo.com** Traditional, paper based management programs pose challenges in keeping accurate records and following company policies. This leaves your customers and your business open to unnecessary risks. For 60 years, **Testo** has developed innovative measuring solutions for the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries. The **Testo Saveris** platforms have been developed to support your company’s quality management initiatives and protect your brand’s reputation. Each solution combines innovative measurement technology with intuitively operated software and individualized service. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ### Media Kit Mockup URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/media-kit-mockup/ Last updated: 2020-11-18T16:57:42.000Z [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/files/2018/07/mediakit2.png)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/content/files/files/2018/07/media-kit-fsn-2018-2019.pdf) To view the **Food Safety News** media kit, please click on the image. For additional information, contact Chuck Jolley at: phone 913-205-3791 or email chuck@jolleyassociates.com. --- The **Food Safety News** Directory lists businesses whose products and services contribute to the food supply safety network around the world. Our readers can search the Directory by category or by business name. To list your business in the **Food Safety News** Directory, or for details on advertising options, contact Chuck Jolley: chuck@jolleyassociates.com. You can also download the [**FSN** media kit](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/content/files/files/2018/07/media-kit-fsn-2018-2019.pdf) for details. ### Featured Listings [![](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2018/07/par-surecheck.png)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/par-surecheck/) [![](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2018/07/intralytix.png)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/intralytix-phage-food-safety-company/) [![](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2018/07/IFS.png)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/ifs-world/) [![](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2018/07/alchemy.png)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/alchemy-systems/) [![](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2018/07/logo-marler-clark.gif)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/marler-clark-llp-ps/) ### Directory Entry Categories | [Antimicrobial Interventions](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/directory/antimicrobial-interventions/) [Bacteria Control 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| ### Third-Party Inspection/Auditing Directory URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/third-party-inspection-auditing-directory/ Last updated: 2025-02-06T23:06:35.000Z **ASI**500 NW Plaza, Suite 700 St. Louis, MO 63074 Key contact: Andrew Wood Email: [info@asifood.com](mailto:info@asifood.com) Tel: 1+ (800) 477-0778 Web: [https://www.asifood.com](https://www.asifood.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) **CERT ID** 504 N. 4th Street, Suite 208 Fairfield, IA 52556 Tel: (641) 209-1899 [info@cert-id.com](mailto:info@cert-id.com) [www.cert-id.com](http://www.cert-id.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) **Scientific Certification Systems** 2000 Powell St. Suite 600 Emeryville, CA 94608 Tel: (510) 452-8003 [cwood@scscertified.com](mailto:cwood@scscertified.com) [www.scscertified.com/foodsafety](http://www.scscertified.com/foodsafety?ref=foodsafetynews.com) **SGS North America, Inc.** 201 Route 17 North Rutherford, NJ 07070 Tel: +1 201.508.3000 Email: [Foodnam@sgs.com](mailto:Foodnam@sgs.com) Web: [www.sgs.com/usafood](http://www.sgs.com/usafood?ref=foodsafetynews.com) **WQS Food Verification LLC** 7400 Carmel Executive Park Drive, Suite 120, Charlotte, NC 28226 Email: Phone: 980-218-9151 Web: [www.wqscert.com](http://www.wqscert.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ## Posts ### Sunday Edition: NSW URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/sunday-edition-nsw/ Last updated: 2026-10-18T12:00:00.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week** - An outbreak of [E coli O157:H7 infections linked to ready-to-eat multi-ingredient chicken wraps has affected 50 patients](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/patient-count-in-e-coli-outbreak-traced-to-chicken-wraps-growing/), up from 35 reported by the FDA just one week ago. Neither the FDA nor the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported what brand is involved or where the wraps were sold. The FDA says the wraps have already been removed from the market while an investigation of ingredient level contamination continues. - Consumer Reports is [calling on the FDA to disclose more information about its response to this year’s Cyclospora outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/consumer-reports-wants-fda-official-to-explain-the-agencys-response-to-the-cyclospora-outbreak/). In a letter to the agency’s deputy commissioner, the consumer organization urged the FDA to “address the systemic inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, and regulatory leniency that have hindered \[the\] response” to the outbreak. - A Ukrainian egg company linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Enteriditis in the United Kingdom has [urged people to avoid drawing premature conclusions about the situation](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/ukrainian-egg-firm-comments-on-uk-salmonella-link/). UK authorities said a strain of Salmonella Enteriditis detected in a batch of eggs from Ukraine has been linked to 36 illnesses in England. The shipment of products from the Ukrainian company, Yasensvit, has been suspended during the investigation. - Beginning in 2027, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is implementing [a new inspection program for establishments that process ready-to-eat deli meats](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/usda-to-expand-testing-at-deli-counters/). Inspectors will begin collecting food-contact and non-food-contact surface swabs into addition to product samples The program was prompted by a deadly 2024 Listeria outbreak traced to Boar’s Head deli meat. - The [New York Times investigation of the aquaculture industry](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/08/magazine/farm-raised-fish-aquaculture-overfishing.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.JFE.%5FKZC.TcYa63PJUagI&smid=url-share&ref=foodsafetynews.com) is worth a read for insights into toll the industry takes on those who work in it and the way it affects the global seafood market. Since more than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. comes from outside the country, it’s worth knowing what happens (and doesn’t happen) at each step along the way. --- **Today’s Topic: NWS** When it approached the U.S. border, we were concerned. When it resurged in the U.S., we were troubled. But four months after its arrival, the New World screwworm looks like it may be coming under control. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### More than 1.5 million pounds of hot dogs, bacon, sausage, turkey breasts and more meat products of various brands recalled URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/more-than-1-5-million-pounds-of-hot-dogs-bacon-sausage-turkey-breasts-and-more-meat-products-of-various-brands-recalled/ Last updated: 2026-10-17T23:10:40.000Z Kayem Foods Inc., of Chelsea, MA, is recalling more than 1.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products because they may have experienced temperature abuse during storage, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The RTE meat and poultry bacon, hot dogs sausage, turkey breasts, hams and other products were produced March 31, 2026, to Oct. 7, 2026, and some have long shelf life. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. View some of the product labels by [clicking here](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food%5Flabel%5Fpdf/2026-10/Recall%5F026-2026-product-labels.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). View the list of more than 100 products by [clicking here](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media%5Ffile/documents/Recall%5F026-2026-productlist.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The products subject to recall bear establishment numbers “EST. M/P 7839,” “EST. P 20935A” and “EST. M 9520” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail and foodservice locations nationwide in the United States and to Hong Kong. The problem was discovered after the firm received a retail customer complaint regarding warm product temperatures at point of delivery on Oct. 1\. The establishment investigated and determined that they stored various RTE meat and poultry products in a warehouse cooler that experienced temperature deviations. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Publisher’s Platform: Seven Petitions, One Message: Tell Us What You Know, Test for What Kills, and Warn People Before They Eat It URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/publishers-platform-seven-petitions-one-message-tell-us-what-you-know-test-for-what-kills-and-warn-people-before-they-eat-it/ Last updated: 2026-10-17T03:19:46.000Z I have spent more than thirty years suing companies after people get sick. This year I have spent a fair amount of time trying to put myself out of business. That means petitions, seven of them, to the FDA and to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, asking both agencies to do things they either promised to do years ago, already do for some foods but not others, or have said in press releases but never put in writing. None of this was a solo effort. These petitions were built by my staff and the lawyers at Marler Clark, by the scientists and physicians who read drafts and told me where I was wrong, by the families who lived through these outbreaks and agreed to put their names on the line, and by my food safety friends. And, yes, by my food safety enemies, a few of whom sent the sharpest comments I received. Thank you, all of you. The petitions are better for it, and I will take good edits from anyone. Here is where things stand. **1\. C. botulinum testing in powdered infant formula (FDA)** Federal rules require powdered infant formula makers to test finished product for two organisms, Cronobacter and Salmonella. Since 2023, 52 infants have been hospitalized with botulism in the ByHeart and Nara Organics outbreaks, and the organism was found in a dairy ingredient. It is still not on the list. This petition asks FDA to add botulinum neurotoxin-producing clostridia to the finished-product testing table at 21 C.F.R. § 106.55(e) and to require testing of the dairy-based ingredients formula is made from. I am filing it with forty-six parents of twenty-four of those infants as Co-Petitioners. **2\. A warning label on raw milk cheese (FDA)** Unpasteurized milk cannot be shipped across state lines in a bottle. It can be shipped as cheese, on the strength of a 60-day aging rule written in the 1940s that FDA’s own science says does not reliably kill pathogens, and that may make soft-ripened cheese riskier, not safer. The label says nothing. The petition asks FDA to require a prescribed warning on cheese made from raw milk, modeled on the juice warning FDA adopted in 1998, to finish the reevaluation of the 60-day aging rule it announced in 2013, and to make cheesemakers who rely on aging validate that it actually works. **3\. A warning label on raw and lightly cooked sprouts (FDA)** For twenty-eight years FDA has told children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems not to eat raw sprouts. It has said so in press releases, talk papers, guidance and outbreak web pages, including for the two sprout outbreaks open right now. It has never said so on the package. This petition asks FDA to put its own advice where people make the decision: a prescribed warning on packaged raw and lightly cooked sprouts, including sprouts sold inside salads, sandwiches and wraps. It is drafted in parallel with the cheese petition, same at-risk groups, same placement and type size, but it will be filed separately. **4\. Salmonella as an adulterant in raw ground chicken, ground turkey and chicken parts (FSIS)** In May 2024 FSIS determined that Salmonella at or above 1 CFU/g is an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products. Its reasoning, that processing puts Salmonella into the meat and contamination rises as poultry is cut and ground, describes chicken parts and ground poultry before any breading touches them. FSIS said it would take up other raw poultry in a later rulemaking. That proceeding was withdrawn in April 2025, and nothing replaced it. This petition asks FSIS to finish the job. It asks for the same 1 CFU/g determination for raw comminuted chicken and turkey and raw chicken parts, in the alternative for the three serotypes FSIS itself says cause the most illness (Infantis, Enteritidis and Typhimurium), and, at minimum, that FSIS start the verification sampling it announced in 2024 and postponed indefinitely in December 2025. **5\. Access and sampling at animal feeding operations implicated in outbreaks (FDA)** In 1975 FDA used its public health authority to reach the source of Salmonella in pet turtles, and that rule has stood for fifty-one years. In 2018, after the Yuma romaine outbreak killed five people, FDA found the outbreak strain in an irrigation canal running past a feedlot holding more than 100,000 head of cattle, collected six samples inside the feedlot, and left. This petition asks FDA to use the same statute, section 361 of the Public Health Service Act, for a narrow, triggered, time-limited power: when the agency has determined in writing that an animal feeding operation is implicated in a multistate outbreak, it gets to walk onto the property and take environmental and animal samples. No seizures, no husbandry rules, no financial records. Just samples. **6\. Naming the firms implicated in outbreaks (FDA)** On September 10, 2026, FDA closed a fourteen-person E. coli O157:H7 investigation, said for the first time that the food was romaine, and named no grower, processor, brand or state. It did the same with an eighty-nine-person romaine outbreak twenty-one months earlier. And this month, FDA and FSIS called the vehicle in an E. coli outbreak that has now sickened fifty people “ready-to-eat multi-ingredient chicken wraps,” and named no one. The public learned the brand from a lawsuit. FDA has named farms, processors and brands in these circumstances at least eight times since 2006\. The authority is there. What is missing is a written standard. This petition asks FDA to amend 21 CFR 20.61 to make clear that the identity of a firm implicated by epidemiologic and traceback or laboratory evidence is not confidential commercial information, and to disclose implicated growers, processors and distributors whether there is a recall. **7\. Retail consignee lists in Class I food recalls (FDA)** Since 2008, when meat or poultry is recalled in a Class I recall, USDA publishes the stores that received it. In 2011 Congress told FDA to consider doing the same. FDA agreed in substance and wrote a guidance document. So, if you bought recalled ground beef, you could find out whether your store got it. If you bought recalled cheese, sprouts, cantaloupe or bagged salad, you usually cannot. This petition asks FDA to publish retail consignee lists, including restaurants, schools, hospitals and other institutions, in every Class I food recall, at the time the recall is announced, and to classify every food recall and publish that classification on a deadline. A “market withdrawal” should not be a way around telling people where the food went. **What I am asking of you** Several of these are still drafts, and I am still editing. If you want to see a draft of any of them to comment on, please email me at [bmarler@marlerclark.com](mailto:bmarler@marlerclark.com) and I will send it to you. All comments are due by October 30, 2026. I am asking everyone to comment now, before I file, while these petitions can still get better. Industry, public health, consumer groups, academics, lawyers on the other side: I want to hear from all of you. Tell me what I got wrong, what I missed and what will not work in the real world. If you disagree, tell me why. Every problem we fix now is one less thing to argue about once the petitions are filed. Every one of these petitions comes back to the same idea. If the government knows something that would keep people from getting sick, it should test for it, write it down and tell the public. That is not a radical ask. It is the job. ### Patient count in E. coli outbreak traced to chicken wraps growing URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/patient-count-in-e-coli-outbreak-traced-to-chicken-wraps-growing/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T04:05:00.000Z An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections has grown to 50 patients, up from 35 reported by the Food and Drug Administration a week ago. The FDA and USDA are investigating “ready-to-eat multi-ingredient chicken wraps” as the cause. Neither agency has reported what brand is involved or what region in which the wraps were sold. The FDA claims that the wraps “were proactively removed from the market before the link to the outbreak was confirmed,” are past shelf life, and that the agencies are now looking at “possible ingredient level contamination.” The USDA is involved in the investigation because it has jurisdiction over poultry. The FDA is responsible for the rest of the ingredients. The USDA reports that it is working to determine whether the chicken was used in other products. FDA investigators have initiated traceback, onsite inspection and sample testing, but the agency has not revealed what food is being traced, what locations are being inspected or what is being tested. As is its practice, the FDA is not reporting any information about the patients, including their ages or where they live. The FDA first reported the outbreak on Sept. 23. There are likely many more sick people in the outbreak than the official count shows at this time. This is because some people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for E. coli. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed patient in an E. coli outbreak, 26 go undetected. **In other outbreak news,** for an outbreak of E. coli O26:H11 traced to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses, the FDA has initiated sample collection, but it is not reporting what is being sampled. State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people or their caregivers about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the nine people interviewed so far, all nine in this outbreak reported consuming Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. According to the CDC the outbreak has sickened 13 people with eight requiring hospitalization. No deaths have been confirmed. Three of the patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes kidney failure and sometimes brain damage and death. More than half of the sick people in this outbreak are children 5 years old and younger. The sick people are spread across nine states. The FDA first reported the outbreak on Sept. 25. **Updates on other outbreaks** For an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections, the FDA has initiated sample collection but the agency is not reveling what is being sampled. The source of the pathogen has not yet been determined. The outbreak has sickened 11 people, but the FDA is not reporting their ages or where they live. The agency first posted the outbreak on Sept. 30. For another outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, the patient count has increased to 46, up from 44 a week ago. The FDA is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. FDA inspectors have begun traceback efforts, but the agency has not revealed what food is being traced. The FDA first posted the outbreak on Sept. 23. ### Ukrainian egg firm comments on UK Salmonella link URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/ukrainian-egg-firm-comments-on-uk-salmonella-link/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T04:02:59.000Z The Ukrainian egg company linked to a Salmonella outbreak in the UK has urged people to avoid drawing what it calls premature conclusions until all the facts are established. Yasensvit, part of the Ovostar Union Group, said it was necessary to comment on information shared by UK authorities and its potential impact on the manufacturer’s reputation. The company is one of the largest producers of eggs and egg products in Europe and operates in international markets. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### French HUS cases passed 100 in 2025 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/french-hus-cases-passed-100-in-2025/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T04:00:59.000Z More than 100 cases and one death from a serious condition that can develop after an E. coli infection were recorded in 2025 in France. A total of 109 cases of pediatric hemolytic uremic syndrome were reported to Santé publique France, compared to 87 cases in 2024 and 143 in 2023\. At 54 percent, females were slightly more affected than males. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Raw milk cheese recalled after testing finds E. coli URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/raw-milk-cheese-recalled-after-testing-finds-e-coli/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T02:19:11.000Z Family Farmstead Dairy of Worcester, NY, is recalling some of its raw milk cheddar cheese because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. The product was distributed to grocers in NY and NJ. The cheese is packaged in clear plastic with green, red, and white labeling on the front and back. The affected product can be identified by the following label information: - Product: Family Farmstead Dairy Raw Mild Cheddar Cheese - Lot Code: 7/22/27 - Best By Date: 7/22/27 No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date. The issue was discovered when a LFFM sample in Maryland isolated two strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in two samples of Family Farmstead A2 Raw Cheddar, 8-ounce packages. Consumers who have purchased the affected product should not consume it. The product should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. **About E. coli infections** Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications. About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Food Safety News: On the Beat launches URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/podcasts/food-safety-news-on-the-beat-launches/ Last updated: 2026-10-17T00:10:45.000Z Welcome to the first episode of Food Safety News: On the Beat, the weekly podcast breaking down the biggest stories in food safety and explaining what happened, what we know and why it matters. Hosts Morgan Holm, Executive Director and Editor in Chief of Food Safety News, and Jonan Pilet, Newsletter Editor and Social Media Coordinator, discuss some of the most important food safety stories making headlines. In Episode 1, our pilot episode taped in September, Morgan and Jonan take a closer look at the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak, including rising case numbers, hospitalizations and the challenges investigators face when trying to identify the source of foodborne illness outbreaks. They also discuss ongoing Salmonella outbreaks, the difficulty of tracing contaminated food across an increasingly global food supply, and the balance between giving consumers timely information and avoiding conclusions before investigators have enough evidence. Subscribe on Spotify Join us next week for a conversation with Bill Marler, our publisher, about the Cyclospora outbreaks this past summer. We will discuss lessons learned and what consumers can expect moving forward. Food Safety News has provided independent reporting on foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls, research, regulations and public health since 2009\. Food Safety News: On the Beat brings that reporting into a weekly conversation, giving listeners more context behind the stories shaping our food supply. Subscribe on Apple Each episode will also be posted on FSN's YouTube channel for general audiences several days after it is released to FSN+ members. Your subscription ensures you'll get the earliest access to the podcast every week. ### Spanish authorities urged to share Salmonella outbreak details URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/spanish-authorities-urged-to-share-salmonella-outbreak-details/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T17:23:59.000Z More than a dozen people have been sickened in Spain as part of a Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs. A Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak has affected 13 people, and domestically produced eggs are suspected to be the vehicle of infection. The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) called on the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) to disclose the brand names and specific batches of eggs linked to the outbreak. The OCU said the information available to consumers remains very limited. The affected brands, quantities recalled, and places where eggs may have been distributed have not been made public. There is also no related alert on the AESAN website. The OCU recognized that a withdrawal of the batch in question may have reduced the risk but said that transparency is essential to bolster consumer confidence and prevent further cases of poisoning. According to a notice on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), implicated eggs were also distributed to Portugal and France. The OCU stressed the importance of maintaining strict hygiene when handling eggs and cooking dishes containing them to a minimum temperature of 75 degrees C (167 degrees F). The group also recommended avoiding the consumption of foods made with raw egg, such as homemade mayonnaise, particularly for pregnant women, young children, the elderly and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. Spanish [media recently reported](https://www.elconfidencial.com/sucesos/2026-10-13/intoxicacion-alimentaria-restaurante-murcia-1tna-1tps%5F4444182/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) a Salmonella outbreak involving a restaurant in Murcia that had affected 13 people. The outlet has been inspected and closed as a precaution. It is not known if the incidents are connected. In 2024, Spain recorded 250 Salmonella outbreaks and 1,894 outbreak-related cases. A total of 216 people were hospitalized. Eggs and egg products were linked to 131 incidents. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people are infected with Salmonella without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Consumer Reports wants FDA official to explain the agency's response to the Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/consumer-reports-wants-fda-official-to-explain-the-agencys-response-to-the-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T04:05:00.000Z Consumer Reports has asked the FDA’s deputy commissioner to respond to its concerns about the agency’s response to this summer's Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce from Mexico. In the letter to Donald Prater, the consumer organization cited “critical vulnerabilities” in the U.S. food safety oversight. The investigation into the Cyclospora outbreak — which sickened almost 13,000 people, hospitalizing 560 and killing two — raised questions about the Food and Drug Administration’s fulfillment of its public health mandate, according to the organization. Consumer Reports requested that Prater respond by Nov. 6. “Throughout this investigation, the FDA’s response has been hindered by notable delays and a lack of transparency, ultimately exposing consumers to unnecessary risk,” the letter states. “Although initial evidence pointed to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico as a source of contamination, FDA investigators took nearly a month to launch environmental sampling and on-site inspections in Mexico. Additionally, the recall classification was delayed for over a month, creating widespread public confusion.” The group states that public messaging during the outbreak was inconsistent, which led to financial losses and unnecessary food waste involving U.S. grown fresh produce. Consumer Reports also called into question the FDA’s failure to disclose what actions were being taken during its investigation, including when it conducted foreign inspections and when and where samples were collected. “To restore public trust and ensure accountability, the FDA must address the systemic inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, and regulatory leniency that have hindered this response,” Consumer Reports wrote. The group requested responses from Prater on the following questions: - What factors delayed the FDA’s deployment to Mexico to conduct an on-site investigation? - In a separate outbreak, it was reported that the FDA was unable to access a particular facility due to safety concerns. If the FDA cannot conduct on-site safety inspections at certain foreign food facilities due to security concerns, why are imports from these facilities still permitted to enter the U.S. market? - Which specific FDA personnel were deployed, and did the team comprise an appropriate balance of inspectors, investigators, and subject matter experts? - Given FDA’s authority to issue Import Alerts, why has an import alert not been issued on iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico when it meets the criteria for one? - What accounts for the one-month delay in classifying this as a Class I recall? - How was information communicated and shared between federal agencies and state public health partners during this outbreak investigation? - Did the consolidated communications functions under the department’s shared services approach negatively impact the FDA’s ability to communicate to the public about the outbreak? - What is the estimated staffing allocation within the Human Foods Program dedicated to foodborne illness outbreak response, compliance and enforcement, and after event prevention efforts? **Statement apart from the letter** Prior to sending its letter to Prater, Consumer Reports issued a public statement about the outbreak and investigation, citing comments from a food safety expert. “There’s a fair amount of additional work that needs to come together to really give us a more complete picture of what happened this year and how best to approach next year,” says Craig Hedberg, PhD, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies how to make foodborne illness outbreak investigations more effective. One of the main problems during the outbreak investigation was the ability to trace contaminated lettuce, according to Consumer Reports. A rule mandated in 2011 addressed that problem, but action by Congress in the summer of 2025 delayed its implementation. “The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 anticipated this problem. A provision known as the traceability rule requires companies handling high-risk foods like leafy greens, fresh-cut fruits, and raw cheese to keep detailed records of how those foods move through the supply chain and hand them over within 24 hours of an FDA request. The FDA itself has said the rule would allow for ‘faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths,’ “ Consumers Reports’ statement said. The rule was supposed to take effect in January 2026, 15 years after the law ordering its existence was signed. But in March 2025, the FDA [pushed](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-intends-extend-compliance-date-food-traceability-rule?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that deadline back two and a half years to July 2028, in order, it said, to give companies more time to comply. Congress later codified the delay. “Had the rule been in place, it would have made it easier to trace the outbreak back to the source more quickly,” said Brian Ronholm, CR’s director of food policy, who previously served as the deputy under secretary of food safety at the Department of Agriculture. Ronholm said that FMI, a trade group that represents the consumer food supply chain, lobbied Congress to delay the rule’s implementation. “Basically, Congress decided to put consumers at risk because a small part of the food industry claimed 15 years wasn’t enough time to prepare,” Ronholm said. ### CSPI expanding staff; hiring campaign manager URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/cspi-expanding-staff-hiring-campaign-manager/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T04:01:59.000Z The Center for Science in the Public Interest is scaling up its food safety efforts with the creation of a new position beginning in January 2027. The [Campaign Manager](https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/4579585?source=Linked%20In) will lead and advance the center’s campaigns for stronger, evidence-based food safety policies addressing foodborne pathogens and fraudulent or dangerous dietary supplements. The manager will work full time to to design and execute state and federal advocacy campaigns to promote standards to limit food contamination, ensure product testing, enhance research and regulatory programs, and otherwise advance safety. In addition, the manager will work on campaigns opposing efforts to defund, deregulate, or impede enforcement of existing safeguards. The Campaign Manager will report to the Director of Regulatory Affairs and collaborate with colleagues across the organization involved with CSPI’s food safety and regulatory campaigns. The center’s office in Washington D.C. offers a hybrid work environment with staff free to work from home but available for occasional in-person meetings based on team needs. Many of the center’s staff work remotely, and we will consider D.C.-based or remote applicants within the United States. **Essential duties and responsibilities** - Oversee the development and implementation of strategies to advance food pathogen safety and securing policies to enhance outbreak response and prevention. This work includes developing and implementing issue briefs, campaign and project plans, and budgets. - Support campaign strategies to advance dietary supplement safety efforts, including developing and implementing projects. - Engage in policy design, develop policy targets, prioritize and identify strategic opportunities to advance federal and state regulatory and legislative reforms. - Develop and maintain strong relationships with coalition partners, including scheduling, drafting agendas, and representing the organization in meetings with coalition partners and regulators at FDA, USDA, and CDC. - Develop and update high-quality written advocacy materials, including regulatory comments, testimony, fact sheets, advocacy letters, op-eds, action alerts, articles, and social media content. - Engage in advocacy with state and federal lawmakers and regulators in collaboration with CSPI's Legislative Affairs and Community Engagement teams, including member education, cultivating relationships, power-mapping, and constituent engagement. - Ensure high-quality work product, including preparing documents for internal fact-checking by peers and serving as peer fact-checker. - Carry out other departmental activities as needed. **Qualifications** - Demonstrated commitment to public-interest advocacy and consumer protections, ideally with substantial demonstrated training or experience in food safety policy. - Substantial experience with state or federal policy advocacy, including congressional and regulatory advocacy (Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years' experience or professional/graduate degree and 5+ years’ experience). - Experience implementing and supporting successful policy/advocacy campaigns and maintaining the partnerships necessary for advancing those campaigns. - Exceptional written communication skills with experience writing policy documents (regulatory comments, testimony, advocacy letters, fact sheets, op-eds, action alerts, articles, and social media content). - Ability to understand and communicate complex public policy topics effectively and persuasively to a policy and lay audience, with experience and comfort with public speaking. Media relations experience a plus. - Excellent judgment, professionalism, and interpersonal skills demonstrated through a history of effective collaboration and teamwork. - Demonstrated skills in organization/project management, ability to work in a fast-paced environment and take responsibility for multiple projects and deadlines. - Ability to read, analyze, and interpret legal, policy, and scientific documents. - Proficiency with MSOffice applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with social media and other web-based research and advocacy tools. - Beneficial skills/experience: Training in microbiology or food safety, academic research experience, or a prior position at a state or federal executive or legislative body. About CSPI: The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a food and health watchdog, and is one of the nation’s leading public health advocacy organizations with a 50-year record of fighting for science in the public interest. The center has led efforts to win passage of many federal, state, and local policies to improve food safety and nutrition. The center’s victories include successfully petitioning FDA to ban partially hydrogenated oils and carcinogenic flavorings; lobbying states to ban harmful food additives; and lobbying successfully for the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act. The center does not take corporate donations, allowing it to serve as an independent voice for consumers in the food system. **Compensation** The salary range for the new manager’s position is $94,000 to $110,000 per year, based on experience. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, internal pay equity, and organizational needs. CSPI offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes: three weeks of annual vacation leave; additional paid holiday leave between Dec. 24 and Jan. 1; eight weeks of paid parental leave; excellent medical and dental insurance with CSPI paying a significant portion of employee and dependent premiums; and a 3 percent employer match contribution to the retirement plan after six months of service. We also offer half-day Fridays, which means full-time staff work 36 hours per week. Please use CSPI's Paylocity Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to apply for this position. Applicants are required to submit a resume and cover letter highlighting relevant experience and interest. The deadline to apply is Oct. 30, 2026. ### Chinese pork firm fined after veterinary drug residue found URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/chinese-pork-firm-fined-after-veterinary-drug-residue-found/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T04:00:59.000Z A major pork company in China has announced two of its directors have been fined as part of an investigation into breaches of food safety rules. WH Group, which also owns Smithfield Foods Inc., a large pork company in the United States, and Morliny Foods Holding, a European meat processing business, disclosed the violations in a company filing. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FAO puts focus on Cyclospora prevention URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fao-puts-focus-on-cyclospora-prevention/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T16:01:58.000Z The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released a factsheet on Cyclospora with a focus on preventing contamination. Cyclospora cayetanensis, a foodborne parasite that can cause diarrhea, is not reliably eliminated by washing or commonly used chlorine-based sanitizers. The parasite sickened 20,000 people in the United States this summer and was linked to iceberg lettuce. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### When risk management and consumer trust collide URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/when-risk-management-and-consumer-trust-collide/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T04:02:59.000Z The decision about whether or not to recall, and how broadly, is rarely simple. There are factors that consumers will never see, as companies weigh evolving information, public health risks, potential legal considerations, supply chain complexity, and financial consequences. Since consumers aren’t privy to the internal process leading up to the recall decisions, they look to how companies act and communicate to determine whether the brand prioritizes consumer protection, or if they’re more concerned about brand damage, financial losses and legal fallout. Consumers want companies to err on the side of public safety if there’s any chance that products may have been compromised. For example, when a company recently recalled product underprotest, it indicated to consumers that the company wasn’t acting willingly when consumer harm was a possibility. Consumers want assurance that companies will act with the worst case scenario in mind, not just conservative decisions based on the best case interpretation of the facts. Companies that act early, communicate clearly, and act with consumers’ best interest in mind are doing exactly what consumers need. **Poorly managed recalls diminish consumer trust** The way that companies act and communicate around a recall reflects whether they are trustworthy and prioritizing public health. Recent examples of poorly managed recalls show how they can dramatically impact consumer trust. A recent recall dispute may have caused consumers to lose trust in the nation’s largest raw milk producer. In March, the FDA[ issued a consumer notice](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-raw-cheddar-cheese-march-2026?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery#images) about Raw Farm LLC’s cheddar cheese products, which they said may have been contaminated with E. coli. The FDA recommended that Raw Farm recall the cheese, but the company declined, refusing to pull their product from store shelves. Raw Farm’s owner disputed the FDA’s findings, arguing that internal testing showed no pathogens in their products. Meanwhile, an increasing number of consumers became ill after eating Raw Farm cheese. After a two-week standoff, Raw Farm reluctantly issued a recall “under protest,” continuing to dispute the legitimacy of the FDA’s evidence. While it’s difficult for consumers to evaluate competing scientific claims between a company and a regulator, Raw Farm’s words and actions were clear. The company’s unwillingness to recall potentially contaminated product created a consumer trust problem that may be difficult to recover from. It’s impossible for consumers to trust a brand whose instinct is to contest rather than act. Similarly, in the recent[ ByHeart infant formula recall](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-infant-formula-november-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the company initiated a recall after multiple illnesses were potentially linked to its product. However, unclear, delayed, and incomplete communication led to confusion. Numerous retailers failed to pull product from their supplies, and contaminated formula lingered on store shelves for more than two months. Understandably, consumer trust eroded. Compounding the problem — and increasing their reputational damage — ByHeart eventually expanded its formula recall because federal investigators and independent laboratories couldn’t rule out more widespread contamination. Each incremental recall expansion signaled to consumers that the company was managing its exposure, rather than working to protect them. Had ByHeart acted on the worst-case assumption from the start, the outcome may have looked different. While the science may have indicated a narrower initial recall, the trust argument supported a broader one. **Signs that convey brand trust** While each situation is unique, consumers can look for certain signals to indicate a company’s trustworthiness, even in a complex or uncertain recall situation. Consider whether the company is: - **Acting before being forced to.** Companies that recall under duress don’t convey trustworthiness. If regulatory bodies like the FDA have evidence that certain products may be compromised, look for the company to issue an immediate, well-communicated recall. - **Being transparent.** Trustworthy companies are transparent about the recall and forthcoming about what happened and what happens next. - **Communicating clearly and early.** Brands that prioritize consumer health are proactive about communication, quickly issuing clear, actionable messages about the situation. Their messages will include product identifiers, and explain what to do if consumers bought or consumed these products. - **Erring on the side of consumer protection.** If there’s even a possibility that a food product has been compromised, it must be recalled to protect public health. Period. Full stop. If a company isn’t willing to issue a recall, it’s a red flag. - **Owning what went wrong.** Consumers understand that recalls can happen, even to companies with best practice safety protocols. Recalls don’t necessarily break consumers’ trust — if the company owns what went wrong, and doesn’t lie, deny, or deflect. What a company does and says around a recall can tell consumers everything they need to know about that brand. A brand’s actions and words demonstrate whether they prioritize consumer safety—or whether their business decisions are taking precedence at the expense of consumer well-being. **About the author:* Roger Hancock, CEO of*[ *Recall InfoLink*](https://www.recallinfolink.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*, is one an expert on recalls, with experience that spans the retail, tech, data, regulatory, and supply chain.* [*Roger is also a steering committee member of the*](https://www.recallinfolink.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[ *Alliance for Recall Ready Communities*](http://recallreadycommunities.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*.* ### New Zealand consults on food control for low-risk outlets URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/new-zealand-consults-on-food-control-for-low-risk-outlets/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T04:00:59.000Z A consultation has been opened in New Zealand as part of a move to update the country’s main food control plan. Andrew Hoggard, Food Safety Minister, said the proposed changes would make it easier for businesses to meet their food safety obligations, with less paperwork and a focus on the risks that matter. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USDA to expand testing for deli meat processors URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/usda-to-expand-testing-at-deli-counters/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T16:26:52.000Z The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is implementing a new nationwide program for the inspection of establishments that process ready-to-eat deli meats. The new program follows a pilot program and will require inspectors to collect food-contact and non-food-contact surface swabs in addition to product samples. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) plans to phase in the program across its nine districts beginning in January 2027 and running through March 2027\. “Broader sampling and more data ultimately means safer food,” according to FSIS. “The agency intends to use the resulting data to work with establishments to ensure that corrective actions effectively address root causes or harborage sites.” The program is part of a series of changes to FSIS oversight of Listeria in ready-to-eat (RTE) facilities following the deadly 2024 Listeria outbreak traced to Boar's Head deli meat. A review of records showed that there was a history of food safety failures at the company’s Jarret, VA, production facility that went unresolved despite the fact that inspectors repeatedly found violations. The FSIS pilot program took place in the Alameda, Chicago and Raleigh districts. Results from the pilot project have not been published. As with the pilot program, the nationwide program will require inspectors to take four environmental swabs at the same time RTE product samples are collected under the existing program. FSIS will train inspection personnel responsible for collecting samples and supervisors as part of the phased implementation approach. The samples will consist of two food-contact surface swabs and two non-food-contact surface swabs, each of which will be analyzed for both Listeria monocytogenes and non-monocytogenes Listeria species. If the sampling identifies Listeria monocytogenes, whole genome sequencing will be performed and compared to reported illnesses or other historical results. Environmental samples have traditionally been collected as part of specialized sampling activities, typically conducted by Enforcement, Investigations, and Analysis Officers at irregular intervals. Under the new program, in-plant inspectors will collect a small number of environmental samples but at a more regular frequency. The FSIS says the expanded sampling as a tool for identifying potential Listeria harborage sites and assessing sanitation effectiveness at individual establishments while also providing insight into Listeria trends nationwide. Companies producing RTE products under FSIS jurisdiction are expected to take steps to prepare for the increased sampling, such as: - Evaluating the establishment’s environmental monitoring program and historical findings; - Assessing corrective action and root cause investigation practices and capabilities; - Conducting any desired program updates or self-evaluations before enhanced sampling is implemented; and - Ensuring the company has the ability understand and assess WGS results. ### EU-wide seasonal Salmonella outbreak strikes again URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/eu-wide-seasonal-salmonella-outbreak-strikes-again/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T04:02:59.000Z More illnesses have been recorded in an outbreak of Salmonella affecting multiple European countries. Austria, Denmark, France Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden reported more than 160 sick people, with the majority having onset or sample dates between July and September 2026\. Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases. Several countries had sickness in people who live in, or had a travel history, to Italy prior to symptom onset, suggesting a common exposure. Domestic cases have also been noted by other countries. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said recently that Germany had 39 cases associated with the outbreak since June 2026\. A Salmonella Strathcona outbreak during the 2025-2026 season involved 116 people. Germany and Luxembourg said a few patient interviews revealed people had eaten cherry tomatoes. Italy also reported tomato consumption among cases. **Recurring summer peak** More than 800 confirmed infections have occurred between January 2023 and September 2026\. This includes 73 cases in the United Kingdom, 10 in Canada and 24 in the United States. At least seven Canadians and six Americans had been to Europe before getting ill. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the recurrence of cases suggests ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce both in and beyond Italy. Patient counts consistently peak during July to September. “The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues. New outbreaks are likely to occur in future seasons until the root cause of the contamination has been identified and control measures implemented,” according to the agency. Authorities in an Italian region have stopped the sale of tomatoes in canteens after Salmonella infections were reported. A temporary suspension was ordered by authorities in Puglia on the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in all food preparation centers and distribution points for institutional catering. This includes nurseries, schools, social care and healthcare facilities, residential care homes and hospitals. Action was taken following a rise in Salmonella Strathcona infections and detection of Salmonella in a batch of tomatoes from Caltanissetta. Earlier this month, Italian authorities found monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes. They also reported 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo. In 2025, outbreak investigations in Austria identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source of infections, reflecting Austrian findings in 2023 and Italian work in 2024\. Official sampling at a primary producer in Italy in November 2024 found the outbreak strain in a sample of irrigation water taken from a well. Follow-up investigations in 2025 in Austria confirmed the outbreak strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy. ### Irish strike action to disrupt U.S. meat exports URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/irish-strike-action-to-disrupt-u-s-meat-exports/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T04:01:59.000Z Meat plants have been told not to make any products for export to the United States because of strike action in Ireland. Industrial action by public sector workers is planned on Oct. 14 for 24 hours. A second strike is scheduled for Oct. 21\. The dispute is related to wages. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Mixed picture of Salmonella in UK animals and pet food URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/mixed-picture-of-salmonella-in-uk-animals-and-pet-food/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T04:00:59.000Z Salmonella was detected more often in chickens but less frequently in pigs and raw meat-based pet food in 2025, according to the latest figures. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) collected data on Salmonella from animals, feeding stuff and animal by-products (ABP) in England, Wales and Scotland. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK egg sampling discovers different Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/uk-egg-sampling-discovers-different-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T21:21:23.000Z Sampling of imported eggs as part of an investigation into Salmonella infections has uncovered a different outbreak in the United Kingdom. The Salmonella Enteritidis strain identified in a batch of eggs from Ukraine is different to the strains linked to another Salmonella outbreak but is associated with 36 illnesses in England in 2026\. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have asked businesses, including caterers, manufacturers and wholesalers, to withdraw and recall all dates and sizes of eggs from one Ukrainian business because of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination. **Ukrainian connection** Affected eggs came from the Yasensvit company in Kyiv and are stamped with the code 3UA1012066\. They may have been supplied to catering businesses or sold through smaller retail outlets. Eggs may have been repacked by UK businesses and sold under different names or packing center details on the outer packaging. Egg sampling was undertaken as part of an investigation into a large outbreak which is thought to be linked to imported eggs. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found Salmonella Enteritidis in samples of eggs from the Ukrainian supplier and carried out whole genome sequencing. Jacquelyn McCormick, head of incidents at the FSA, said: “We have identified Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs that were imported from a business in Ukraine and taken urgent action to protect public health and advised that any affected product on the UK market is withdrawn and recalled. “This issue relates specifically to eggs from one business in Ukraine, which are primarily supplied through wholesalers and the catering supply chain, but also sold at small retailers. Consumers should not eat these eggs and businesses should withdraw them, and where retail sales have occurred, recall them, as these eggs may be unsafe to eat.” **Main outbreak update** As part of three Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom, more than 650 people have fallen sick and two have died. Investigations have linked 47 patients to 11 businesses, with at least 24 infected people eating dishes containing eggs. The eggs come from multiple sources, but two large importers are being investigated further. In the first cluster, there have been 428 confirmed patients and one death. Sample dates range from Aug. 11, 2025, to Sept. 22, 2026\. In the past month, 102 infections have been reported in England. Sick people range in age from younger than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30\. Of 271 patients with available information, 72 have been admitted to hospitals. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is also monitoring this Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 cluster. At least 34 people have been hospitalized. People fell sick in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, France, and Germany. In the second cluster, there are 194 patients in England. Sample dates range from May 27, 2025, to Sept. 14, 2026\. Patients are aged between younger than 1 to 92 with a median of 29 years old. Of 55 patients with information available, 25 were admitted to hospitals. In a third cluster, there are 44 cases and one death, with sample dates ranging from Jan. 27 to Aug. 24, 2026\. Patients range in age from younger than 1 to 87 with a median of 32 years old. Nine people have been hospitalized. In Scotland, there are 16 confirmed patients. Fifteen are in the first cluster and one in the third cluster reported by UKHSA. Sample dates are from April 1 to Sept. 3, 2026\. Patients range in age from 2 to 78 with a median of 36 years old and 11 are female. Several people have reported bloody diarrhea but none have been hospitalized because of salmonellosis. There are two Scottish cases from 2025 in the second cluster. Wales has 10 cases in the first cluster and two in the second. One patient in the first cluster lives in Northern Ireland. There are also two illnesses in either Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. ### Renewed calls for UK allergen ratings after girl’s death URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/renewed-calls-for-uk-allergen-ratings-after-girls-death/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T04:04:59.000Z The parents of a young girl who died following an allergic reaction have called for a dedicated allergy rating for food businesses in England. Mia Shay St Hilaire, from London, suffered a severe allergic reaction following consumption of a milkshake that contained traces of nuts. Adrian St Hilaire and Chanel Spence’s 12-year-old daughter died from anaphylaxis after drinking a milkshake made in an unwashed blender at the Pop Inn Café in 2023. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 30 people report foodborne illness symptoms at Walmart distribution center URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/30-people-report-foodborne-illness-symptoms-at-walmart-distribution-center/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T04:03:59.000Z About 25 to 30 people reportedly fell ill and required care in Lebanon, TN, following an incident at a Walmart Distribution Center that is now under investigation. The Wilson County Emergency Management Agency told Nexstar’s WKRN-TV that it was called to the distribution center late last week for “a female experiencing symptoms of a possible food-related illness.” “Upon arrival, additional units were requested to assist. Approximately 25 to 30 patients were triaged on scene, with 19 patients transported,” the statement, shared Sunday, explained. No additional details were immediately available, though authorities previously told WKRN that food poisoning was suspected. ### Kebab shop owners convicted in fatal Salmonella case URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/kebab-shop-owners-convicted-in-fatal-salmonella-case/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T04:02:59.000Z The owners of a kebab restaurant in Austria have been convicted of hygiene offences in a case involving the death of a man infected by Salmonella. A 63-year-old man died in June 2023 and had eaten a kebab from the takeaway before falling sick with Salmonella sepsis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Oregon public health officials investigating possible foodborne outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/oregon-public-health-officials-investigating-possible-foodborne-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T04:01:59.000Z Deschutes County Health Services, working with the Oregon Health Authority and other partners, has issued a [Health Alert Network advisory](https://www.deschutescounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8698/Advisory---Salmonella-Outbreak-09032026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) telling health care providers in Deschutes County and the surrounding Central Oregon communities that it is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections. The advisory does not name a source, a case count, or the other states involved. What it does do is ask clinicians to keep a sharp eye out for patients with gastrointestinal illness consistent with salmonellosis, and to collect the information investigators need to tie cases together and find a common exposure. Providers are asked to get a food-exposure history covering the five days before illness onset, with particular attention to: - Eggs and egg-containing foods, including fresh or locally sourced eggs; - Raw, unpasteurized milk; - Contact with animals such as chickens and baby chicks, lizards, snakes, and turtles; and - Specific restaurant names, locations, and meal dates. The county is also asking providers to consider stool testing for patients with diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and abdominal cramps. Where a culture-independent test such as PCR comes back positive for Salmonella, the advisory stresses that a reflex culture or specimen submission must follow so public health labs can characterize the isolate. That step matters: without an isolate, there is no whole genome sequencing, and without sequencing, a sick person in Bend may never be linked to sick people in other states. Suspected or confirmed cases should be reported to Deschutes County at 541-322-7418, Crook County at 541-447-5165, Jefferson County at 541-475-4456 (business hours) or 541-475-2201 (after hours), or the Oregon Health Authority at 971-673-1111. ### FDA finds cockroaches on cheese equipment, flies on ready-to-eat products at Florida plant URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-finds-cockroaches-on-cheese-equipment-flies-on-ready-to-eat-products-at-florida-plant/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T04:00:59.000Z As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view. --- The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to a Florida cheese manufacturer and a Minnesota seafood importer after inspectors found food safety violations, including recurring sanitation problems at the cheese facility and repeated failures to verify that imported seafood was processed in compliance with U.S. requirements. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sunday Edition: Cultivated meat URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/sunday-edition-cultivated-meat/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T16:25:05.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week** - Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor has outlined [steps the company will take after a major outbreak of produce-related Cyclospora](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/taylor-farms-leader-says-his-company-is-taking-steps-in-wake-of-huge-cyclospora-outbreak/) this past summer. Among other actions, the company announced that it is suspending the harvest and processing of iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico for sale in the United States or Canada during the Cyclospora season, which runs from May through August each year. Taylor’s statement notes that the FDA has not yet identified a definitive source of the parasitic outbreaks that made headlines all summer. - The FDA released [a 10-point plan aimed at mitigating and preventing future outbreaks of Cyclospora contamination](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-announces-plan-to-address-cyclospora-on-fresh-produce/). It will release an Outbreak Investigation Report, improve laboratory capacity in Mexico to test produce samples and collaborate with Mexican health officials to improve education and training for people working in Mexico’s fresh produce industry. - [A new CompreHensive European Food Safety (CHEFS) database](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/database-offers-insight-into-food-monitoring-findings/) is now available to EU states via the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The database includes almost 400 million analytical results from monitoring data on pesticides, veterinary medicinal product residues and chemical contaminants. Scientists who created the database through the HOLiFOOD project say it can be used to analyze trends, predict hazards and support early warning systems for food safety threats. - Authorities in the Puglia region of Italy have [suspended the sale of raw tomatoes in canteens after reports of Salmonella infections](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/tomatoes-off-the-menu-after-salmonella-cases-in-italy/). The temporary order affects the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in all food preparation centers and distribution points for institutional catering. - The American Academy of Pediatricians is [calling for a nationwide ban on the sale of raw milk, and raw milk products](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/pediatricians-research-shows-dangers-of-raw-milk/), because of the risks that it may be contaminated with bacteria, parasites and viruses. The association says, “Evidence demonstrates the overwhelming benefits to food safety conferred by standardized pasteurization and consumption of pasteurized dairy products.” --- **Today’s Topic: Cultivated Meat** Eight years ago, the venture capital community was all abuzz about lab-grown meat ventures. Then the money poured in. The Good Food Institute reported that from 2021 through 2023, cultured meat and seafood companies attracted over $2.5 billion in investment. It was likely an underestimate, as money was flowing so fast that it was hard to track. By 2023, about half of the VC capital went to a top five that included Upside Foods (formerly Memphis Meats), Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat Technologies), Wildtype, Aleph Farms, and Mosa Meat. Sovereign wealth funds invested government money, and Tyson Foods and JBS put up profits from their cattle businesses along with traditional VC sources. Lab-grown meat and seafood prospects were hot. **'Escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken'** The basic idea was to use stem cells harvested from a living animal, with slaughter claimed to be unnecessary. Instead, harvested cells would be introduced to a culture medium containing the necessary growth materials and placed in a bioreactor, aiming to produce a final product that looks and tastes similar to traditional meat. Ninety-five years ago, when he was out of power and making an income from freelance writing, Sir Winston Churchill penned an essay titled “Fifty Years Hence,” in which he wrote: "We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium." By 2021, the venture capital crowd was all but certain that the world Churchill predicted in 1931 was coming soon, with viable lab-grown meats reaching the market. **Startups see sudden setbacks** Just four years later, the cell-cultured meat story changed dramatically and unexpectedly, with companies announcing they would cease operations. Cultivated pork maker Meatable, headquartered in the Netherlands, ceased operations after acquiring Uncommon Bio’s cultivated meat platform, which was meant to diversify its portfolio beyond pork and beef into lamb and chicken. The 2018 startup shut down in late 2025. United Kingdom-based CellRev, short for CellulaREvolution, developed proprietary media additives for cell manufacturing, including cultivated meat, and announced it would shut down in late 2025 because it couldn’t meet commercial milestones in time to secure investment. Three-year-old Netherlands-based Upstream Foods, which was to develop cultivated fish fat, starting with salmon, was also among the 2025 shutdowns because it couldn't raise the needed capital. The closure with the biggest impact last year was clearly Believer Meats. It completed a $125 million manufacturing plant near Raleigh, NC, with high-tech bioreactors and centrifuges in a 200,000-square-foot facility that was set to become a world center for lab-grown chicken. Believer Meats had the U.S. government's approval and was being treated as Raleigh’s proud new employer. Then, just two weeks later, Believer Meats lost a major financial backer and management could not obtain a last-ditch loan to save the company. So, the startup, valued at $600 million in 2021, ceased operations before it produced anything, leaving behind an empty factory. Venture capital turned cold on lab-grown meat pretty much for its own reasons. VC funds prefer short timelines, expecting massive returns within five to seven years. Market viability for cultivated meat isn’t expected now for at least another decade or maybe longer. At the same time, biomanufacturing is proving costly, with bioreactors demanding expensive energy inputs and specialized nutrient solutions. These capital expenditures are massive. --- **The pros of cultivated meat** - Enhanced animal welfare: Because cultivated meat is grown from a small sample of animal cells, it eliminates the need for intensive factory farming and mass animal slaughter. - Reduced public health risks: Production takes place in a sterile, controlled environment. This drastically minimizes the risk of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli, eliminates the need for agricultural antibiotics, and prevents the spread of zoonotic diseases. - Resource efficiency: Cell cultivation requires significantly less land and water than traditional livestock grazing and feed production. - Tailored nutrition: Scientists can manipulate the meat's nutrient profile during growth, such as engineering it to have lower saturated fats or higher levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. **The cons of cultivated meat** - High production costs: The specialized equipment, nutrient-rich media, and bioreactors required make scaling up highly expensive. Initial market rollouts are usually restricted to high-end restaurants. - Massive energy consumption: While lab-grown meat cuts down on methane from livestock, the factories require substantial electricity. If powered by fossil fuels, the resulting long-term carbon dioxide emissions could rival or exceed the climate impact of traditional farming. - Skepticism and consumer trust: Many consumers view the product as unnatural or ultra-processed. Religious scholars also debate its kosher or halal status. - Ethical and technical caveats: Some production methods historically relied on animal-derived components like fetal bovine serum to feed the cells, making it difficult to brand as entirely free from animal suffering. Replicating complex textures like thick steaks or structured cuts remains a major technical challenge. --- **Our Take** GOOD Meat sold the first cultivated meat product with regulatory approval in 2020, debuting chicken nuggets at a restaurant in Singapore. Regulatory approvals followed in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Hong Kong for other cultivated products, including quail, salmon, and pork. Promotional spot sales in top restaurants or grocery outlets have not been followed by anything close to broad market availability. This means that 13 years after Maastricht University Professor Mark Post and his team presented the world with the first cultivated burger, nothing like it is generally available in the marketplace. That does not mean the U.S. regulatory structure is delaying or limiting opportunity in any way. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have cleared cultivated chicken, salmon and pork products for production and domestic sale. Five lab-grown foods were approved by the FDA and FSIS between 2023 and 2025\. The companies and products with the green light are: GOOD Meat, Inc. for cultured chicken; UPSIDE Foods for cultured pork; Wildtype Inc. for cultured salmon; Mission Barns for cultured chicken; and Believer Meats for cultured chicken FDA even explains the delay in the availability of these products at local grocery stores. “Manufacturers are generally working on scaling up their processes to consistently produce amounts large enough to be competitively priced,” it states, promising to continue the work “as these products come closer to market.” --- **By the numbers** **20** – The number of cultured meat companies operating worldwide **15** – The percentage of the market most likely to be held by just one company. **989,000,000** – The amount, in U.S. dollars, of venture funding going to cultivated meat development in 2021. **36,000,000** – The amount, in U.S. dollars, of venture funding going to cultivated meat development in 2025\. **48** – The percentage of the cultured meat market expected to be held by poultry products. **38.5** – The percentage of the cultured meat market expected to be held by burgers and patties. **52.5** – The percentage of cultivated meat sales expected to come through food services. **41** – The percentage of the global cultured meat market held by North America. --- **What it means** Not only has cultured meat not yet been a market success, but it also has likely faded from consumers’ minds since the scientific breakthrough more than a decade ago. Widespread adoption may yet happen, but at this point it seems a little silly that, as of 2025, eight states have enacted laws banning or heavily restricting the manufacturing, sale or distribution of lab-grown meat. Beyond outright bans, more than 20 states have enacted strict labeling laws requiring clear, prominent labeling on alternative proteins to prevent them from being marketed or sold as conventional meat. While not banning the product, these traditional agriculture states want to protect livestock ranchers and address consumer transparency concerns. Conversely, technology companies argue that such measures stifle innovation, limit consumer choice, and may face constitutional challenges regarding interstate commerce. State legal restrictions generally fall into the categories of full bans, temporary moratoriums, or strict funding and purchasing limits. Here are some examples: - **Alabama:** Outlawed the manufacture, sale, or distribution of cultivated meat in 2024, imposing criminal penalties for violations. - **Florida:** The first state to enact a full ban in 2024, making it a misdemeanor to manufacture, sell or distribute lab-grown meat. - **Indiana:** Passed a temporary ban restricting alternative meat distribution until 2027. - **Mississippi:** Enacted a ban making the sale or manufacturing of cultured animal cell products a misdemeanor offense. - **Montana:** Passed legislation barring the sale and distribution of cell-cultured meat. - **Nebraska:** Bans the commercial distribution of cultivated meat and restricts state agencies and educational institutions from purchasing it. - **Texas:** Enacted a temporary ban on cell-cultured meat distribution extending until 2027. - **South Dakota:** Implemented a five-year moratorium that took effect on July 1, 2026\. The law also restricts the use of state funds for cultivated meat research or procurement. Outside of the United States, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has yet to approve any cell-cultured food of animal origin for sale in the European Union. *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Oysters, clams linked to Salmonella outbreak; river closed to harvesting URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/oysters-clams-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak-river-closed-to-harvesting/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T01:51:38.000Z Oyster and clam harvesting has been shut down on a stretch of the Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County in Virginia after state health officials traced a Salmonella outbreak in Pennsylvania back to shellfish pulled from those waters. Virginia health officials closed the river to harvesting on Oct. 9, just eight days into the state's new oyster season, after an epidemiological link connected the illnesses to oysters harvested there. The Pennsylvania outbreak has sickened at least five people so far, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The agency's Emergency Condemnation order #010A, closes downstream waters of the Little Wicomico River between a specific set of coordinates, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The closure runs through Nov. 7. State officials said the move was made out of an abundance of caution and in direct conformance with recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the health department confirmed Friday. Crabs and finfish can still be harvested from the affected waters during the closure, and shellfish within the closure zone are being actively tested. Officials also stressed that the harvesting closure has no impact on drinking water. The Little Wicomico closure isn't the only one in the region right now. The health department also issued a second emergency shellfish closure on Oct. 9, Emergency Condemnation #005-083B, temporarily barring harvesting in portions of Lower Machodoc Creek in nearby Westmoreland County through Oct. 29. While in effect, the ban makes it illegal to harvest, store, or transport shellfish from condemned areas without a special permit from the Marine Resources Commission. Virginia's 2026–2027 public oyster harvest season officially opened across public grounds on Oct. 1, meaning the Little Wicomico closure arrived just over a week into the fall season, according to Virginia Marine Resources Commission notices. The state's public oyster grounds produce roughly 250,000 bushels annually, backed by a replenishment program that the commission says pours between $4 million and $10 million a year into reef maintenance and shell planting. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/10/map-river-closed-to-oyster-harvesting-Salmonella-outbreak.png) **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any clams from the affected area and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Cold smoked fish recalled because of Listeria risk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/cold-smoked-fish-recalled-because-of-listeria-risk/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T01:11:38.000Z Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. of Brooklyn, NY, is voluntarily recalling Starfish Seafood Trio – Cold Smoked Salmon, Halibut, and Trout because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was distributed in New York, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina. The recalled product is identified as follows: - Product Name: Starfish Seafood Trio – Cold Smoked Salmon, Halibut, Trout - Brand: Starfish - Net Weight: 8 oz (227 g) - Packaging: Vacuum-sealed plastic package - Lot Number: D139149161-153 - Expiration Date: 12/01/2027 - Country of Origin: Latvia No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product. The potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes was identified by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. As a result, Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. initiated a voluntary recall of the affected product. The company is cooperating with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the FDA regarding the recall. Krasnyi Oktyabr Inc. is a wholesale distributor and did not manufacture the recalled product. The company has notified its affected customers and requested that they immediately discontinue the sale and distribution of the recalled product, identify any remaining inventory, and notify their customers as appropriate. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalledproduct and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Food safety tips for hurricane recovery URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/food-safety-tips-for-hurricane-recovery/ Last updated: 2026-10-10T00:02:43.000Z Floods and prolonged power outages after hurricanes can jeopardize the safety of your food. It’s important to take the proper steps to evaluate and discard certain foods and utensils after these events. To stay safe, be sure to follow these tips: - Never taste a food to determine its safety - If your power has been out for several days, please throw away any food in your refrigerator and freezer. Reference our chart of [what is safe or should be discarded after a prolonged power outage](https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov%2Ffood-safety%2Fsafe-food-handling-and-preparation%2Femergencies%2Fa-consumers-guide-food-safety-severe/1/010101927d2cbab6-5f618872-61b9-4c83-8956-79cba3ad9ff7-000000/A3z66rK1zwCby43AojEf47Qt0XSIh8O9mHelReyBC40=374?ref=foodsafetynews.com) - Drink only bottled water or other beverages that have not been in contact with flood water. Screw caps are not waterproof, so discard any bottled water or other beverages that may have come in contact with flood water. If you don’t have bottled water, [learn how to safely boil or disinfect water](https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov%2Ffood-safety%2Fsafe-food-handling-and-preparation%2Femergencies%2Fa-consumers-guide-food-safety-severe/2/010101927d2cbab6-5f618872-61b9-4c83-8956-79cba3ad9ff7-000000/pFhiqVh95-SVF2lCpVjDaAmnu1M1tC8B5gXH1SpJYWQ=374?ref=foodsafetynews.com). - Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance it may have been in contact with flood water. Containers with screw caps, snap lids, pull tops and crimped caps are not waterproof. - Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches such as flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches, can be saved by following the steps in the [FSIS Consumer’s Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes](https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov%2Ffood-safety%2Fsafe-food-handling-and-preparation%2Femergencies%2Fa-consumers-guide-food-safety-severe/3/010101927d2cbab6-5f618872-61b9-4c83-8956-79cba3ad9ff7-000000/IdWHyJfnZDEDjYdywOMIZ7jYbq0XYHlS0lXdHCRVdsE=374?ref=foodsafetynews.com). - Thoroughly wash all metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water. Rinse, then sanitize, by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one of tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water. - Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have come in contact with flood water. These items cannot be saved after contact with flood water. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/10/power-outage-tips.png) Click on image to enlarge For questions about food safety, call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT (English or Spanish), email [MPHotline@usda.gov](mailto:MPHotline@usda.gov) or live chat at [Ask USDA](https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fask.usda.gov%2Fs%2F/1/010101927d2cbab6-5f618872-61b9-4c83-8956-79cba3ad9ff7-000000/GPrKW3fWE4MExjtC3xBBnwmk%5FnCQ--43EP3EXsZAwyY=374?ref=foodsafetynews.com). ### Pumpkin juice recalled because of botulism risk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/pumpkin-juice-recalled-because-of-botulism-risk/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T23:51:37.000Z Walker’s Wine Juice LLC of Forestville, NY, is recalling its pumpkin juice because it may be contaminated with Botulism. Botulism is a potentially fatal form of food poisoning and can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention. Product was distributed via Walker’s Wine Juice retail store in NY. The juice was also distributed directly by Walker’s to a limited number of commercial wineries in the following states: IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MI, MN, NJ, NY, OH, PA, WI. Products can be identified as follows: - 2.5-gallon bag in box and 5-gallon hot pack are labeled “pumpkin”; All lots are subject to the recall - 30-, 60-, and 275-gallon bulk containers are tagged “pumpkin”; All lots are subject to the recall No illnesses have been reported to date. The potential contamination was discovered after an inspection by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors found that the pumpkin juice pH was too high to be processed per Walker’s “hot fill” schedule process. As a result, it was determined that no adequate kill step was used to address the possibility of microbiological hazards. ### More sprouting seeds linked to outbreak recalled; FDA still won't name supplier URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/more-sprouting-seeds-linked-to-outbreak-recalled-fda-still-wont-name-supplier/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T22:00:25.000Z Another company is recalling its branded sprouting seeds linked to a Salmonella outbreak, but the Food and Drug Administration continues to refuse to reveal the name of the seed supplier. This time, Gardeners Basics of Spanish Fork, Utah, is [recalling](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/gardeners-basics-recalls-waltham-29-broccoli-sprouting-seeds-due-possible-salmonella-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com) one-pound bags of broccoli sprouting seeds. The recalled product is Gardeners Basics Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds, packaged in a white and green resealable pouches, net weight 1 pound, with the UPC 848137042889\. The bag is marked "Packed for 2027.” The recalled sprouting seeds were distributed nationwide in the United States and was sold on Amazon, www.gardenersbasics.com, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay and Etsy. The recall is in association with a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections that has sickened at least 32 people in six states. There have been three hospitalizations but no deaths. The last outbreak patient reported symptom onset on Sept. 3\. The states where the sick people live are Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. This outbreak is currently being investigated separately from the [shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella outbreak](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-shiga-toxin-producing-e-coli-salmonella-sprouts-august-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) linked to alfalfa sprouts. As part of this investigation, the FDA collected and analyzed a sample of seeds from the seed supplier identified in the investigation. The seed sample tested positive and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis showed that it matched the same Salmonella Bovismorbificans strain that is making people sick in this outbreak. As a result, the seed supplier conducted a recall of the implicated seed lot and contacted their customers. The FDA has not released the name of the seed supplier to the public, even though its seeds have been subject to recalls by several companies. On Oct. 2 EAK Distribution of Casper, WY,, [recalled](https://wcms-internet.fda.gov/node/417674?ref=foodsafetynews.com) Home Grown green sprouting broccoli seeds after they were notified of the recall of seed lot #W4105 by the seed supplier and the link to this outbreak. On Oct. 7, Eden Brothers LLC, of Arden, NC, [recalled](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/eden-brothers-recalls-calabrese-broccoli-seeds-due-possible-salmonella-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com) calabrese broccoli seeds in packets and in 1-ounce and 1-pound sizes. The Eden Brothers lots were 1022067 and 1022068; and supplier lot W4105. The FDA is also investigating Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Moyie Springs, ID, because its alfalfa sprouts — not seeds, but actual sprouts — were found by Washington investigators to be contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella that is making people sick. According to an FDA outbreak update released Sept, 24, there were 27 patients who had been interviewed at that time. Ot the 27 patients, 26 reported eating sprouts or microgreens. On Sept. 4, Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC initiated a [recall](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/evergreen-fresh-sprouts-llc-recalls-broccoli-sprouts-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of broccoli sprouts based on a positive Salmonella result from a broccoli sprouts sample collected and analyzed by Montana state officials. According to [whole genome sequencing](https://www.fda.gov/food/microbiology-research-food/whole-genome-sequencing-wgs-program?ref=foodsafetynews.com) analysis conducted by state partners and reviewed by FDA, the positive sample is the same strain of Salmonella that is causing illnesses in this outbreak. There are likely many more people sick in the outbreak than are reflected in the official count at this time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is because some people don’t seek treatment and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella infection. For every confirmed patient on a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any sprouts and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Light technique shows promise in tackling Campylobacter URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/light-technique-shows-promise-in-tackling-campylobacter/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T00:51:15.000Z The use of blue light to reduce Campylobacter on chicken is a promising option but more trials are needed, according to findings from a study. Scientists from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency tested a technique called violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI) against 64 different strains of Campylobacter. Every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile. Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. In 2024 and 2025 there were 70,000 laboratory confirmed cases in the UK. While it is killed by cooking, cross-contamination from handling raw meat is thought to be a major route of infection. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Broad support for EU’s revised cereulide controls in infant formula URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/broad-support-for-eus-revised-cereulide-controls-in-infant-formula/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T04:03:35.000Z The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) was among a dozen groups to comment on plans by the European Commission to introduce cereulide limits for infant formula. USDEC’s main concerns were around analytical considerations and transitional measures. The council represents trade interests of U.S. dairy farmers, dairy processors and cooperatives, dairy ingredient suppliers and export companies. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Seafood, cantaloupe, honey and more subject to enhanced import regulations URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/seafood-cantaloupe-honey-and-more-subject-to-enhanced-import-regulations/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T04:01:00.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Miami company recalls sprouts in Florida, New Hampshire because of E. coli contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/miami-company-recalls-sprouts-in-florida-new-hampshire-because-of-e-coli-contamination/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T01:42:50.000Z LEASA Industries Co. Inc. of Miami, FL, has recalled its alfalfa sprouts because of possible contamination with E. coli. The recall was not posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s main recall page, but was posted on its [enforcement report](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/ires/?Event=99951&ref=foodsafetynews.com), which is relatively obscure and not widely available without a specific subscription. According to the entry on the enforcement report, the recall involves more than 15,000 cups of alfalfa sprouts in 4-ounce and 6-ounce plastic containers. The 4-ounce containers were lot number H-0002-2027 and the 6-ounce containers were lot number H-0003-2027. The recall report says the sprouts were grown with seeds that may have been contaminated with E. coli. The sprouts had expiration dates of 9/4/26, 9/8/26, 9/10/26, 9/15/26, 9/17/26 and 9/18/26\. The sprouts were distributed in Florida and New Hampshire. No press release was issued in relation to the recall, which was initiated on Sept. 4\. The FDA did not classify the recall until Oct. 2. The entry in the FDA's enforcement report did not indicate whether the sprouts are involved in an ongoing outbreak that has sickened 76 people in 16 states. There have been several sprout recalls, as well as recalls of sprouting seeds, but the FDA has not named the seed supplier. ### Taylor Farms leader says his company is taking steps in wake of huge Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/taylor-farms-leader-says-his-company-is-taking-steps-in-wake-of-huge-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T21:13:15.000Z The CEO of Taylor Farms, Bruce Taylor, has issued a statement in the wake of the country’s largest ever Cyclospora outbreak this summer, which was linked to iceberg lettuce from the company’s operation in Central Mexico. The outbreak sickened almost 13,000 people, with 560 requiring hospitalization and two deaths reported. The Food and Drug Administration started investigating the outbreak in July and earlier this month reported that it found the Cyclospora parasite in water from the Taylor Farms processing plant and from a drainage ditch on the property of one of the company’s contract growers. The agency said the findings provided a new link between the outbreak and Taylor Farms lettuce, stopping short of saying that the lettuce was the definitive cause of the outbreak. An FDA report stated that there is not enough evidence to show conclusively how the contamination occurred. "This adds to the strong epidemiological data and traceback convergence supporting the link between this outbreak and recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico," said the FDA. The leadership of Taylor Farms has remained mostly silent on the outbreak and investigation, but released a statement today. In the statement Taylor said the company is thinking about the “people and families impacted by the Cyclospora outbreaks.” Taylor also pointed to the FDA’s statement that it had not definitively found a cause of the outbreak. Taylor his company has have taken the following steps: - Indefinitely suspending the harvest and processing of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for sale in the United States or Canada during the CDC’s defined U.S. Cyclospora season. The season is defined as beginning in May and running through August. - Expanding year-round health monitoring and increasing irrigation water and crop testing in Central Mexico. - Investing in new research and technology to improve Cyclospora detection and prevention. - Participating in a public-private task force with the FDA, scientists, industry leaders and public health officials to help identify lasting prevention measures for fresh produce growers. “We will continue to collaborate with the FDA as it implements its Cyclospora Prevention, Response and Research Action Plan and share relevant updates at www.taylorfarms.com,” Taylor wrote. Taylor Farms was founded 31 years ago and has grown to be an international company with $1 billion in annual sales. ### Publisher's Platform: Americans have lost faith in our food safety system: Here are 10 ways to win it back URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/americans-have-lost-faith-in-our-food-safety-system-here-are-10-ways-to-win-it-back/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T00:46:41.000Z Gallup released [new polling today](https://news.gallup.com/poll/715430/americans-confidence-food-safety-drops-new-low.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the numbers should make everyone in government and the food industry very uncomfortable. Only 65 percent of Americans are now very or somewhat confident that food sold in grocery stores is safe to eat. That is the lowest Gallup has ever recorded, down from 73 percent last year and 81 percent in 2019\. Confidence in the federal government to ensure food safety is worse: 47 percent, a record low, down from 68 percent in 2019 and 85 percent back in 2004\. For the first time, a majority of Americans have little or no confidence in the government to keep their food safe. And people are acting on it. Seventy-three percent say they avoided certain brands or types of food in the past year because of a recall or advisory, up from 53 percent in 2024\. Forty-five percent threw out or returned food. And 42 percent say they worried that something they ate may have been contaminated, a trend high. Gallup ties the drop to the Cyclospora outbreak that ran from June until it was declared over on September 11, which Gallup describes as the largest in U.S. history, with more than 12,000 sick across 21 states. Those of us who have been tracking state health department numbers know the real count was far higher. That gap is part of the problem. Gallup also found that confidence in the government is sharply split by party: 70 percent of Republicans are confident, 30 percent of Democrats. But here is the part that matters most to me: the behavior is not partisan. Large majorities of Republicans (63 percent), independents (73 percent) and Democrats (81 percent) all say they have avoided foods because of recalls. Salmonella, E. coli and Cyclospora do not check voter registration. Neither should food safety policy. I have been doing this work since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak in 1993\. Confidence is not restored by press releases. It is restored by transparency, by prevention, and by accountability. Here are 10 things I would do, starting now: 1. **Tell people where recalled food went.** When FDA issues a Class I recall, consumers should be able to see the list of retail stores that received the product. Right now, people are told to check their refrigerators for a lot code they will never find. I have a citizen petition pending at FDA asking for exactly this. 2. **Name the names.** When FDA or CDC links an outbreak to a company, the identity of that company should not be treated as confidential business information. Hiding who made people sick protects no one but the company. My second petition asks FDA to stop doing it. 3. **Count the sick.** You cannot fix what you will not measure. CDC should restore full FoodNet surveillance of all the pathogens it once tracked, starting with Cyclospora. An outbreak that state health departments count at many times the federal number is a surveillance failure. 4. **Stop delaying traceability.** The [FSMA food traceability rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) was supposed to let regulators trace contaminated produce in days, not weeks. Congress pushed compliance to 2028\. Every outbreak between now and then will be slower to solve than it needed to be. 5. **Find the source, not just the vehicle.** Leafy greens outbreaks keep pointing back to nearby cattle operations. FDA should sample at the animal feeding operations adjacent to implicated fields during outbreak investigations. That is my third petition. 6. **Fund the people who do the work.** FDA and USDA inspectors, and especially state and local health departments, are the ones who find outbreaks and stop them. Cutting their budgets and staff and then expressing surprise when outbreaks get bigger is not a policy. 7. **Make Salmonella in poultry an adulterant.** USDA had a framework to keep the most dangerous Salmonella levels out of raw poultry and withdrew it. E. coli O157:H7 has been an adulterant in ground beef since 1994, and the industry adapted. Poultry can too. 8. **Warn people about high-risk foods.** Some foods carry inherent risk that consumers deserve to know about at the point of purchase. I am finishing citizen petitions seeking warning labels on raw milk cheese and raw sprouts, and I welcome comments through October 15. 9. **Hold executives accountable.** Ten people died in the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak. Where are the DOJ and USDA Inspector General investigations? Stewart Parnell went to prison for knowingly shipping Salmonella-tainted peanut products. Nothing focuses a boardroom on food safety like the prospect of a federal courtroom. 10. **Take the politics out of it.** Food safety should not rise and fall with whoever is in the White House. A single, independent, adequately funded food safety agency, instead of a patchwork split across FDA, USDA and others, would serve every American regardless of party. I have said for years that I would be happy to be put out of business. The Gallup numbers tell me the public would be happy too. Lost confidence is earned back the same way it was lost – one outbreak at a time. It is time government and industry started earning it. ### Pediatricians' research shows dangers of raw milk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/pediatricians-research-shows-dangers-of-raw-milk/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T23:03:48.000Z The leading organization responsible for children’s health is calling for a nationwide ban on the sale of raw milk, and raw milk products, because of its propensity to be contaminated with foodborne bacteria, parasites and viruses. The American Academy of Pediatrics also says arguments for the nutritive benefits of raw milk, sometimes referred to as fresh milk, are not founded in science. “Reasons for the continued burden of disease related to unpasteurized milk or milk products are primarily related to misinformation regarding purported benefits and underestimation of risk,” the Academy reports in a scientific review of raw milk. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### More people sick in outbreak traced to sprouting seeds URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/more-people-sick-in-outbreak-traced-to-sprouting-seeds/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T08:36:38.000Z The FDA continues to keep secret the seed supplier behind an outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections linked to broccoli sprouts and microgreens grown from a contaminated seed lot. As of Oct. 7, there were 32 confirmed patients spread across six states. Three of the patients have required hospitalization but no deaths have been reported. The most recent patient to become ill had symptom onset on Sept. 3\. The sick people live in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Illnesses started on dates ranging from July 7 to Sept. 3, Of the 27 people interviewed as of Sept. 24, 26 reported eating sprouts or microgreens. Twenty-two reported specifically eating broccoli sprouts, and one reported eating a microgreen mix containing broccoli microgreens. As part of the outbreak investigation, officials in Washington collected and tested samples of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts-brand broccoli sprouts from a local grocery store and a sick person’s home. The sprouts were contaminated with the same strain of Salmonella that is making people sick. Also, the implicated sprouting seeds, sold to consumers by EAK Distribution of Casper, WY, and Eden Brothers LLC, of Arden, NC, were distributed in Idaho, Montana and Washington, but may have been further distributed, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has not named the seed supplier, merely saying that the contaminated seeds were “grown from a contaminated seed lot.” This outbreak is separate from an E. coli and Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts. The FDA also knows the seed supplier in that outbreak, but is not releasing the name of the company. For the outbreak linked to the seeds sold by by EAK Distribution of Casper, WY, and Eden Brothers LLC, of Arden, NC, the FDA has laboratory-confirmed evidence that the same seed lot is involved. “As part of this investigation, FDA collected and analyzed a sample of seeds from the seed supplier identified in the investigation. The seed sample tested positive and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis showed that it matched the same Salmonella Bovismorbificans strain that made people sick in this outbreak. As a result, the seed supplier conducted a recall of the implicated seed lot and contacted their customers,” according to an outbreak update from the FDA. On Oct. 2, EAK Distribution recalled Home Grown brand green sprouting broccoli seeds after they were notified of the recall of seed lot #W4105 by the seed supplier and the link to this outbreak. On Oct. 7, 2026, Eden Brothers LLC recalled calabrese broccoli seeds in packets and in 1-ounce and 1-pound sizes — Eden Brothers lots 1022067 and 1022068; supplier lot W4105 — after they were notified by their seed supplier that lot #W4105 may be contaminated with Salmonella. The FDA is continuing to work with the supply chain to determine what other companies may have received seeds from the unnamed company. There are likely many more sick people than are reflected in the patient count so far. This is because many people do not seek medical treatment and others are not tested for Salmonella infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that for every sick person identified in a Salmonella there are 29 who go undetected. ### FDA begins onsite inspections in outbreak investigations URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-begins-onsite-inspections-in-outbreak-investigations/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T04:04:08.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has initiated onsite inspections in two outbreak investigations. One of the outbreaks involves E. coli O26:H11 infections from unpasteurized Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses, which were distributed nationwide. The Food and Drug Administration has not reported what location is being inspected. The outbreak has sickened at least 13 people across nine states coast to coast. There have been eight hospitalizations. Three of the patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes kidney failure and sometimes brain damage or death. The sick people live in California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. The second outbreak the FDA has begun onsite inspections for is at an undisclosed location. It involves Listeria monocytogenes infections of unknown origin. There are 11 patients, but the FDA is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. The agency previously initiated traceback efforts, but has not revealed what food it is tracing. In other outbreak news, the source of 38 E. coli O157:H7 infections has been determined to be ready-to-eat, multi-ingredient chicken wraps. The brand or location of sale of the implicated chicken wraps has not been disclosed by the FDA nor the USDA, which has jurisdiction over the product because it contains chicken. The FDA has initiated an onsite inspection, but has not revealed what location is being inspected. The chicken wraps were removed from the market before the link to the outbreak was confirmed and they are no longer available for sale and past their shelf life, according to the FDA. The USDA has not posted information about the outbreak except to link back to the FDA outbreak table. The FDA is continuing to investigate the source of the outbreak, including possible ingredient level contamination. For an outbreak of Salmonella I 4,\[5\],12:i:-, the outbreak has ended. FDA’s investigation is ongoing. There were 43 patients identified, but the FDA did not reveal their ages or where they live. The agency is conducting onsite inspections, traceback and sample testing, but it has not reported where the inspections are taking place, what food is being traced or what is being tested. ### Botulism sickens two in Switzerland URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/botulism-sickens-two-in-switzerland/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T04:03:10.000Z Two foodborne botulism cases have been identified in an area of Switzerland. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has issued a recall for a product sold at local markets because of a suspected connection to the two botulism cases in Valais. Both people are being treated in hospital. Pork shank terrine was produced by Eddy Gaspoz – Le Grand’Joie and sold at markets in Sierre and Martigny, as well as in certain butcher shops. “Terrine de jarret de porc” comes in a 360-gram glass jar with a shelf-life date of June 2, 2027\. It was manufactured on Sept. 3, 2026. It is believed that 20 jars were produced. Twelve have been returned or consumed, with no reports of illness. Three jars that were sold remain affected. Botulinum poisoning is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. At first, severe fatigue, weakness, and dizziness may occur. Later, vision becomes blurred as well as a dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and speaking. It can cause sudden death because of its ability to paralyze muscles used for breathing. Consumers who have the product are advised not to consume or open it, and to discard it. Anyone who eats the product and develops symptoms consistent with botulism must go to the emergency department immediately and inform medical staff about consumption and suspected botulism. In 2025, Switzerland recorded 72 outbreaks of foodborne illness. They resulted in 660 people falling ill, 21 hospitalizations and two deaths. ### Denmark and Austria help solve widespread Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/denmark-and-austria-help-solve-widespread-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T04:01:18.000Z Scientists have detailed the country-level investigations into a Salmonella outbreak traced to meat produced in Poland. In July 2023, Denmark and Austria reported two outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis. A total of 207 patients across 11 countries were found. The United Kingdom had the most patients with 80 while France had 49. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Before next season, show us what will be different URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/before-next-season-show-us-what-will-be-different/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T21:37:50.000Z – OPINION – Families do not eat promises. They eat food placed before them today, trusting that the people responsible for its safety have done their work before it reaches the table. That is why FDA’s latest commitments to prevent Cyclospora outbreaks deserve both support and scrutiny. After an outbreak linked to Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce was [associated with 12,883 reported illnesses, 570 hospitalizations, and two deaths](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com), FDA announced [a series of planned activities](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/post-outbreak-response-activities-multistate-outbreaks-cyclospora-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ahead of the 2027 growing and harvesting season. They include stronger surveillance, expanded laboratory capacity, expert panels, and increased foreign supplier verification inspections. This direction is welcome. The question is whether this promise of readiness will become timely action—or follow earlier food safety protections down a long path from promise to implementation. Federal efforts to strengthen produce safety long predate this outbreak. Congress considered the [Fruit and Vegetable Safety Act (S.823)](https://www.congress.gov/bill/106th-congress/senate-bill/823?ref=foodsafetynews.com), addressing processed produce, in 1999 and the broader [Fresh Produce Safety Act (S.2077)](https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/senate-bill/2077/text?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in 2007 - years before the [Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)](https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ353/PLAW-111publ353.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) became law in 2011. FDA finalized the Produce Safety Rule in 2015, and it took effect on January 26, 2016\. Yet implementation of some important protections has stretched much further. Agricultural water is one example. In 2017, FDA moved to extend agricultural-water compliance dates while reconsidering standards that had generated concerns about complexity, feasibility, and practicality. FDA ultimately revised the pre-harvest agricultural-water requirements in 2024\. Under the current schedule, very small covered farms have until April 5, 2027, to comply with those requirements. For that group, the deadline comes more than 11 years after the Produce Safety Rule took effect and 16 years after FSMA became law – not to ignore the nearly three decades since earlier produce-safety legislation was introduced. While this history includes legitimate regulatory revision and phased compliance, it still demonstrates the distance that can stand between promising prevention and fully implementing it. Traceability offers another lesson. [FDA’s Food Traceability Rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) originally carried a January 20, 2026, compliance date. [FDA proposed a 30-month extension](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-proposes-extend-compliance-date-food-traceability-rule-and-issues-new-faqs-and-other-resources?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and [Congress subsequently prohibited enforcement before July 20, 2028](https://fedlaws.org/food-traceability-fda-rule-requirements-exemptions-and-2028-deadline/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Responsibility for that delay therefore extends across both agency and congressional action. Traceability helps investigators follow contaminated food through the supply chain and remove it faster. Water controls and traceability operate at different points, but both serve the same responsibility: protecting people before more of them become patients. [FDA’s own economic analysis](https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/economic-impact-analyses-fda-regulations/requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods-compliance-date-extension-ria-proposed?ref=foodsafetynews.com) acknowledges benefits forgone when traceability implementation is postponed. Delay has consequences alongside the implementation costs it postpones. This history does not prove FDA’s new Cyclospora commitments will be delayed. Reports, inspections, laboratory improvements, and expert panels operate differently from rulemaking. FDA also has an existing [Cyclospora action plan](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclospora-prevention-response-and-research-action-plan?ref=foodsafetynews.com) documenting completed work in areas including training, laboratory capacity, surveillance, international cooperation, and research. But the history explains why the public deserves more than a list of intentions. FDA’s public description of the ten commitments generally does not provide numerical targets, commitment-specific deadlines, or clear public measures of success. Those details may exist internally. Publishing them would allow consumers, industry, and policymakers to judge whether prevention is actually improving. We teach leaders to make goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Public prevention commitments deserve the same discipline. How much will surveillance increase? Which laboratories will gain capacity? How much faster should results become available? When will supplier-verification findings be reported? How will FDA determine whether corrective actions worked? Activity is not the same as protection. A training session can occur without changing practice. An inspection can be completed without demonstrating that corrective measures remain effective. Accountability should measure not simply what government and industry did, but whether risk was reduced. **Accountability must reach beyond FDA** FDA cannot carry this responsibility alone. Congress has a role in implementation, oversight, and resources. Growers, processors, importers, and retailers must demonstrate that their controls work. [FDA’s September 2026 letter to industry](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/letter-industry-calling-collaboration-prevent-future-cyclospora-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) already emphasizes existing responsibilities involving agricultural water, sanitation, worker health and hygiene, and supplier verification. The next growing season should not become another reason to postpone those responsibilities. FDA should publish a schedule for each commitment, identify responsible offices and necessary resources, report progress against measurable targets, and explain missed milestones. Industry should demonstrate that required controls are not merely documented but effective. Congress should provide the resources and oversight necessary for timely implementation. Before the next growing season, the public should be able to answer a simple question: What isdifferent now*,* and what evidence shows that people are safer because of it? Families do not need another promise of prevention. They need prevention demonstrated before food reaches the table. **About the author:* Darin Detwiler is a food safety academic, author, advisor, and advocate whose work focuses on food safety leadership, policy, accountability, and the human consequences of failures in the food system. A frequent contributor to Food Safety News, he appears in the Emmy Award-winning Netflix documentary Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food. He has spent decades working to advance stronger food safety protections and to ensure that the experiences of consumers and families remain central to decisions about food safety.* ### Salmonella sickens 16 in Sweden URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/salmonella-sickens-16-in-sweden/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T04:02:59.000Z A Salmonella outbreak in Sweden has been linked to a type of produce. Sixteen people fell sick in the Salmonella Napoli outbreak that was suspected to have been caused by arugula from Italy. The Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) said patients are eight men and eight women. They range in age from less than 1 to 84 and the median age is 57 years old. Illness onset dates are between Aug. 17 and Sept. 6\. There are a couple of cases with later onsets that were either secondary cases or did not have gastrointestinal symptoms. Twelve ill people were interviewed or replied to trawling questionnaires and eleven of them had purchased arugula from the same supermarket chain. The other person also bought a salad mix containing arugula from this supermarket. All purchases were made within a relatively short period. One patient kept an empty bag from their purchase of arugula, intending to put it in the plastic recycling. Based on this information, the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) conducted a trace-back investigation. Traceability of the empty package from one of the cases homes led to Italy. However, this batch of arugula was not sampled since there was no product left. Salmonella Napoli is not a very common serotype in Sweden with only eight reported cases in 2025. **Listeria finding** Also in Sweden, meal deliveries to home-care recipients have resumed in Uppsala following an earlier detection of Listeria. Test results show contamination was limited to seven containers of bean stew. All other samples from the kitchen and other dishes have passed an inspection and show no traces of Listeria. On Sept. 30, pre-packed meals supplied to 400 users were recalled after Listeria was found at the municipality's food supplier. The recall was issued as a precautionary measure and the supplier halted production. Operations have since resumed. According to Uppsala’s infection control unit, the risk of anyone falling ill is very low and there is no confirmed link to any illnesses. "It is a relief to note that the issue was limited and that food deliveries are back to normal. We will now follow up on the incident together with the supplier," said Rasmus Sundström, head of home care services. ### Database offers insight into food monitoring findings URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/database-offers-insight-into-food-monitoring-findings/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T04:01:15.000Z Results from decades of European food safety monitoring have been brought together in a database developed by researchers. In the European Union, official food safety data collected by member states are submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA report shows investigative teams reviewed 69 incidents in 2025 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-report-shows-investigative-teams-reviewed-69-incidents-in-2025/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T02:31:44.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has just published its 2025 report on the activities of the Coordinated Outbreak Response, Evaluation, & Emergency Preparedness teams. The FDA’s CORE+EP was originally established in 2011 as the CORE Network and was expanded in October 2024 to include an emergency preparedness team focused on food defense, traceability, and supply chain monitoring activities. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/10/CORE-activities-2011-2025.png) The 2025 report shows the teams, referred to as CORE+EP, evaluated 69 incidents, initiated 26 responses and issued 11 advisories. The report did not discuss the high of incidents in 2013, which was 137, compared to the relatively low number in 2025. Incidents evaluated include potential outbreaks, confirmed outbreaks, and certain adverse events that were analyzed by the CORE Signals and Surveillance (Signals) Team. Not all incidents evaluated by Signals are transferred to one of four CORE Response Teams for follow up. Responses are initiated when an outbreak appears to be caused by an FDA-regulated food. Information related to the incident is transferred to a Response Team to coordinate FDA’s response efforts. Public health advisories are issued to provide consumers with actionable advice to stay safe when an FDA-regulated food is linked to an outbreak. One of CORE+EP’s missions is to find, stop, and aid in the prevention of foodborne illness outbreaks. According to the 2025 report, this is accomplished through disease surveillance, outbreak response, post-response activities, and collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local public health agencies, and international public health partners. In 2025, the CORE+EP teams managed several high-profile investigations, including an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cucumbers, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to prepared meals, and an outbreak of infant botulism linked to powdered infant formula. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/10/CORE-product-categories-2025.png) In a footnote, FDA lists responses where a product was linked to illnesses but no advisory was issued: mangoes, cilantro, parsley, spring mix, and sprouts. FDA says this “is typically due to a lack of sufficient information about what is causing illnesses during the time of ongoing public health risk,” and that confirmed vehicles are reported on the CORE Investigation Table. “The work conducted by CORE during and following investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks and certain adverse events culminate in actions that can drive the prevention of additional illnesses and future outbreaks,” according to the report. “When investigators find the food source of a multistate foodborne illness outbreak, FDA can take public health actions, such as issuing a public health advisory or recommending that companies voluntarily recall products confirmed to be associated with an outbreak, which are powerful steps to protect public health. In some cases, FDA’s Office of Compliance & Enforcement can pursue additional compliance actions to further protect consumers from unsafe food, such as issuance of warning letters, seizure, injunction, and addition of firms to import alerts.” | Pathogen or Cause of Illness | Product(s) Linked to Illnesses | FDA Advisories | Recalls | Legal and Other Action | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *Salmonella* Enteritidis | Mini Pastries | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-mini-pastries-january-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/sweet-cream-brand-mini-patisserie-recalled-due-salmonella?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[External Link Disclaimer](http://www.fda.gov/about-fda/website-policies/website-disclaimer?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Import Alert #99-19 ](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms%5Fia/importalert%5F263.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | *Listeria monocytogenes* | Frozen Shakes | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-frozen-supplemental-shakes-february-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/lyons-magnus-recalls-lyons-readycare-and-sysco-imperial-frozen-supplemental-shakes-manufactured?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | | *Listeria monocytogenes* | Ready-to-Eat Foods | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-ready-eat-foods-may-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/fresh-ready-foods-voluntarily-recalls-ready-eat-sandwiches-and-snack-items-sold-arizona-california?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Warning Letter ](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/compass-group-usa-709592-09052025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | *Salmonella* Montevideo | Cucumbers | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-cucumbers-may-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/major-product-recalls/2025-recalls-cucumbers-associated-bedner-growers-inc-boynton-beach-florida-due-potential-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Warning Letter ](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/bedner-growers-inc-706726-11172025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | *Salmonella* Enteritidis | Eggs | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-eggs-august-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/country-eggs-llc-recalls-large-brown-cage-free-sunshine-yolks-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | | *Salmonella* Oranienburg | Pistachio Cream | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-pistachio-cream-june-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/world-market-recalls-emek-spread-pistachio-cacao-cream-kadayif-due-salmonella-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Import Alert 99-43 ](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms%5Fia/importalert%5F1168.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | *Listeria monocytogenes* | Prepared Pasta Meals | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-prepared-pasta-meals-june-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/major-product-recalls/2025-recalls-prepared-pasta-meals-frozen-and-ready-eat-due-potential-listeria-monocytogenes?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | | *Salmonella* Anatum | Deep-brand Frozen Products(Sprouted Beans) | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-deep-brand-frozen-products-july-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/chetak-llc-group-recalls-product-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[Expanded Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/chetak-llc-group-expands-voluntary-product-recall-include-additional-frozen-vegetable-and-fruit?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Import Alert 99-43 ](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms%5Fia/importalert%5F1168.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | *Salmonella* Enteritidis | Eggs | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-eggs-june-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/august-egg-company-recalls-shell-eggs-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | | *Salmonella* Richmond | Moringa Powder | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-moringa-leaf-powder-october-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Recall ( [Announcement in Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-moringa-leaf-powder-october-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com)) | | | Infant Botulism | Powdered Infant Formula | [Outbreak Advisory ](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-infant-formula-november-2025?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery) | [Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/byheart-broadens-voluntary-recall-while-investigation-continues?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[Expanded Recall Announcement ](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/byheart-broadens-voluntary-recall-while-investigation-continues?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | [FDA Continued Investigation](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fdas-actions-respond-clostridium-botulinum-illnesses-associated-consumption-powdered-infant-formula?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[Target Corporation Warning Letter ](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/target-corporation-720399-12122025?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[The Albertsons Companies Incorporated Warning Letter ](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/albertsons-companies-incorporated-720465-12122025?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[The Kroger Company Warning Letter ](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/kroger-company-720464-12122025?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[Walmart, Inc. Warning Letter ](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/walmart-inc-720400-12122025?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[Letter To Industry ](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-calls-enhanced-safety-measures-letter-powdered-infant-formula-industry?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | *\*Note: Some investigations listed in this table may have been initiated in 2024, but an advisory was not issued until 2025\. This is not an exhaustive list of all FDA activities related to these incidents and additional activities may be ongoing.* ### USDA issues public warning about Vienna sausage URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/usda-issues-public-warning-about-vienna-sausage/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T23:53:50.000Z The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for canned chicken Vienna-style sausages that were illegally imported from Jamaica, a country that is not eligible to export meat or poultry products to the United States. The FSIS is continuing to investigate how these products entered the country. The following products are subject to the public health alert, regardless of the product date: - 140-g. cans of “GRACE READY TO EAT CHICKEN VIENNA SAUSAGES.” - 140-g. cans of “GRACE READY TO EAT CHICKEN VIENNA SAUSAGES HOT & SPICY.” The products bear establishment number “EST. NO G-01” inside the Jamaica mark of inspection. The importer subsequently distributed the product to retail locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities of imported products in commerce. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury related to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a health care provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### FDA announces plan to address Cyclospora on fresh produce URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-announces-plan-to-address-cyclospora-on-fresh-produce/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T05:09:45.000Z In the wake of Cyclospora outbreaks this summer, the FDA has drafted a 10-point plan to mitigate and prevent future outbreaks. The largest of the outbreaks this summer sickened almost 13,000 people, hospitalized 560 and killed two. The outbreak was associated with iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms growing and processing operation in Central Mexico. The Food and Drug Administration conducted an inspection of the facility and contract growers’ operations and found Cyclospora in water from the processing facility and a drainage ditch on one of the growers’ property. The agency plans to carry out the activities in its 10-point plan between now and the beginning of the 2027 growing season. The activities the FDA plans to conduct in advance of the 2027 growing and harvesting season are focused on surveillance, outreach, and finding solutions to prevent Cyclospora contamination of fresh produce. As part of these activities, the FDA will publish an Outbreak Investigation Report that will summarize the multi-state outbreak investigation and provide recommendations to help mitigate and prevent future outbreaks. The agency also will increase surveillance of commodities historically associated with Cyclospora, conduct additional outreach and public engagement to help growers adopt practices that reduce the risk of Cyclospora contamination, and update its [Cyclospora Prevention, Response and Research Action Plan](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclospora-prevention-response-and-research-action-plan?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to lay the groundwork for stronger prevention and response in future growing seasons. The 10-point plant involves: 1. An Outbreak Investigation Report summarizing the investigation, the factors that may have contributed to contamination of the imported, shredded iceberg lettuce, and recommendations to prevent the next one. 2. More surveillance of the commodities historically associated with Cyclospora, and of how they are produced, to understand contamination levels and which sampling strategies work. 3. More outreach, at home and abroad, on current and prospective food safety requirements, naming the Produce Safety Rule, the Preventive Controls rule and the Food Traceability Rule. 4. Laboratory capacity in Mexico to collect, analyze and process Cyclospora samples in-country, to cut the time to a final result. 5. New data sources and tools, including weather events, to monitor the environmental conditions that may spread Cyclospora. 6. Education and training for Mexico’s fresh produce industry, with Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture, COFEPRIS and SENASICA. 7. Expert panels on worker health and hygiene, on water and wastewater monitoring, and on the gaps in growing and processing practices for certain produce. 8. A single, replicable Cyclospora genotyping standard, developed with CDC, for the federal government, partner nations and industry. 9. More Foreign Supplier Verification Program inspections, so that importers treat Cyclospora as a hazard in their hazard analyses and supplier verification. 10. Lessons from the investigation and any root cause analysis folded into an updated Cyclospora Prevention, Response and Research Action Plan. ### Tomatoes off the menu after Salmonella cases in Italy URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/tomatoes-off-the-menu-after-salmonella-cases-in-italy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T04:03:14.000Z Authorities in an Italian region have suspended the sale of tomatoes in canteens after reports of Salmonella infections. Following a notification from officials in the Puglia region regarding cases of Salmonellosis linked to the consumption of tomatoes, the Lecce Local Health Authority (ASL) has taken precautionary measures. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Are recalls really up 400 percent? URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/are-recalls-really-up-400-percent/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T04:01:37.000Z After the "Summer of Recalls," many consumers are understandably nervous about food safety, wondering if the industry is doing enough to protect them. Headlines claiming that recalls are up 400 percent this year fueled consumer fear, and the public is now looking for reassurance about the safety of our food supply. It’s a given that public health must be the highest priority for the food industry. It’s also important to understand the reality we live in today, where the viral nature of information causes claims to spread quickly and widely, without much regard to their accuracy or context. The 400 percent statistic wasn’t necessarily incorrect, but understanding the specific numbers it was representing will help offset consumer fear — without detracting from the responsibility the food industry has to keep consumers safe. So let me clarify what the number is measuring, what that means for how you shop, and what you can expect from the industry so you can respond to a recall correctly. **Frequency vs. Scale** First, the[ 400 percent figure spread through social media](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/us-food-recalls-400-shoppers-000100386.html?guccounter=1&guce%5Freferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce%5Freferrer%5Fsig=AQAAADddWhX6wwoQdOmuxuoMZms9MD-nH7nfttpvU8Vo8Cq3ioXPwK%5FCa0im7pV2ylLHgWA8gBlCZkPdi4QznzGUbv6s0ObYnRfsWjEvlchCmqRTAeHJ3n7qA9AXFcoYrc9L6vOLl9JUCqMxfVa3LMmxHB6NqJ8nI%5FqKEFhZ1skcwwgV&ref=foodsafetynews.com), not a published report. A social media creator claimed she had read “something” that said recalls were up 400 percent, but didn’t point to where the number had come from or what it was specifically representing. The 400 percent story moved fast because it confirmed what people already felt about recalls happening more frequently. The[ underlying data](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-recall-volume-exceeds-one-billion-units-in-2026-302854340.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) tells a different story. The number of recalls hasn’t changed much: regulators recorded 1,634 recalls in the first half of 2026, compared to 1,636 during the same period last year. However, recalls are getting bigger and more complex. Recalled units went from 211.2 million to 941.2 million year over year, which is where the 400 percent comes from. Complex, global supply chains can cause a single issue to impact dozens of brands at once because they share a supplier. Case in point:[ lettuce](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) contaminated with Cyclospora came from an international supplier with wide distribution. This supplier distributed tainted lettuce that ended up in numerous Taco Bell restaurant locations, plus multiple grocery store brands nationwide. When a small number of large suppliers serve many brands, one contamination event can have a much wider footprint than it did a decade ago. Frequency and scale are two different problems with two different solutions. If recalls were happening more frequently, we’d need to be looking at prevention protocols and food safety culture. Larger scale recalls suggest that we need to be looking at traceability systems and consumer communication practices, so we can quickly identify affected product and get that information into the hands of people at risk. Both are areas that the industry is making progress in, and both still have a lot of work that needs to be done. **What does this mean for consumers?** A large recall doesn’t automatically mean the food supply is unsafe. It may simply be that one ingredient traveled more widely than it used to, the way Cyclospora-contaminated [lettuce](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) did this summer. Consumers don’t have to stop buying lettuce, they just have to stop buying lettuce from the affected source. That’s only possible if the industry can trace the product and give consumers accurate information, quickly and specifically enough to act on. Recalling companies should be able to communicate quickly and clearly about which products were affected. Do they provide clear product identifiers so consumers can easily tell if the items they bought or consumed were part of the recall? Are messages simple to understand and act on? Is the company working collaboratively with their supply chain partners without pointing blame or becoming defensive? Are consumers hearing accurate, consistent information from both the supplier and the point where the product was sold? Consumers are right to expect this level of communication. When the information doesn't come, people are left guessing about their own groceries, and that's not a position anyone should be in. I can’t tell you that recalls are rare or that nothing has changed. Unfortunately, recalls are getting bigger and that’s a real problem the industry has to solve. But often, a recall means that the system caught a potentially harmful issue and is doing something about it. The companies that communicate well in the midst of the recall have the best chance of avoiding additional harm through the viral spread of inaccurate or incomplete information. People went looking for information about their food this summer and found a number on social media instead. The industry can do better than that, and should. **About the author:* Roger Hancock, CEO of*[ *Recall InfoLink*](https://www.recallinfolink.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*, is an expert on recalls, with experience that spans the retail, tech, data, regulatory, and supply chain. Roger is also a steering committee member of the*[ *Alliance for Recall Ready Communities*](http://recallreadycommunities.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*.* ### U.S. among countries to back regional food safety strategy URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/u-s-among-countries-to-back-regional-food-safety-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T04:00:08.000Z Health representatives from the Americas have approved an updated strategy to improve food safety systems and reduce foodborne diseases. Foodborne infections cause about 78,000 deaths in the region each year. The [Strategy and Plan of Action on Food Safety](https://iris.paho.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/3d847037-7b9b-4452-b2c2-82537c68ca30/content?ref=foodsafetynews.com) 2026-2031 provides a framework to help countries strengthen national food safety systems, science-based risk analysis, and regional cooperation in preventing, detecting and responding to risks, said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ice cream recalled because of metal pieces URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/ice-cream-recalled-because-of-metal-pieces/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T03:03:21.000Z Stewart’s Shops Corp. of Saratoga Springs, NY is recalling two flavors, Heavenly Medley and Vanilla-Chocolate-Strawberry, of half-gallon ice cream because of the potential presence of metal. No injuries or illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The recall was initiated after a metal object was discovered by a consumer in a half-gallon carton of ice cream., The following products are subject to recall and were sold at all Stewart’s Shops locations in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire between July 17 and Oct. 2: | **Brand Name** | Stewart’s Shops | Stewart’s Shops | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | **Flavor Name** | Heavenly Medley | Vanilla-Chocolate-Strawberry | | **Best By Date** | Feb.10.27 | Feb.11.27 | | **Sold At** | Stewart’s Shops | Stewart’s Shops | | **Lot / batch code** | All products are ready-to-eat ice cream and intended to be consumed at home by consumers | | | **Condition** | Frozen | | | **Shelf life** | 7 months | | | **Packaging** | Paperboard Carton | Paperboard Carton | | **Size** | One Half Gallon (1.89L) | One Half Gallon (1.89L) | | **UPC** | 0 82086 44371 1 | 0 82086 44377 3 | ### Salsa dip trays recalled because of possible pest problem URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/salsa-dip-trays-recalled-because-of-possible-pest-problem/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T01:34:22.000Z WinCo Foods of Boise, ID, is recalling the following Salsa Bean Dip Trays because of the inclusion of recalled peperoncini from G.L. Mezzetta. - WinCo Foods Salsa Bean Dip Tray, 16 Inch Catering Tray(by special order only) with UPC 2-67240-##### with a net weight of 104oz. - WinCo Foods Salsa Bean Dip Tray Express with UPC 2-67173-#####, with a net weight of 54oz. The affected peperoncini may have been used as an ingredient on the bean dip trays with “Best If Used By” dates of Aug. 14 through Sept. 25. The products were distributed in WinCo Foods retail stores in AZ, CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT and WA. WinCo Foods was notified by G.L. Mezzetta that a single lot of their Golden Greek Peperoncini has been recalled because of potential pest inclusion because of a video from another grocery chain circulating on social media. Peperoncini are used as an ingredient in the WinCo Foods Salsa Bean Dip Trays. WinCo Foods did not have or use any product with evidence of pests included in the jar, nor has the company received any complaints regarding potential pests or illness related to the bean dip trays to date. As these products are ready-made deli-type items with a short shelf life, product is not expected to still be in consumers’ homes, and all product that may have been made using peperoncini was removed from retail stores. ### Sprouting seeds recalled because of Salmonella risk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/sprouting-seeds-recalled-because-of-salmonella-risk/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T01:24:31.000Z EAK Distribution of Casper, WY, is recalling Home Grown Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli Seeds, Heirloom, in 8-ounce packages because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Home Grown Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli Seeds Heirloom was sold on Amazon.com to consumers nationwide between Aug. 20 and Sept. 18. The sprouting seeds are in a cream colored pouch with the UPC code 850056627443\. The top seal is embossed with the Production Lot Code of AUG172026. There have been no reported illnesses from our product to date. The recall was initiated after the company’s seed supplier notified the company that the seeds were identified as being used by a sprout grower whose finished product were part of an FDA investigation involving a multi-state foodborne illness outbreak. On Sept. 16 EAK Distribution was notified by our seed supplier that there could be an issue with the original broccoli seed lot #W4105 that EAK Distribution had purchased. Our seed supplier has recalled the affected seed bulk lot. On Sept. 17 all sales were halted. EAK Distribution was notified by our supplier on Sept. 28 that Salmonella was detected in the broccoli seed sample that was collected and analyzed the FDA. The company has ceased all production and distribution of the affected product. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Frozen pizzas recalled because of undeclared soy URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/frozen-pizzas-recalled-because-of-undeclared-soy/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T01:11:55.000Z Saint Francis Apizza LLC is issuing a voluntary recall on their frozen pizzas for misbranding due to the soy allergen not being declared on the label. People with allergies or sensitivities to soy run the risk of illness or death if they consume the recalled pizza. The frozen pizzas were sold in Pepperoni, Plain Cheese, Supreme, and Mushroom and Onion varieties. These products were sold by Saint Francis Apizza LLC at: - ETC Produce and Provisions, 1801 Race St Unit 149, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - ETC Produce and Provisions, 954 E McMilan St Unit A, Cincinnati, OH 45206 - Daylily Deli, 3751 Eastern Ave #2, Cincinnati, OH 45226 - Harvest Market, 308 Main St, Milford, OH 45150 - Boards and Beez, 6836 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227 - Madison’s at Findlay Market, 110 W Elder St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 - Urban Stead Cheese, 3036 Woodburn Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45206 - The Farm on Central, 572 Central Ave Barn Building, Carlisle, OH 45005 - Tony and Pete’s, 129 E 3rd Street, Dayton, OH 45202 - Taste Cellar and Pantry, 16 N Ft Thomas Ave, Fort Thomas, KY 41075 - Golden Gelato, 130 W Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 - Online sales directly from cincyfavorites.com There have been no reports of illness involving the products addressed in this recall, however, people who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy run the risk of a serious or life threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Individuals exhibiting signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction should contact a physician immediately. ### Hawaiian Bread recalled because of undeclared milk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/hawaiian-bread-recalled-because-of-undeclared-milk/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T01:03:49.000Z Flowers Foods Inc. is recalling Nature’s Own Hawaiian Bread, 20-ounce and 40-ounce bags, because of undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk may run the risk of an allergic reaction or death if they consume this product. The product being recalled was distributed to retail customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The recall was initiated after the company discovered during a review of the production records that certain packages of Nature’s Own 20-ounce Hawaiian Bread and Nature’s Own two-pack Hawaiian Bread 40-ounce did not declare milk as an ingredient. No related illnesses or incidents have been reported to date. The recalled bread can be identified by the following information: | **PRODUCT DESCRIPTION** | **UPC #** | **PRODUCT CODES** | **“BEST IF USED BY”** | | ------------------------------------------ | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | | Nature’s Own® Hawaiian Bread 20 oz. | 0 72250 91662 2 | 0188 262 20:06 -0188 262 22:05 0188 265 09:20 - 0188 265 10:30 0188 267 04:50 - 0188 267 06:00 0188 270 04:15 - 0188 270 06:05 0188 272 17:15 - 0188 272 19:25 | OCT 08 2026 03 – OCT 18 2026 13 | | Nature’s Own® 2-pack Hawaiian Bread 40 oz. | 0 72250 00683 5 | N/A | N/A | ### Czech testing finds Salmonella problem in poultry meat URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/czech-testing-finds-salmonella-problem-in-poultry-meat/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T20:52:28.000Z Enhanced testing of poultry meat for Salmonella in the Czech Republic has found the pathogen in a quarter of samples. The State Veterinary Administration (SVS) stepped up inspections targeting the presence of Salmonella in imported poultry meat at the end of July. In total, 93 samples of imported poultry products were tested for Salmonella, and the bacteria was confirmed in 23 samples. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA cites juice processor for HACCP failures and lack of pathogen reduction URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-cites-juice-processor-for-haccp-failures-and-lack-of-pathogen-reduction/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T04:02:52.000Z As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view. --- **Wellmill, LLC DBA Vitamix Laboratories** **Nesconset, NY** The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to a New York juice processor after inspectors found significant violations of federal Juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) requirements, including inadequate hazard analysis and failure to apply a required pathogen-reduction process. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Dutch controls reveal impact of hot weather on standards URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/dutch-controls-reveal-impact-of-hot-weather-on-standards/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T04:01:53.000Z Food safety standards are often not met at hospitality venues, according to findings from a summer control campaign in the Netherlands. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said violations of food safety regulations were found at nearly two-thirds of inspected businesses. Enforcement action was taken against 96 of the 154 companies inspected. This involved 88 official warnings and eight reports resulting in a fine. A follow-up inspection will take place within three months at non-compliant outlets. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sunday Edition: NOAA URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/sunday-edition-noaa/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T01:09:02.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week** - An unusual [outbreak of both E. coli and Salmonella linked to sprouts](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/another-state-more-patients-involved-in-sprout-outbreak/) continues to widen. As of Oct. 1, there were 76 confirmed patients across 16 states. One company, Everything Sprouts LLC, has already recalled certain alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. An as-yet unnamed supplier has identified a seed lot that had the potential to be contaminated with E. coli and/or Salmonella. That prompted another company, Berlin Seeds, to recall nearly 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seeds. - The FDA announced that it had [found the Cyclospora parasite](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-found-cyclospora-at-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation/) in wash water at the Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce facility in Central Mexico. And, the parasite was found in a ditch on one of the company's contract growers property. The findings bring the agency close to concluding that the source of the nation's largest Cyclospora outbreak – which sickened almost 13,000 people and killed two – was lettuce from the operation. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating [a new outbreak of infections from Listeria monocytogenes](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/new-listeria-outbreak-under-investigation/). At least 11 patients have been confirmed, but the FDA is not sharing any information about the patients or what food it is tracing as a possible source of contamination. - Researchers investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis in France [linked the illnesses to pumpkin seeds originating in Austria](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/salmonella-found-in-french-pumpkin-seed-outbreak/). Eighty-one people were affected between May 31 and Aug. 12\. Eight were hospitalized. - Cryptosporidiosis and Giardiasis have both been [removed the list of communicable diseases subject to epidemiological surveillance in Europe](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/eu-axes-cryptosporidium-from-disease-list/). The European Commission says both conditions tend to result in localized outbreaks with no cross-border public health dimension that would justify continued surveillance at the EU level. Other diseases such as anthrax, Listeriosis, Salmonella and Trichinellosis remain on the list. --- **Today’s Topic: NOAA** Among the many federal agencies responsible for food safety, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is often overlooked. NOAA is the U.S. Department of Commerce’s scientific and regulatory agency tasked with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploration, and managing fisheries and protecting marine mammals and endangered species in the U.S. exclusive economic zone. The [Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/laws-policies/magnuson-stevens-act?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the primary law that governs marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters, also tasked NOAA with making sure seafood is safe and sustainable. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher’s Platform: Put me out of the lettuce business, please URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/publishers-platform-put-me-out-of-the-lettuce-business-please/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T00:45:33.000Z I just landed from Norway a few hours ago after speaking at a [food safety conference](https://www.aquatiq.com/en/food-forum/program-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Oslo for two days and chasing the Northern Lights for a few more. On Oct. 2 the Food and Drug Administration [closed its investigation](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of the largest Cyclospora outbreak in American history and said where it found the parasite: in a tank of wastewater leaving the Taylor Farms de Mexico plant that shredded the lettuce, and in a drainage ditch at a grower that supplied it. The outbreak sickened 12,883 people in 21 states, hospitalized 570 and killed two. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [counted 19,883](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/cases/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) laboratory-confirmed cases this season, nearly 17 times the year before. Roughly 7,000 confirmed cases were never tied to any food. The CDC’s own burden model assumes [about 83 illnesses](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/1/p1-1101-t2?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for every confirmed case, which puts the real number in the hundreds of thousands. The outbreak is over. However, nothing that allowed it has changed. The next growing season in central Mexico begins this fall, and the system that is supposed to catch the next parasite is smaller than it was when it missed this one. **What Washington did in the year before the outbreak** On July 1, 2025, the CDC [cut FoodNet](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10646-cdc-slashes-foodnet-surveillance-from-eight-foodborne-pathogens-to-two?ref=foodsafetynews.com), its active surveillance program for foodborne infection, from eight pathogens to two, citing money; Cyclospora was among the six dropped. In March 2025 the Department of Health and Human Services [clawed back $11.4 billion](https://www.networkforphl.org/?p=20141&ref=foodsafetynews.com) from state and local health departments, $8.9 billion of it the epidemiology and laboratory money states use to chase outbreaks. A federal court [restored it](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/16/nation/trump-hhs-lawsuit-injunction/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), but only for the 23 states and the District of Columbia [that sued](https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2025/04/04/attorney-general-nessel-secures-temporary-restraining-order-protecting-public-health-grant-cuts?ref=foodsafetynews.com); Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia were not among them. The same month the department announced [10,000 layoffs](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-restructuring-doge.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [3,500 at the FDA and 2,400 at the CDC](https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hhs-restructuring-doge-fact-sheet.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and the Agriculture Department [terminated the advisory committee](https://food-safety.com/articles/10228-senator-urges-usda-to-reinstate-food-safety-scientific-advisory-committees-nacmcf-nacmpi?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that had written the government’s 2023 report on this parasite, saving $225,000 a year. The CDC laboratory that does the parasite’s genotyping drew most of its funding from USAID, which no longer exists; HHS says the lab was untouched by layoffs, and [its former director says](https://www.wgcu.org/2026-08-20/record-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-tests-the-response-of-a-weakened-health-system?ref=foodsafetynews.com) it is missing at least a third of its staff. The FDA laid off the staff who plan foreign inspection travel and coordinate with foreign governments, and [reinstated them in August](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/health/cyclospora-invesigation-fda.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) after the New York Times asked. Before this summer the FDA had last visited the Guanajuato plant in 2019\. Congress set a goal of 19,200 foreign food inspections a year by 2016; in 2025 the agency made about 1,100. The parasite research went the same way. Congress [declined to fund](https://www.fox13news.com/news/cyclospora-research-projects-shuttered-us-cases-climb?ref=foodsafetynews.com) two of the three Cyclospora projects at the Agriculture Department’s Beltsville research center for fiscal 2026, and staff at the two parasitology laboratories there were [told in May](https://www.wgcu.org/2026-08-20/record-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-tests-the-response-of-a-weakened-health-system?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to relocate or lose their jobs; one told NPR the work has effectively halted. Kalmia Kniel of the University of Delaware and her colleagues [asked USDA for about $10 million](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/health/cyclospora-invesigation-fda.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), four years running, to develop a test for this parasite in water. The work is unfunded. USDA says its reviewers chose other projects. **The rule** In 2022 the FDA finished the food traceability rule that [Congress ordered in 2011](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/congress-told-the-fda-to-write-the-food-traceability-rule-by-january-2013-enforcement-now-begins-in-july-2028-here-is-how-fifteen-and-a-half-years-went-by/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), requiring supply chain records within 24 hours. In March 2025 the administration pushed its January 2026 compliance date to July 2028, and the FDA’s [own analysis of that delay](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14967/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods-compliance-date-extension?ref=foodsafetynews.com), signed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., put the forgone public health benefit at $112 million a year, and as much as $322 million, against $73 million a year in industry savings. In November 2025 Congress wrote the delay into law, [barring the FDA](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10872-shutdown-deal-restricts-funds-for-fsma-204-produce-safety-rule-enforcement?ref=foodsafetynews.com) from spending a dollar to enforce the rule before 2028\. In July, Michigan’s health department [asked Taco Bell for its supplier list](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/health/cyclospora-invesigation-fda.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) three times over six days before the FDA had complete records on July 13\. The recalled lettuce [shipped from June 29 to July 16](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com); 12 of those days went to paperwork the rule would have required in one. The records clock was one of three delays. Bloomberg News, working from Michigan’s public records, [reported](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2026/08/04/880245.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the state held a call with Taco Bell’s parent company on July 2 and asked in a follow-up email to discuss any intervention or notification that could be taken that week to reduce future cases; the public was told on July 16\. Bloomberg [also reported](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/07/22/878663.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that when the FDA and CDC told Taylor Farms on July 15 that they believed its lettuce was the culprit and gave it until noon the next day to begin a recall, the deadline passed, two White House officials convened a call to walk through the evidence and review the draft press releases, and the announcements posted after 10 p.m. that night, naming Taco Bell and not the company. A federal health official put the cost of that back-and-forth at sixty hours. Taylor Farms said it did not ask to be left out. **What Congress did when the outbreak came** Congress wrote letters. [Fifteen of them](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/fda-closed-the-cyclospora-investigation-taylor-farms-dropped-the-grower-and-left-its-website-dated-august-27-fifteen-congressional-letters-have-no-published-answer-and-the-only-hearing-ro/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), none led by a Republican, and the majority holds every gavel. Not one has a published answer. No committee has held a hearing. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations [held a hearing](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/?p=109365&ref=foodsafetynews.com) on this parasite in 1998, and its chairman can issue a subpoena. The secretary of health and human services [declared the outbreak under control](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/rfk-jr-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-control-amid-1600-cases-134959106?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on July 21, when the count was 1,644, and said the surveillance cuts were not cuts. The nominee to run the CDC, asked at her confirmation hearing in July whether she would restore Cyclospora reporting, [would not commit](https://cen.acs.org/policy/cdc-nominee-schwartz-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/104/web/2026/07?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **What industry did** The produce industry’s answer was to point at the water. On July 15, before federal investigators had named a food, the [International Fresh Produce Association](https://www.freshproduce.com/who-we-are/commentary/ifpa-statement-on-the-2026-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) faulted Michigan’s health department for dismissing recreational water as a source; the next day its chief science officer told a trade publication that Michigan was defying reputable science and [invoked Flint](https://www.thepacker.com/news/cyclospora-cases-spike-ifpa-urges-officials-partner-produce-not-assign-blame?ref=foodsafetynews.com). On Aug. 3 the association [asked the CDC in writing](https://www.freshproduce.com/who-we-are/press-center/2026/ifpa-urges-broader-approach-to-cyclospora-investigations-submits-recommendations-to-cdc/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to add questions about drinking water, recreational water and sewer overflows to its interviews with sick people, and its [consumer page](https://www.freshproduce.com/who-we-are/commentary/cyclospora-faqs/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), frozen on Sept. 14, still says the association raised sewage overflows around Detroit and Toledo and Lake Erie as a possible source for the thousands of cases outside the lettuce cluster. Humans are this parasite’s only host, so nothing reaches a Detroit sewer that a person did not shed first, and [Detroit does not drink Lake Erie water](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-great-lakes-are-not-full-of-cyclospora-i-read-the-three-papers-ifpa-said-proved-otherwise/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). On Aug. 20 the CDC said [genotyping showed](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) the parasites from sick people were genetically related to one another, and the FDA has now found the parasite in the company’s own wastewater. Taylor Farms [told the New York Times in August](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/health/cyclospora-invesigation-fda.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that its fecal indicator testing program covered all of its water sources and that every test had come back negative. Indicator tests look for bacteria. The FDA’s [own method](https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-food/bam-19c-dead-end-ultrafiltration-detection-cyclospora-cayetanensis-agricultural-water?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for this parasite looks for the parasite, and the FDA found it. The company’s [outbreak page](https://www.taylorfarms.com/cyclospora-information-hub/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has not changed since Sept. 1, its newsroom lists no release on the outbreak, and its statement after the FDA’s finding [dropped the grower](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/fda-closed-the-cyclospora-investigation-taylor-farms-dropped-the-grower-and-left-its-website-dated-august-27-fifteen-congressional-letters-have-no-published-answer-and-the-only-hearing-ro/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and said nothing specific about the plant where the positive tank sits. **What it cost** The water story was also bad business. Taco Bell’s parent reported [U.S. same-store sales down 2 percent](https://nrn.com/quick-service/taco-bell-s-cyclospora-driven-sales-declines-have-moderated-materially-?ref=foodsafetynews.com) through July 27\. NielsenIQ recorded fresh lettuce unit sales [down 9 percent in a week](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/07/31/879690.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and 19 percent over two. [Chopt’s traffic fell 12 percent](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/07/31/879690.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) though no illness was ever tied to it, and a greenhouse grower in the eastern United States with no connection to Mexico watched sales fall by double digits. Sweetgreen, which serves no iceberg lettuce and was never linked to the outbreak, [cut its forecast](https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/sweetgreen-downgrades-guidance-despite-improving-trends?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for the year to a 7 percent to 8 percent decline in same-store sales and named the outbreak as the reason. Economists [put the cost of the 2018 romaine outbreak](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajae.12341?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at $276 million to $343 million, for an outbreak that sickened dozens. When the government cannot say which lettuce is contaminated, fear prices the whole category, which is the problem the traceability rule exists to solve. There is an irony here the administration should feel. In January, Secretary Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins released [new dietary guidelines](https://hhs.gov/press-room/historic-reset-federal-nutrition-policy.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that tell Americans, under the slogan eat real food, to eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day in whole form. Americans did the opposite this summer because nobody could tell them which salad was safe. You cannot make America healthy again while making Americans afraid of lettuce. A food safety system that can draw a line around one plant in Guanajuato and leave every other grower alone is not a tax on that agenda. It is the agenda. **What should happen before the 2027 growing season** The FDA itself set that season as the deadline for [10 commitments](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/post-outbreak-response-activities-multistate-outbreaks-cyclospora-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) it published as it closed the investigation. Here is what should happen alongside them. **Congress** should repeal the rider and put the traceability rule back on its calendar. [Eleven consumer and food safety organizations](https://consumerfed.org/media/lifhamfs/safe-food-coalition-letter-to-congressional-leaders-re-traceability-8-12-26.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asked for that in August. The [produce association](https://www.freshproduce.com/who-we-are/commentary/ifpa-statement-on-the-2026-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) wants the rule, and so do the growers; the people on record asking for the delay are the [retail, grocery, restaurant and food distribution associations](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-guardian-went-and-read-the-lobbying-disclosures-now-we-know-who-asked-congress-to-push-the-traceability-rule-to-2028/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Congress should hold the hearing 15 letters could not get. And it should fund what it defunded: FoodNet back to eight pathogens; the epidemiology and laboratory grants for all 50 states, not just the ones that sued; the Beltsville research and the Delaware water test it has refused to pay for; and the [Microbiological Data Program](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/01/mdp-officially-shut-down-pathogen-testing-for-produce-halted/), which tested 15,000 produce samples a year for $4.5 million until it was zeroed out in 2012 at the produce industry’s urging, this time with the parasite on the panel. The USDA’s own economists [price this parasite](https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/cost-estimates-of-foodborne-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at $5.3 million a year. The testing program costs less than the disease. **The agencies** should count. Put Cyclospora back in FoodNet, publish one national number, make the illness reportable in every state, and add the parasite to the [national wastewater surveillance network](https://www.cdc.gov/wastewater/about/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Name the growers; a [citizen petition](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/06/STOP-CCI-Petition-Final-2.4.2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking the FDA to name every firm in an outbreak has sat at the agency since February. Publish the investigation report and the genotype comparison, with a date. Name Cyclospora in the [agricultural water rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/requirements-harvest-and-post-harvest-agricultural-water-subpart-e-covered-produce-other-sprouts?ref=foodsafetynews.com), whose only numeric microbial standard is for E. coli, a test that cannot find a parasite. Inspect foreign plants on a schedule, not after an outbreak. Rehire the parasitologists. And stand up an [independent board](https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/listeria-outbreak-pasta-fda-foodborne-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to investigate outbreaks across agency lines, an NTSB for food, as a former FDA deputy commissioner has urged. **Industry** should get off the sidelines. Retire the water story. Put the lobbyists who asked for the delay to work asking for its repeal. Taylor Farms should publish the independent review it promised in July, test its water for the parasite rather than a stand-in, and say what changed before it reopens. And industry should pay for the [wastewater surveillance](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-produce-industrys-own-association-just-closed-its-cyclospora-page-it-says-a-food-was-identified-that-the-finding-rested-on-epidemiology-and-traceback-and-that-no-positive-sample-was-ev/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in growing regions that its own association proposed. **Put me out of business** None of this is partisan. The produce testing program was created under President George W. Bush and ended under President Barack Obama. And none of it is new to me. In August 2002, after ConAgra recalled over 18 million pounds of ground beef, I [wrote an op-ed](https://marlerclark.com/media%5Frelations/four-steps-to-safer-food?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking the beef industry to put me out of business. Please, I wrote. I asked for four things: sample the meat, give the government mandatory recall authority, keep records of where every lot went, and put one agency in charge. The beef industry did not do all four. It did enough. My firm’s hamburger E. coli cases ran from Jack in the Box in 1993 to ConAgra in 2002 and are now close to zero, and that is the best thing that has happened in food safety in my lifetime. I have been suing lettuce companies for nearly 30 years, and the asks have not changed: sample, trace, name, and put someone in charge. Congress, Secretary Kennedy, and the produce industry: Put me out of the lettuce business. Please. The next crop is going in the ground. *Marler Clark represents hundreds of people sickened in this outbreak and has filed suits in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois.* ### Sprouting seeds recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella, E. coli URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/sprouting-seeds-recalled-because-of-potential-contamination-with-salmonella-e-coli/ Last updated: 2026-10-03T03:11:22.000Z Todd’s Seeds LLC of Cookeville, TN, is recalling 37,481 units of sprouting seeds because they may be contaminated with Salmonella and/or E. coli. The recalled seeds were sold via Amazon and direct to consumers. According to the recall notice, the products contain alfalfa seed recalled by the supplier and may be contaminated with E. coli and/or Salmonella. The implicated products are sold in a variety of weight packages with Dec. 31, 2029 expiration dates. The products subject to recall are: - Todd's Seeds Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds - Todd's Seeds Broccoli & Friends Sprouting Seed Mix - Todd's Seeds Sprouting Seed Mix - Todd's Seeds Salad Sprouting Mixture - Todd's Seeds Alfalfa & Mung Bundle - Todd's Seeds Variety Pack For a list of lot numbers, [click here](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/ires/?Event=99887&ref=foodsafetynews.com). ### FDA found Cyclospora at Taylor Farms lettuce operation URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/fda-found-cyclospora-at-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T00:54:56.000Z The FDA announced today that it found Cyclospora, at the Taylor Farms lettuce processing facility in Central Mexico, as well as on a contract grower’s farm. Iceberg lettuce from the operation was linked to a massive outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite this summer that saw 12,883 people sickened. The CDC counted 570 hospitalizations and two deaths in the outbreak. The CDC reported on Sept. 11 that the outbreak had ended. The findings from the Food and Drug Administration that were revealed on Oct. 2 cement the link between Taylor Farms and the outbreak. Initial links between outbreak patients and the company’s iceberg lettuce came in July when patrons of Taco Bell restaurants started becoming ill. The sick people had eaten menu items that contained the lettuce, which the restaurant chain sourced from Taylor Farms. The FDA’s traceback investigation identified several farms and a processing facility in Mexico that provided recalled lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods. As part of this investigation, the FDA conducted onsite inspections and sample collection at multiple iceberg lettuce growers and the processing facility in Mexico, in coordination with Mexican officials. Sampling included water, soil, sediment and iceberg lettuce. Of the samples collected during the onsite inspections in Mexico, two samples tested positive for Cyclospora. One positive sample was from a tank that held outgoing wastewater from the Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility. The second positive sample was collected from a drainage ditch of an iceberg lettuce grower identified in the FDA’s traceback investigation. Although genotyping of both of the positive samples has been completed, the FDA is continuing its analysis to determine how results for these samples relate to ongoing genotyping of specimens from outbreak patients. The FDA says there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred in the outbreak, the positive samples show that Cyclospora was present in the environment where lettuce was grown and processed. This adds to the strong epidemiological data and traceback convergence supporting the link between this outbreak and recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from the Taylor Farms operation in Central Mexico. A Taylor Fresh Foods spokesperson told ABC News that the central Mexico facility remains closed while the company works with its research team on enhanced safety protocols and that the independent grower where the positive sample was found is no longer part of its supplier program. ### Berry recall expanded for Walmart, Trader Joe's brands URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/berry-recall-expanded-for-walmart-trader-joes-brands/ Last updated: 2026-10-03T00:59:22.000Z A company in Chile has again expanded a recall of its frozen organic berries because of a link to an E. coli O145:H28 outbreak. [The outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/e-coli-outbreak-tied-to-frozen-berries-sold-at-walmart-and-publix-has-ended/) has been declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 17 confirmed patients were infected in Florida and Georgia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illnesses began on dates ranging from May 11 through Aug. 2\. Six patients were hospitalized but no one died. According to the notice of the expanded recall, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile, is taking the action because traceback information linked to the frozen organic berries to blueberries that were the subject of the first recall on July 3 when the outbreak was ongoing. The recall now includes additional lots of Great Value frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend Great Value frozen Organic Blueberries and one lot of Trader Joe’s frozen Organic Mixed Berry Blend. The recalled Great Value products were shipped to Walmart stores in 30 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, along with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Consumers should check their freezers for the affected product. The recalled Trader Joe’s product was shipped to select Trader Joe’s stores in 26 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia. The affected products are: - Product: Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 OZ (Including Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries), with UPC: 7874211226 Package Size: 10 oz Lot Code: 6 031 01, 6 041 01 (in front of the package) Best If Used By Date: January 31, 2028 and February 10, 2028 - Product: Great Value Organic Blueberries 10 OZ, with UPC: 7874211213 Package Size: 10 oz Lot Code: 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01 (in front of the package) Best If Used By Date: January 19, 2028; February 9, 2028 and June 12, 2028. - Product: Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 OZ with UPC: 00977654 Package Size: 12 oz Lot Code: 6 051 01 (in back of the package) Best Before Date: February 20, 2028 Consumers who have Great Value Organic Triple Berry 10 OZ with lot code 6 031 01, 6 041 01, Great Value Organic Blueberries 10 OZ with lot code 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01 and Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend 12 OZ with lot code 6 051 01 should not consume those products. The product should be discarded or returned to Walmart or Trader Joe’s for a full refund. ### Pasta recall expanded to include all lots sold at Walmart stores URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/pasta-recall-expanded-to-include-all-lots-sold-at-walmart-stores/ Last updated: 2026-10-03T00:37:02.000Z Gias Foods of New York, NY, is recalling all lot codes of bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine was distributed nationwide at Walmart stores. The company previously recalled certain lots of the product, but has expanded the recall to include all product distributed. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recalled bettergoods brand Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine is frozen and packaged in 22-ounce yellow plastic bags with UPC# 194346442706. The recall was the result of a routine sampling program conducted by Washington State Department of Agriculture and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which revealed that the finished products may contain the bacteria. The company has ceased the distribution of the product as FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalledproduct and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Chips recalled because they were made in Colombia URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/chips-recalled-because-they-were-made-in-colombia/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T23:55:01.000Z Inexport Logistics LLC of Miami, FL, firm, is recalling 189 pounds of potato chip products containing chicharrón (pork cracklings) because they were produced in the Republic of Colombia, a country that is not eligible to export meat products to the United States, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The following products are subject to recall, regardless of the product date: - 60-g. foil bags of “YUPI GOLPE CON TODO SABOR BBQ” mixed chips with “Clásicas,” “PLATANOS,” and “Chicharrón Fred.” The products subject to the recall do not bear any import marks on the labels. These items were shipped to distributors and retail locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Texas. The problem was discovered during an FSIS recall effectiveness check where the ineligible product was observed in a retail location. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Salmonella outbreak traced to jalapeños has ended URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-jalapeno-has-ended/ Last updated: 2026-10-03T02:35:10.000Z The CDC has called an end to the outbreak of Salmonella Javiana infections traced to imported jalapeño peppers. A total of 488 people across 34 states were infected with the outbreak strain. There were 65 hospitalizations but no deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The patients ranged in age from less than 1 to 85 years old, with a median age of 31\. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 16 to Aug. 26, with the peak day being July 5 when 38 people fell. There were likely many more sick people than reflected in the patient count. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not tested specifically for Salmonella. The CDC estimates for every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. Traceback and epidemiological evidence showed that fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors were the source of the pathogen. The company recalled its whole peppers and its downstream customers who used the peppers in a variety of products [issued recalls](https://www.fda.gov/safety/major-product-recalls/2026-recalls-food-products-associated-fresh-jalapenos-sinaloa-mexico-and-distributed-coast-citrus?ref=foodsafetynews.com), according to the Food and Drug Administration. A total of 36 illness clusters were identified at 31 Chipotle Mexican Grill locations in seven states and five QDOBA locations in two states. Commonly reported ingredient items included jalapeño pepper, red onion, cilantro, and avocado. Of the 308 people interviewed, 281 reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with meal dates ranging from June 14 to July 29. As part of the outbreak investigation, FDA staff inspected a common Mexican distributor who was identified by traceback. The FDA did not name that distributor. The inspection included observing operations, reviewing records, and sample collection. At the time of inspection, no jalapeños were available for sampling. FDA collected environmental samples which were all reported as negative for Salmonella. FDA was unable to determine a route or source of contamination for this outbreak. ### Another state, more patients involved in sprout outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/another-state-more-patients-involved-in-sprout-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T16:11:02.000Z More patients have been added and another state is involved in an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella infections traced to sprouts, according to the Food and Drug Administration. As of Oct. 1, there were 76 confirmed patients across 16 states infected with the outbreak strains of E. coli (multiple serotypes including O26:H11, O103:H25, O168:H8) and Salmonella Agona. The infections are associated with alfalfa sprout products from Everything Sprouts LLC of Minneapolis, MN. There have been six hospitalizations but no deaths. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 31 to Sept. 7\. State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 50 people interviewed so far, 40 reported eating sprouts and 35 specified eating alfalfa sprouts. The sick people live in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota , New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. The outbreak is unusual in that it involves two pathogens. Some people were infected with more than one outbreak strain. Sixty-four people were infected with E. coli, 9 people were infected with Salmonella, and 3 people were infected with both Salmonella and E. coli. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence show that alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC is one of the sources of illnesses in this outbreak. While alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC are a source of illnesses in this outbreak, these sprouts do not explain all the illnesses. The outbreak was first reported by the FDA on Aug. 21 when 55 patients had been identified. On Aug. 22, Everything Sprouts LLC initiated a recall for certain alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. The company also recalled Robust Radish mix, Crunchy Protein Sprout mix and Zesty Garlic mix. In connection with the outbreak, on Sept. 23 Berlin Seeds of Millersburg, OH, recalled 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seeds after being notified by their seed supplier that the seed has the potential to be contaminated with STEC and/or Salmonella. The seed supplier notified Berlin Seeds that seed lot SAL2-24JB was identified through traceback as seed used by another sprout grower whose finished sprouts were part of FDA’s outbreak investigation. The FDA is not naming the seed supplier. There are likely many more sick people in this outbreak than are included in the official patient count. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not tested for pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every patient identified in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. For E. coli the multiplier is 26. **About E. coli infections** Food contaminated with E. Coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Europe posts fall in cross-border food problems URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/europe-posts-fall-in-cross-border-food-problems/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T04:03:09.000Z Suspected cases of fraud shared between European countries declined in August compared to the month before but were similar to levels in the same period in 2025. There were 165 reports in August, 207 in July, 215 in June, 150 in May, 188 in April, 204 in March, 159 in February, and 189 in January 2026\. Earlier data for 2025 shows 196 in December, 194 in November, 223 in October, 164 in September, 166 in August, 136 in July, 164 in June and 129 in May. Eleven alerts mentioned the United States in August. The majority were related to supplements but one was for the approval number not matching on the label and health certificate. The consignment of squid was detained at the border and re-dispatched. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### BSE case prompts the Philippines to ban UK beef URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/bse-case-prompts-the-philippines-to-ban-uk-beef/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T04:01:24.000Z The Philippines has banned beef imports from the United Kingdom following detection of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in Scotland. The action was taken based on a report submitted by Dr. Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinary officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and delegate of the United Kingdom, to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), about a case of BSE, also known as mad cow disease, in Scotland. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### New York farm barred from selling raw milk because of positive test for Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/new-york-farm-barred-from-selling-raw-milk-because-of-positive-test-for-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T01:19:52.000Z New York officials are warning the public not to consume raw milk from Big Brook Farm in Lee Center because it has tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. In the warning issued Sept. 30, State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball said a sample of the dairy’s milk collected by a state inspector returned the positive result. Follow-up testing confirmed the presence of the bacteria. The farm is banned from selling raw milk until tests show it is pathogen free. In 2024 a similar warning was issued after testing showed the farm's milk was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. As of Oct. 1 no illnesses have been confirmed, but it can take up to 70 days for symptoms of Listeria infection to develop. Raw milk, sometimes referred to as fresh milk, has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria including Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli and others. Research has shown that people who drink raw milk are 800 more times likely to become sick than those who drink pasteurized milk. It is illegal to sell raw milk across state lines. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has consumed any of the implicated raw milk and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### New Listeria outbreak under investigation URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/new-listeria-outbreak-under-investigation/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T14:47:58.000Z The Food and Drug Administration is investigating a new outbreak of infections from Listeria monocytogenes. The agency has not yet identified a source of the pathogen, but has confirmed 11 patients. However, the FDA is not revealing the patients’ ages or where they live. Traceback efforts have been initiated, but the FDA has not reported what food it is tracing. Meanwhile, The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are continuing to investigate a multistate outbreak of E. coliO26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. The outbreak has sickened 13 patients across eight states from coast to coast. More than half of the patients are children younger than 5\. Eight of the patients have required hospitalization and three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure, brain damage and sometimes death. State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people or their caregivers about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of nine people interviewed, all nine in this outbreak reported consuming Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. The company has initiated a recall for all of its raw milk cheese. The recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses were distributed nationwide. They are sold in medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack varieties in 8-ounce or 16-ounce packages and available to food service customers or wholesalers in 5-pound loaves. This is not the company’s first problem with raw milk. In August 2025, California’s State Veterinarian [ordered a statewide recall and quarantine](https://pressreleases.cdfa.ca.gov/Home/PressRelease/66054324?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of Sierra Nevada’s Bella Capra raw goat milk cheddar after California Department of Food and Agriculture testing found Listeria monocytogenes in the cheese. In other outbreak news, the FDA continues to investigate 15 other outbreaks. Outbreaks with new information available since a week ago are as follows. For an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, the patient count has increased from 25 to 38\. The FDA is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. The source of the pathogen is unknown. The agency has initiated sample collection but is not reporting what is being sampled. The outbreak was first reported on Sept. 23. For an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes from an unknown source, the patient count has increased from 40 to 44\. As is its practice, the FDA has not released where the patients live or their ages. The agency has initiated traceback but is not reporting what food is being traced. The outbreak was first reported on Sept. 23. For an outbreak of Listeria infections, the patient count has increased to 11, up from 10 a week ago. The patients’ ages or states of residence have not been revealed. The FDA has initiated traceback but has not revealed what food issuing traced. The agency has also begun onsite inspections and sample collection but is not reporting what locations are being inspected or what is being samples. The outbreak was first reported on July 22. ### Denmark reopens outbreak investigation after new cases reported URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/denmark-reopens-outbreak-investigation-after-new-cases-reported/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T04:03:40.000Z Danish authorities have reopened an investigation into a Salmonella outbreak after more people fell sick. Since April 2026, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) has recorded 33 cases of the same type of Salmonella Enteritidis. Before the summer holidays, SSI, the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency, and the National Food Institute linked patients to a shared meal program at several schools in Sjælland. This program is also connected to eight cases recorded since the summer break. SSI is responsible for whole genome sequencing isolates from patients and for conducting patient interviews to identify a possible source of infection. Initial interviews with patients or their parents revealed that ill people had received meals from the same provider at several different schools in Sjælland. At the time, it was not possible to identify a specific source of infection, but the investigation resumed after recent cases were linked to the same meal service. Affected individuals are 17 males and 16 females. Patients are mainly children aged 3 to 15\. However, six adults aged 21 to 63 have also fallen sick. Whole genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from patients shows they all belong to sequence type 11 and that they are very closely genetically related. This means there is likely to be a common source of infection. **Second Salmonella outbreak** Officials are also continuing to search for the source of a different Salmonella outbreak. SSI has recorded 33 cases of Salmonella Typhimurium between Aug. 4 and 27\. Those affected are 12 men and 21 women. Patients range from 6 to 83 years old with a median age of 45\. Eleven cases live in Syddanmark, 10 in Midtjylland, seven in Nordjylland, three in Sjælland, and two in Hovedstaden. Whole genome sequencing of samples from patients revealed they are sequence type 19 and are closely genetically related. ### EU axes Cryptosporidium from disease list URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/10/eu-axes-cryptosporidium-from-disease-list/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T04:01:51.000Z Cryptosporidium has been removed from a list of communicable diseases subject to epidemiological surveillance in Europe. According to the European Commission, Cryptosporidiosis is a common but predominantly mild gastrointestinal infection that may cause local waterborne outbreaks but has no cross-border public health dimension that would justify continued surveillance at EU level. Like Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis tends to cause local outbreaks of limited diarrhea, so it has also been removed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Brazil expects EU poultry exports to resume after audit URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/brazil-expects-eu-poultry-exports-to-resume-after-audit/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T17:08:57.000Z Brazil is expecting to be again added to the list of poultry and honey suppliers to the European Union following positive findings from an assessment. An audit was carried out after Brazil requested to be put back on a list of countries allowed to send consignments of certain animals and products of animal origin intended for human consumption to Europe. Earlier this year, Brazil was left off the list with rules on imports beginning on Sept. 3, 2026. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### CDC declares end to Salmonella outbreak traced to backyard flocks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-declares-end-to-salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-backyard-flocks/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T04:03:54.000Z This year's outbreak of Salmonella infections traced to backyard poultry flocks has been declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 1,253 people were infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Altona, Enteritidis, Indiana, Infantis, Kedougou, Mbandaka, and Saintpaul. The sick people were reported from 46 states and Puerto Rico. A third of the patients required hospitalization, and there were two deaths reported. One in five of the patients were children younger than 5 years old. Overall, patient ages ranged from less than 1 year to 99 years old with a median age of 36\. Most of the sick people or their caregivers reported the chicks and ducklings for their backyard flocks were purchased at agricultural retail stores, but some bought the birds from people they knew, directly from hatcheries or from local farms. The CDC reports that eight hatcheries were identified as having sold infected birds, but the agency has not named those hatcheries. Investigators in Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee collected samples from backyard poultry or from the inside of boxes used to ship live poultry from hatcheries to retail stores. Whole genome sequencing showed that the Salmonella Enteritidis, Mbandaka, Kedougou, and Saintpaul found in these samples were the same strains as those found in sick people. Some of the Salmonella strains detected in outbreak patients were found to be resistant to antibiotics. The CDC sequenced 1,253 human isolates. There were 670 resistant to fosfomycin, 184 to nalidixic acid, 152 to tetracycline, 53 to streptomycin, 40 to gentamicin, 24 to sulfisoxazole, and smaller numbers to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, ceftiofur, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefoxitin. Another 185 were predicted nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin. The CDC first reported the outbreak on April 13 when there was a total of 34 patients. At that time only 13 states were reporting outbreak patients, with 13 requiring hospitalization. The April 13 report showed illnesses started on Feb. 26. There were likely many more outbreak patients than were included in the official count. This is because some sick people don’t seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella. The CDC estimates for every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. This year’s outbreak marked the second largest the CDC has recorded. The highest patient count was in 2020, the year of the COVID-19 outbreak when many people were staying home and had backyard flocks as a source of entertainment. | **Year** | **Sick** | **Hospitalized** | **Deaths** | **States** | | ----------- | -------- | ---------------- | ---------- | ------------ | | 2019 | 1,134 | 219 | 2 | 49 + DC | | 2020 | 1,722 | 333 | 1 | 50 | | 2021 | 1,135 | 273 | 2 | 48 + DC + PR | | 2022 | 1,230 | 225 | 2 | 49 + DC + PR | | 2023 | 1,072 | 247 | 0 | 48 + PR | | 2024 | 470 | 125 | 1 | 48 | | 2025 | 559 | 125 | 2 | 48 | | 2026 | 1,253 | 256 | 2 | 46 + PR | | Eight years | 8,575 | 1,803 | 12 | | ### Western Pacific nations practice food safety response URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/western-pacific-nations-practice-food-safety-response/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T04:01:01.000Z Countries in the Western Pacific have taken part in an annual event to test their readiness for cross-border food safety emergencies. Exercise Crystal simulated a scenario in which suspected food contamination caused illnesses among residents, to test relevant government departments' response plans, prevention and control measures and co-ordination on foodborne diseases, as well as to share information swiftly with the World Health Organization (WHO). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Italian reports cover Cyclospora and Salmonella cases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/italian-reports-cover-cyclospora-and-salmonella-cases/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T21:05:43.000Z A case of Cyclospora infection in Italy may have been caused by imported food, according to a study. Scientists said it is the first molecularly confirmed and genetically sequenced case of locally acquired Cyclospora cayetanensis in Italy. Earlier reports lacked confirmation with gene sequencing and related analysis, limiting epidemiological traceability and source attribution. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### New California law creates non-ultra-processed food seal URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/new-california-law-creates-non-ultra-processed-food-seal/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T04:04:36.000Z California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that will make it possible for food companies to label their products with a “non-ultra-processed certified” seal. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, and received bipartisan support in the Assembly and Senate. “While Washington D.C. is paralyzed by inaction, Republicans and Democrats in California are joining forces to empower consumers to avoid harmful ultra-processed foods,” said Gabriel. “Like the USDA Organic label, this new seal will provide consumers with clear, trustworthy information and make it easier for them to locate healthier foods that are free from harmful additives. Parents shouldn't need a Ph.D. in chemistry to understand what they’re feeding their kids. “California began this movement three years ago by banning the most dangerous food additives, and with Gov. Newsom’s continued leadership we are taking another big step forward today.” The new law builds on a 2025 law, also authored by Gabriel, which created the first U.S. legal definition of UPF and banned it from public schools. The California Department of Public Health will oversee certification of products that meet the state’s non-UPF standard, approving and accrediting third-party certifiers to conduct product certifications. The products must be recertified at least every three years. The law directs the department to accredit these third-party certifiers no later than June 1, 2029. Only products that meet these requirements will be allowed to display the seal. A food will not qualify for the label if it contains substances or additives, including dyes, flavor enhancers, non-sugar sweeteners or processing aids, used to manipulate the taste or quality of foods. Several consumer groups applauded the new law, including the Environmental Working Group. “Today California raised the bar for what we consider healthy food,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, EWG senior vice president for California. “Consumers deserve labels they can trust, and with Gov. Newsom’s signature, families now have a simple way to tell which foods are closer to what comes from a kitchen rather than a factory.” The law includes the following oversight and transparency measures: - Certification agents must register with the state - The state can audit certification records at any time - The state must maintain a public, online list of certified products - Misuse of the label will be illegal and subject to enforcement In addition to creating the label, the law requires large food retailers to display certified products so consumers can easily identify them, for instance, through special signage or physical separation within the store. This requirement applies to grocery stores that sell more than 25 individual non-UPF-certified products and brings in more than $10 million in annual sales. Research has shown that UPF make up more than two-thirds of children’s diets and more than half of adult diets. Scientific research has linked diets high in UPF to serious health harms, including cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders and mental health issues. ### Your morning cuppa tells a bigger story about food fraud URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/your-morning-cuppa-tells-a-bigger-story-about-food-fraud/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T04:03:11.000Z For many in the UK, tea with milk is simply part of everyday life. But behind one of Britain's favourite drinks lie two globally traded commodities that have something else in common: both are increasingly vulnerable to food fraud. As supply chains become more complex and consumers place greater value on provenance, sustainability and quality, economically motivated adulteration is becoming a growing challenge across the food industry. While food fraud does not always present an immediate food safety risk, it undermines consumer confidence, disadvantages legitimate producers and weakens trust in the integrity of the food supply chain. Milk and tea offer two compelling examples of why authenticity verification has become an essential part of modern food assurance. The dairy sector has long been recognised as being at risk of fraud because of its scale and economic value. Fraudulent practices can include dilution with water, substitution of milk fat with undeclared vegetable fats, misleading geographical origin claims and manipulated labelling. As products linked to specific regions or production methods continue to command a premium, verifying origin has become increasingly important for both regulators and manufacturers. Tea presents a different set of challenges, but many of the same underlying vulnerabilities. Sourced through long and often complex international supply chains, tea can be difficult to authenticate using documentation alone. Premium varieties may be blended with lower-grade leaves, substituted with different botanical species or accompanied by misleading origin claims. With global demand continuing to grow, maintaining confidence in product authenticity requires robust verification throughout the supply chain. Despite their differences, both sectors illustrate the same reality: paperwork alone is no longer enough. Documentation remains an important foundation, but increasingly it must be supported by scientific evidence and risk-based controls. This is where analytical technologies are becoming increasingly valuable. In the dairy sector, isotope ratio analysis enables the geographical origin of milk to be verified by comparing its natural isotopic fingerprint with its declared provenance. Alongside supplier approval, vulnerability assessments, traceability systems and targeted authenticity testing, these scientific tools provide an additional layer of assurance where fraud risks are greatest. No single measure can eliminate food fraud entirely. Instead, resilience comes from combining strong supplier relationships with proportionate, evidence-based verification that reflects the specific risks within each supply chain. Whether it's the milk, the tea, or the countless other foods that consumers purchase every day, expectations are changing. Shoppers increasingly want confidence not only that food is safe, but that it is genuine, accurately described and exactly what it claims to be. As authenticity becomes an ever more important part of food integrity, science-led verification will continue to play a critical role in protecting both businesses and consumer trust. **About the author:* Natasha Linhart is the Founder and CEO of Atlante, an international food and beverage specialist connecting producers, brands and retailers across global markets. A British national who has lived in Italy for more than 30 years, Natasha founded Atlante in 1994 and has driven its growth across numerous countries, including the UK, the United States, Switzerland, Japan and South Korea. With over three decades of experience in the sector, Natasha is a recognised thought leader in global food trade.* ### Dozens of food poisoning cases reported among wedding guests URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/dozens-of-food-poisoning-cases-reported-among-wedding-guests/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T04:01:40.000Z Authorities in Romania are investigating reports of food poisoning at a wedding. The National Sanitary, Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) and inspectors from DSVSA Sibiu carried out checks at Brukenthal Palace in Avrig this past week. Officials became aware of the incident after several people complained of symptoms matching possible food poisoning. During a private event held at Brukenthal Palace, attended by 80 guests, 30 people were medically assisted. Of these, 20 went to the hospital for further treatment. Samples have been taken to see if food prepared and served during the event is responsible for the illnesses. ANSVSA said that, at this stage, there is only a suspicion of food poisoning and establishing the cause and the possible link between food products consumed and the symptoms of affected people will be carried out through epidemiological investigations and laboratory analyses. Dr. Alexandru Bociu, president of ANSVSA, said food safety and protecting consumer health are a priority for the agency. “DSVSA Sibiu inspectors are acting with maximum efficiency to identify the causes of this incident, and legal measures will be ordered as soon as the checks are completed." Following the controls carried out, non-conformities were found and inspectors of DSVSA Sibiu issued an order to suspend activities and applied a sanction of 30,000 lei ($6,500). The fine was for deficiencies regarding hygiene conditions, the marketing and use of food products without proper identification, and for the failure to maintain production and storage spaces. DSVSA Sibiu officers also ordered the official detention of 15.6-kilograms of food products. **Illnesses at school** Earlier in September, operations at a catering company linked to an outbreak at a school were suspended. The suspected food poisoning at Căiuți Middle School, Bacău County was noted by ANSVSA and DSVSA Bacău inspectors. A total of 26 children with symptoms were reported, all students at the school, and an 8-year-old child was hospitalized. Students who fell ill consumed pasta with tomato sauce, chicken and apple as part of a meal program. Food was provided by a catering unit in Vrancea County, in the municipality of Adjud. Following non-conformities detected at the site that prepared and delivered the food products, authorities ordered the suspension of activities and applied a sanction of 65,000 lei ($14,000). Dr. Alexandru Bociu said there is no room for compromise when it comes to the safety of food intended for children. “The suspension of activity and the sanction applied in this case are measures that reflect the seriousness of the non-conformities found. At the same time, we must be very careful not to draw conclusions before all analyses are completed. Our priority is the health of children and the accurate identification of the causes that led to this situation." ### FDA increases enforcement against imported food adulterated for economic gain URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-increases-enforcement-against-imported-food-adulterated-for-economic-gain/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T04:00:35.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. [Click here](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USFDA/2026/09/21/file%5Fattachments/3787009/Import%20Alerts%20Modified%20in%20the%20past%207%20days%202026-09-21.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts. See chart below for a list of the most recent alerts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/09/import-alerts-09-28-26.png) Click on chart to enlarge. Use link above to go to FDA page with links to specific alerts. ### Summer of recalls and outbreaks have food safety in the election spotlight URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/summer-of-recalls-and-outbreaks-have-food-safety-in-the-election-spotlight/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T02:34:22.000Z This story was [originally published](https://kffhealthnews.org/republish/elections/food-safety-concerns-midterms-kitchen-table-politics/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) by *KFF Health News*. By Stephanie Armour The run-up to the midterm elections is turning into a food fight — literally. The summer was marred by a massive foodborne outbreak that [sickened scores of people](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/cases/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the recall of [tens of thousands of pounds](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/corte-argentino-usa-llc-recalls-raw-beef-products-imported-without-benefit-import?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of imported meat, turning the safety of the U.S. food supply into a topic of national conversation and a political cause. Late-night talk show hosts [joked about symptoms](https://www.tiktok.com/@thedailyshow/video/7662939832741596447?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that included explosive diarrhea. As a precaution, [chain restaurants](https://www.growingproduce.com/farm-management/food-safety/outbreak-update-how-restaurants-are-reassuring-customers-about-lettuce/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) such as Chipotle and Taco Bell [yanked lettuce](https://www.tacobell.com/newsroom/taco-bell-statement?ref=foodsafetynews.com), jalapeños, and other suspected products from menus. Some food safety scientists [blamed the outbreaks](https://kffhealthnews.org/public-health/new-disease-threats-follow-trump-administrations-health-program-cuts/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on federal cuts to public health. These dynamics collectively have raised questions about whether it’s safe to order a salad or burger. Democrats have come out on the offensive, saying voters worried about the safety of the U.S. food supply should oust Republicans in the midterm elections. The Trump administration has countered by accusing Democrats of scaremongering over food safety to score political points. The political fracas reflects the toll that large-scale outbreaks have had on the public psyche. Midterm voters have long cared about pocketbook issues such as grocery prices, but the spate of recalls has them worried about whether the food they’re buying is safe to eat — and political leaders are paying attention. The outbreak linked to cyclospora in lettuce led to almost 20,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of illness from May through August, compared with 1,180 cases during the same span in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That makes it the largest recorded outbreak of the parasite. “One of the reasons food safety is in the news this year, and people have been rightfully concerned, is the combination of high-profile restaurant names and the absolute colossal number of illnesses,” said [Teresa Murray](https://pirg.org/people/teresa-murray/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), consumer watchdog director with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG, an advocacy group, referring to a recent cyclosporiasis outbreak. “It’s thousands of people. It makes it more real.” [Data shows](https://marketing.sedgwick.com/acton/attachment/4952/f-6b656d18-585b-48a5-b3e7-cdffe6b182c8/1/-/-/-/-/Sedgwick%20Recall%20-%20US%20Recall%20Index%20Report%20-%202026%20Edition%202.pdf?utm%5Fmedium=landing+page&utm%5Fsource=Act-On+Software&utm%5Fcontent=landing+page&utm%5Fterm=Sedgwick%20Recall%20-%20US%20Recall%20Index%20Report%20-%202026%20Edition%202.pdf&cm%5Fmmc=Act-On%20Software-%5F-Landing%2520Page-%5F--%5F-Sedgwick%20Recall%20-%20US%20Recall%20Index%20Report%20-%202026%20Edition%202.pdf&sid=TV2:UPPavwyKP) there have been about [200 food recalls](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls?ref=foodsafetynews.com) [so far in 2026](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which is about on par [with the number](https://www.wesh.com/article/us-food-recalls-trend-analysis/73415731?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at this time last year, according to PIRG data. **Following the numbers** A majority of registered voters have little or no confidence in government oversight of food safety, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to doubt the protections in place, [according to a July survey](https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3964&ref=foodsafetynews.com) by Quinnipiac University. [Ninety-four percent](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/94-of-us-adults-concerned-about-the-frequency-of-food-recalls-new-gs1-us-survey-shows-302865702.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of U.S. adults indicated they were concerned about the frequency of food recalls in a poll by GS1 US, a data standards organization. The share of consumers who strongly agree that the U.S. food system produces food that’s safe to eat declined to about 30% in August, from 40% in November, [based on survey data](https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2026/09/lettuce-talk-about-food-safety-consumer-responses-to-recent-outbreaks.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) released in September by the University of Illinois and Purdue University. Democrats have jumped at the chance to repeat criticisms of President Donald Trump’s budget cuts and priorities. The Democratic National Committee [recently posted a list of recalled food items](https://x.com/TheDemocrats/status/2090482252316651587?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on social media while calling Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “complete disaster” who must resign. “Trump is dismantling our government — and it’s harming people,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) posted [Sept. 2 on the social platform X](https://x.com/ewarren/status/2095238410252189973?ref=foodsafetynews.com), adding: “Slashed food safety agencies → cyclospora outbreak.” Just weeks earlier, she had written to Kennedy demanding answers for what she described as the administration’s “[failed response](https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-investigates-trump-admins-failed-response-to-cyclospora-outbreak-raises-questions-about-corruption-and-influence-peddling/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)” and its connection to political contributions. Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) [posted Sept. 5 on X](https://x.com/RepGabeAmo/status/2096269074573496473?ref=foodsafetynews.com): “I’m calling on Trump to stop gutting the FDA & restore its inspectors. We deserve safe food.” The campaign for Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) [posted Sept. 5 on X](https://x.com/JudyChuCampaign/status/2096293284033253678?ref=foodsafetynews.com): “Trump is cutting our food safety funding and workforce, and we have seen far too many food recalls this summer.” But the number of recalls doesn’t tell the whole story. While recalls aren’t markedly up this year compared with 2025, they are up over a broader time span. The country saw 320 food recalls by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2025, up from 296 in 2024, [according to PIRG](https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2026-2-4-630.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The total number of recalls grew 21% from 2021 to 2025, based on an [analysis by Trace One](https://www.traceone.com/resources/plm-compliance-blog/states-most-impacted-by-food-recalls-in-recent-years?ref=foodsafetynews.com), a provider of regulatory guidance software. A rise in Class I recalls, which are the highest priority because the products could cause serious illness or death, drove much of the increase. But recall numbers can be misleading. For starters, federal agencies do not publicize all recalls, especially if products are no longer on the market. Recall data itself is suspect because a single contaminated food can result in multiple recalls if the item is incorporated into processed food or other products. A far better measure is the number of people sickened, epidemiologists say. And this summer’s specific multistate outbreak from cyclospora was exceptional, affecting people in 21 states. When it comes to bacterial contamination of food — which is more common and includes *E. coli*, listeria, and salmonella — the overall trend points to outbreaks in which fewer people are falling ill. That’s a promising sign, some food safety leaders say, although the CDC says an estimated [48 million people](https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/people-risk-foodborne-illness?ref=foodsafetynews.com) each year in the U.S. experience foodborne illness. “That’s an indication we’re finding more outbreaks and finding more when they are smaller and limiting the extent to which they can get bigger,” said [Craig Hedberg](https://directory.sph.umn.edu/bio/sph-a-z/craig-hedberg?ref=foodsafetynews.com), a public health professor at the University of Minnesota and leader in food safety surveillance. Still, the perception that the food supply is riskier has been enough to ignite political rancor. The FDA recently [asserted on X](https://x.com/FDA/status/2090865461793522128?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that recalls for fiscal year 2026 are among the lowest levels recorded in over a decade, stating, “Don’t believe the fake news.” It included a chart that showed recalls dropping to 1,836 in fiscal 2026 from almost 4,000 in fiscal year 2013. On the same day, [HHS senior adviser Calley Means](https://calleymeans.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) doubled down on the claim, [posting on X ](https://x.com/calleymeans/status/2090817820296651044?ref=foodsafetynews.com)that Kennedy is doing so well that Democratic operatives are slamming the FDA for doing its job by conducting food recalls. “It makes sense that these craven, disingenuous attacks are all these influencers have,” he wrote. But some food safety experts question the numbers, noting that the agency’s recall totals cover a range of products. The tally also includes drugs and medical devices, based on an [analysis of the posted data](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/susan-mayne-452881a%5Fupdating-this-post-822-to-clarify-that-activity-7496674860581175296-7vqH/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) by [Susan Mayne](https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/susan-mayne/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), who was director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition from 2015 to 2023\. Some food safety leaders say it’s misleading to imply that food safety recalls have declined if the data the claim is based on includes recalls not related to food. “This HHS assertion appears to be based on incorrect data,” Mayne said on LinkedIn, a job-oriented social networking site. **It’s about more than recalls** Food safety has occasionally taken center stage in politics. In 1993, for example, an E. coli outbreak traced to Jack in the Box fast-food outlets pressured newly inaugurated President Bill Clinton to make it an [agenda item](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6951920/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at his first Cabinet meeting. His administration wound up adopting a new approach focused on preventing foodborne illness and credited with drastically reducing *E. coli*infections. Concern about food safety has especially taken hold now, public health leaders say, because the administration is portraying itself as a safety crusader while cutting staffing and funding for federal agencies responsible for surveillance and inspection. “There’s a level of hypocrisy from the administration when they promise to make our food safer and then eviscerate the agencies and programs that detect and prevent outbreaks,” said [Sarah Sorscher](https://www.cspi.org/biography/sarah-sorscher?ref=foodsafetynews.com), regulatory affairs director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The FDA continues to have the staff required for outbreak investigations, and no FDA investigators were affected by staffing changes or reductions in force, HHS spokesperson Grace Davis Jamison said in an email. The CDC lab supporting foodborne outbreak investigations also was not impacted by reductions in force, she said, and the agency maintains a dedicated team investigating foodborne outbreaks and working closely with state and local health departments. “The Trump Administration has mounted a robust response to each outbreak, working closely with health departments in all 50 states and leading the public health response by promptly identifying known sources and providing Americans with the information they need to protect themselves,” she said. The administration’s initiatives risk weakening food safety protections. Trump in late August said he would take action to make it easier for small livestock operations to [slaughter and process their own meat](https://www.agrolatam.com/usa/livestock/trump-big-four-meatpackers-beef-processing-ranchers/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), raising concerns among food safety leaders that the change could allow inadequately inspected beef to enter the food system. Trump also announced the U.S. would [import more beef from Argentina and Brazil](https://thehill.com/policy/international/6062087-recalled-argentine-beef-donald-trump-beef-tariff-pause/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), despite concerns about inspections and safety. The European Union has [implemented a ban](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-european-union-exports-halt-e7afd13a1b455d01a216f8f7ad34cebb?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on Brazilian beef imports because of noncompliance with food safety and antibiotic use. The administration [withdrew a proposed Biden-era rule](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/foodborne-disease/usda-withdraws-proposal-reduce-salmonella-poultry?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that would have stopped the sale of raw turkey and chicken containing high levels of salmonella. And it said it would delay [compliance with a rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) requiring grocery stores and companies to trace food in their supply chains, allowing for quick removal in cases of contamination. Implementation, originally set for Jan. 20 of this year, would instead occur in July 2028. The actions came after hearing concerns from stakeholders about the time needed to comply, Davis Jamison said. Some food safety leaders say the administration should do more to prevent foodborne illnesses, saying that failing to direct more resources into preventing problems makes it harder for Kennedy’s campaign to encourage people to eat more fresh foods. In fact, almost half of consumers changed their habits regarding which groceries they bought and 40% modified purchases at restaurants in the past month due to foodborne illness concerns, according to the survey by the University of Illinois and Purdue University. Concerns about foodborne illness exposure via fresh vegetables increased in August compared with feedback from the previous two years. “If you want people to eat real food, fresh fruits and vegetables, they have to be safe,” said Sandra Eskin, chief executive at [Stop Foodborne Illness](https://stopfoodborneillness.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), a nonprofit public health organization. “Instead, we have had farmers plowing under fields because people aren’t buying lettuce.” [*KFF Health News*](https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about* [*KFF*](https://www.kff.org/about-us?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*.* ### Peperoncini recalled after consumer finds pest in jar URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/peperoncini-recalled-after-consumer-finds-pest-in-jar/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T01:00:16.000Z G. L. Mezzetta Inc. is recalling Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, 32-ounce because of a consumer complaint about a dead mouse in a jar. The company has contacted the consumer and is investigating the situation. As of the posting of the recall on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, the company had not received any reports of illness or injury. Based on the information currently available, the recall applies to the following product and lot information: - Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, 32 oz. SKU: 10106328 Lot: 720106 The company has identified the customers that received product from the recalled lot and are working directly with them to isolate and remove the affected product from sale. ### Senators give little time to food during hearing for FDA chief URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/senators-give-little-time-to-food-during-hearing-for-fda-chief/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T22:30:43.000Z A Senate committee spent two hours questioning President Trump’s nominee to be commissioner of the FDA, but only about 10 minutes of the session touched on food. A New Mexico doctor, Heidi Overton, is Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Overton is currently Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Previously she was chief policy officer and vice chair for the Center for a Healthy America at the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute. She will succeed acting chief Kyle Diamantas who was appointed to the post on an interim basis following Marty Makary's resignation. Recently, Overton served as a White House Fellow in 2019-2020 in both the Office of American Innovation and the Domestic Policy Council. She is board-certified in public health and general preventive medicine. Overton does not have any experience with food policy or the food industry. The lion’s share of Overton’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee involved prescription drugs, flavored vapes, vaccinations and mifepristone. Some of the senators used the bulk of their time making statements rather than asking questions. Of the 16 senators on the committee, 10 did not mention food at all. The FDA has the responsibility to oversee 80 percent of the nation’s food supply. In her statement to the committee, Overton took a few seconds to mention food and the FDA’s responsibility to make sure it is safe. The committee’s Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-VT, spent the most time of any of the committee members on food. He discussed the FDA’s responsibility to investigate outbreaks and oversee recalls. He asked Overton if she would work to remove junk foods from television, but he was out of time and Overton could not answer. Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, stated concern about the Cyclospora outbreak this summer, as well as the number of recalls overall. She also expressed concerns about staff cuts at the FDA. Murray asked Overton if she knew how many people are employed in the FDA’s Human Foods Program. Overton did not know. Murray then asked Overton if she knew the name of the FDA’s operation that investigates outbreaks. Overton did not know. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI, asked Overton about labeling on non-dairy products. She specifically expressed concern about the use of the word “milk” on such products and asked Overton what she would do about it. Overton said would “look at it.” Sen. Jim Banks, R-IN, asked about Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) food additives and whether the FDA has enough resources to review such substances. Overton said the agency does not. Banks also asked about individual states passing laws about foods and Overton said there needs to be uniformity in such matters. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, said she wants there to be science-based information about genetically engineered organisms, specifically mentioning salmon. Overton agreed that such products should have clear labeling. Murkowski also expressed concern about federal funding cuts for state and local food safety efforts. Overton said she would work with Murkowski to address the issue. The FDA is not involved in the allocation of funding. Sen. Tom Kaine, D-VA, did not ask Overton about the food operations of the FDA, rather he made statements about the general state of food safety in the agency. He noted that the agency has cut much of its food safety staff. He also noted a 16-fold increase in the number of foodborne illnesses. Senators who did not mention food at all during Overton’s hearing were: - Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-LA - Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME - Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL - Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT - Sen. Ashley Moody, R-FL - Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH - Sen. Lise Blunt Rochester, D-DE - Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO - Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-MD - Sen. Ed Markey, D-MA ### Salmonella outbreak linked to Italian tomatoes again URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-italian-tomatoes-again/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T04:04:27.000Z German investigations into a Salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 100 people have once more pointed to Italian tomatoes as the source. A Salmonella Strathcona outbreak during the 2025-2026 season involved 116 cases in Germany, comprising 100 confirmed and 16 probable infections. Patients were classified as confirmed cases if they fell ill between June 2025 and March 2026 and whole genome sequencing analysis of the data identified the same outbreak strain as in previous years, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Illnesses are part of a [long-standing annual outbreak trend](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/11/tomato-sector-questions-salmonella-outbreak-link/). Between 2011 and 2024, more than 600 cases were identified across 17 European countries. RKI said despite investigation findings which have been available for several years, cases of Salmonella Strathcona are again being identified this season – both in Germany and other European countries -involving isolates that are closely related to the outbreak cluster from previous years. RKI has recorded 39 cases associated with the outbreak since June 2026\. Interviews again point to stays in Italy during the exposure period and to consumption of tomatoes. **2025-2026 outbreak** In the last season, cases occurred primarily between August and December 2025 in 13 federal states. The first case was at the end of June, and the epidemic curve showed an outbreak persisting over several months, with the most patients in late October. Cases continued to occur regularly in 2025, but only sporadically at the beginning of 2026. For 80 of the 116 outbreak cases, information on the country where infection likely occurred was available. Germany was the place of exposure for 48 cases. For 32 cases, exposure was abroad with 27 of these linked to Italy. The age of ill people ranged from less than 1 to 87, with half of them between 24 and 64 years old. The median age was 39\. Women were affected more than men with 66 female and 49 male cases. Data on hospitalization was available for 91 affected individuals. Of these, 24 were hospitalized because of salmonellosis, and six for other reasons. Salmonella Strathcona isolates submitted between June 2025 and March 2026 were closely related to isolates from previous outbreaks and the strain detected in 2025 in Austria from Italian organic cherry tomatoes. Experts said this pattern is consistent with a common source. Of the 116 cases, 30 were interviewed by the RKI via telephone. The majority reported having consumed tomatoes during the exposure period. Of the 17 people whose exposure occurred abroad, 16 had eaten tomatoes. Five sick people exposed in Germany said that they had purchased tomatoes from the same supermarket chain. Supply chain tracing by authorities revealed that tomatoes from Italy were being sold there during the period in question. Italian authorities detected Salmonella Strathcona in the irrigation water of a tomato producer in Sicily. An isolate obtained in April 2025 was linked to the outbreak cluster. These findings suggested that the production environment, and irrigation water especially, may have played a role in contamination of tomatoes. ### FDA warns three Northeast food importers about missing supplier verification programs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-warns-three-northeast-food-importers-about-missing-supplier-verification-programs/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T04:03:49.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to three food importers in Massachusetts and New Jersey after inspections found they had failed to develop, maintain or follow required Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs) for imported foods. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Salmonella found in French pumpkin seed outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/salmonella-found-in-french-pumpkin-seed-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T04:02:40.000Z Sampling of pumpkin seeds and at the processing plant has detected Salmonella, according to researchers investigating an outbreak in France. A nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis affected 81 people from May 3 to Aug. 12\. The median age of patients was 35 and 56 were female. Eight people were hospitalized and two went to the emergency department because of their symptoms. On 30 July, the National Reference Centre for E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella at Institut Pasteur and Santé publique France noted an increase in a genomic cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis, with 49 isolates since May. A study in the [journal Eurosurveillance](https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2026.31.38.2600796?ref=foodsafetynews.com) reported that sick people were mainly female, with a median age of 32 and 17 were from a single region. The delay from strain isolation at the primary laboratory and sequencing results is about four weeks. **Breakthrough thanks to Austria** Santé publique France conducted epidemiological investigations by phone with cases, using a trawling Salmonella questionnaire of 25 pages asking about food and environmental exposures. Hypothesis generating interviews revealed most cases shopped at the Grand Frais supermarket. However, no specific food item was identified. As investigations continued, an unusually large proportion reported consuming different nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds have a long shelf life, are often consumed raw, and are included in snack mixes, which complicates epidemiological and traceback investigations. In August, a message was posted on EpiPulse, an online platform for European health authorities to exchange information on outbreaks. Austria reported a food isolate obtained in June from pumpkin seeds imported from Poland with an identical profile as the reference French isolate. Consumption of pumpkin seeds alone or in mixes was later confirmed for 21 of 24 patients. Traceback investigations identified one producer of pumpkin seeds that supplied Grand Frais. This firm supplied the seeds in large bags labeled with a lot number to two French contractors, who repackaged them into smaller containers for sale in bulk, or pre-packaged them ready-to-buy alone or in mixes for the supermarket. **Positive samples and wider picture** Samples of pumpkin seeds from Grand Frais in the original packaging were taken at the homes of three cases. All three tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis and sequencing confirmed clustering with cases. In late August, the supplier recalled and withdrew pumpkin seed batches on the market since March. Onsite inspections identified two surface samples from the processing plant were positive for Salmonella Enteritidis, with sequencing underway. The implicated seeds were grown from seedlings imported from Austria, cultivated and processed in France. Traceback work has not been able to identify a link between the producer and pumpkin seeds from Poland. Export was identified to Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Switzerland and Belgium did not have any related cases but Luxembourg recorded a related human isolate on Sept. 3\. This person was ill in late August and had consumed mixed nuts and raisins containing pumpkin seeds. Sampling of leftover products confirmed contamination by the outbreak strain. The United Kingdom and Portugal also reported isolates in the outbreak cluster. The UK patient had traveled to France from mid-July to early August and had symptom onset the week after return to the UK but there is no information about pumpkin seed consumption. The isolate from Portugal is from May 2026 but there is no information about a link with France or pumpkin seeds. ### Sunday Edition: SNAP URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/sunday-edition-snap/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T19:01:06.000Z **Quick bites from the food safety arena** - [Three Salmonella outbreaks affecting the United Kingdom and at least six other European countries continue to spread](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/uk-patient-count-in-salmonella-outbreak-passes-600/). More than 600 people have fallen sick and two have died. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is monitoring one cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis cases in which 34 people have been hospitalized. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment has restarted an investigation into a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that began in spring 2025. - California Governor Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign [a bill creating certified labels for foods that are not ultra-processed](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/ultra-processed-food-has-links-to-food-safety/). The legislation, AB 2244, draws its definition of ultra-processed food from earlier state legislation, the “Real Food, Healthy Kids Act.” It would make the state a leader in helping consumers identify ultra-processed foods even as trade groups like the Consumer Brands Association point out that there is no “agreed upon scientific definition of ultra-processed foods.” - A survey in the United Kingdom found that [recalls cost food and beverage businesses about half a million pounds](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/uk-survey-puts-average-recall-cost-at-almost-550-000/) (equivalent to 730,000 USD) and require several hours of effort to trace products. Similar product tracing in the United States can take several days to weeks. - A consent decree filed in federal court in Minnesota [bars Gold Star Distribution Inc. from distributing food due to persistent insanitary conditions](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/consent-decree-bans-distributor-from-operating-because-of-rodent-infestation-other-filth/) at its Minneapolis warehouse. The company has also stopped distributing drugs and medical devices affected by conditions at the facility. Repeated inspection by state and federal officials identified problems involving rodents (live and dead), birds (live and dead) and worms in and around pallets of FDA-regulated products. --- **Today’s Topic: SNAP** Changes in the fine print — the very details — of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, might this year prevent Congress from passing a Farm Bill. SNAP, which was called the Food Stamp program until 2008, cost federal taxpayers $101.7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025\. It is the biggest line item in the Farm Bill. It’s big enough to have its own fraud unit run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration, which has disqualified or suspended 6,000 retailers and disabled or blocked over 2,000 illegal point-of-sale devices. Most fraudsters aim to turn SNAP benefits into cash. “Operation SNAP Back” is currently targeting fraudulent SNAP retailers — bodegas, convenience stores, and grocery stores — across New York City’s five boroughs with undercover investigations leading to action against 170 retailers. **Cost shifting concerns slow Farm Bill** Since July 2025, Democrats have been upset about SNAP eligibility changes in the comprehensive omnibus One Big Beautiful Bill, which also shifts more administrative costs to the states. Changes in SNAP are usually included in agriculture and food policy updates to the Farm Bill every five years, but Congress has not passed a Farm Bill since 2018\. The House passed its latest version in April. Senate Republicans, however, could not move theirs out of committee until Sept. 16 because Democrats were unified in their opposition. Democrats are holding the Farm Bill hostage until Republicans ease up on those SNAP changes. USDA administers SNAP and provides food assistance to low-income people. SNAP is the nation's largest nutrition assistance program, accounting for about 69 percent of USDA nutrition assistance spending in fiscal year (FY) 2025. The number of individuals and households receiving SNAP benefits, usually on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, has declined over the past year, slowly coming down from pandemic levels reached earlier this decade. The [total number of households receiving SNAP benefits in May 2026](https://www.fna.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap?ref=foodsafetynews.com) reached 19,951,747, down 11.5 percent from May 2025\. Individual SNAP enrollments in May totaled 36,685,024, or 12.3 percent less than May 2025’s count of 41,847,818. There’s no immediate evidence, however, that those reductions stem from recent eligibility changes rather than economic improvements. Also, in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Democrats mostly expressed concern about requiring states to cover more of SNAP's administrative costs if a state's payment error rates exceeded a certain percentage. On Sept. 16, the Committee managed to send “Farm Bill 2.0” to the Senate floor on a party-line vote of 12 to 11 after Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-KY, return to Congress. Because McConnell was absent from the Senate after a serious fall in June, Democrats were able to keep the Farm Bill bottled up in committee all summer. And the 119th Congress is also closer to the finish line than most people realize. The Senate has no legislative days scheduled in October, eight in November, and 14 in December. The target adjournment date is Dec. 18, 2026\. It remains to be seen whether the Farm Bill will be a high priority for action during that time. **From the New Deal to Food Stamps** Food stamps were one of FDR’s New Deal programs, rolled out during the Great Depression, to deliver unmarketable food surpluses to many unemployed people. The pilot program ran from 1939 to 1943. The pilot ended when the conditions that brought it about no longer existed. Wartime unemployment barely existed, and food surpluses had disappeared. With congressional authorization, the Kennedy Administration brought food stamps back as a pilot in 1961\. The Food Stamp Act of 1964 created the permanent Food Stamp program to strengthen the U.S. agricultural economy and increase the food purchasing power of low-income households to improve nutrition. At first, families had to purchase vouchers and received coupons worth more than their cash contribution. By July 1, 1974, the program was operating nationwide. In 1977, a new Food Stamp Reform Act passed, making the program more accessible to low-income families by eliminating the requirement that participants pay for a portion of their food stamps. **The Pros of SNAP (the benefits)** - Reduces food insecurity and lifts millions of families out of poverty. - Provides significant poverty relief - Improves health outcomes and reduces healthcare costs for low-income children. - Supports low-wage workers by filling income gaps during underemployment. **The Cons of SNAP (the criticisms)** - The high taxpayer cost to fund the massive federal budget requirements. - Opportunity for fraud and abuse, such as trafficking benefits for cash. - Dietary quality concerns, since it allows the purchase of junk food and soda. - Administrative burdens and work requirements can restrict access for those in need. --- **Our Take** Since the modern food stamp program began, certain financial criteria, work requirements and asset limitations have been among the rules that participants must follow. Congress has set these rules, and they have also changed over the years. For the 2026 fiscal year**,** household income before any deductions must generally be at or below 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). Net monthly income, after allowable deductions (such as high housing costs, childcare, or out-of-pocket medical expenses), must be at or below 100 percent of the FPL. One of the Big Beautiful Bill changes requires more people to show proof of work or approved job training. The work requirement was extended to include people ages 55 through 64 with school-aged children. Next to the poverty-level income requirements, the biggest hurdle to obtaining SNAP benefits can be the asset limit. This means SNAP participants cannot have more than a certain amount in any “countable resources,” including cash, checking or savings accounts. Many states waive the asset test for “standard applicants,” with the most common limit imposed being $3,000\. States may also use USDA’s *Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility* (BBCE) to make households categorically eligible for SNAP because they qualify for other poverty assistance. BBCE allows higher income amounts for SNAP eligibility. SNAP is not for everybody. Illegal immigrants are entirely ineligible; as are full-time college students, union members on strike and most convicted felons. --- **By the numbers** **101,700,000,000** – The amount, in dollars, spent on SNAP benefits in federal FY 2025. **187.94** – The amount, in dollars, of [the average monthly SNAP benefit paid to an individual](https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in FY 2025\. [Actual amounts vary by state](https://snapbenefitcalculator.com/average-snap-benefit/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In the current fiscal year, California and Connecticut SNAP payments are close to the average. Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the lowest average payments, while Massachusetts, New York and Illinois are among the highest. **351.92** – The amount, in dollars, of the average monthly SNAP benefit paid to a household in the current federal fiscal year. **1,696** – The *gross* monthly income limit, in dollars, for [an individual to be eligible for SNAP benefits](https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility?ref=foodsafetynews.com). That is 130 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). *Net* monthly income after certain deductions is also a factor in eligibility. That limit is $1,305 for an individual, or 100 percent of the FPL. **2,608** – The amount, in dollars, of [a Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) gross monthly income limit](https://snapbenefitcalculator.com/snap-income-limits-by-state/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for an individual to receive SNAP benefits. That is 200 percent of the FPL. More than 40 states use this option to loosen the program’s usual income and asset tests to make more people eligible for benefits. Some states use a level of 185 percent or 165 percent of the FPL to make their calculations for eligibility. **5,358** – The amount, in dollars, of a BBCE gross monthly income limit in many states for a family of four to receive SNAP benefits for the current fiscal year. **3,000** – The amount, in dollars, of the limit on liquid assets that a SNAP participant may have to receive benefits in several states. For households with a member over 60 years of age or with a disability, the limit rises to $4,500\. States that use BBCE typically do not have an asset test. --- **What it means** The federal government currently covers the full cost of SNAP benefits and shares administrative costs with the states. At issue now is the federal government’s plan to shift some benefit costs to the states beginning in October 2027, and more administrative costs beginning this October. These cost shifts are drawing the most controversy, and they could kill the Farm Bill before the current Congress adjourns. The stated goal of the planned cost shifting is to bring error rates under control. State payment error rates measure each state’s accuracy in benefit determinations, while the national performance measure, or national payment error rate, represents the average of these rates, weighted by state caseload sizes. Payment errors include both underpayments and overpayments. For FY 2025, the combined national error rate was 10.62 percent, with 1.33 percent attributed to underpayments and 9.28 percent to overpayments. That translates into nearly $11 billion in errors for 2025, most of which are overpayments. In the past, Republicans and Democrats would seek a compromise to resolve the differences over SNAP eligibility and cost shifts. That isn’t happening so far this year. What is not in dispute is that the clock is running down on the opportunity to find a solution during this congressional session. *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Ravioli recalled because of undeclared lobster URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/ravioli-recalled-because-of-undeclared-lobster/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T02:50:47.000Z Deano’s Pasta of Somerville, MA, is recalling 20 pounds of Pear and Pecorino Triangoli Ravioli, because it may contain undeclared Lobster. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to crustacean shellfish, including lobster, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. Pear and Pecorino Triangoli Ravioli was distributed in Massachusetts in retail stores between Aug. 8 and Sept. 22. Deano’s Pasta brand Pear and Pecorino Triangoli Ravioli was packed in 1-pound bags, frozen, with lot codes 090126126, 082526126,081826126, and 073126126\. The lot code can be found on the product label under best by date. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated after a customer complaint led to an internal audit discovering that product containing Lobster was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of the allergen. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging processes. Consumers who have purchased Deano’s Pasta Pear and Pecorino Triangoli Ravioli should not consume the product and are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. ### Cinnamon recalled because of excessive lead levels URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cinnamon-recalled-because-of-excessive-lead-levels/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T02:41:55.000Z Galil Importing Corp. of Hauppauge, NY, is recalling Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning because it has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that increased blood lead levels may be the only apparent sign of lead exposure. Additional signs and symptoms of lead exposure are more likely with acute exposure to higher levels of lead or chronic exposure to lead. While lead can affect nearly every bodily system, its effects depend upon the amount and duration of lead exposure and age/ body weight. If a child is exposed to enough lead for weeks to months, permanent damage to the central nervous system may occur. This can result in learning disorders, developmental defects, and other longterm health problems. Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning (UPC 794711005484) was distributed to retail stores, grocery stores, delis, and supermarkets located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida & Illinois between Nov. 18, 2025, and Sept. 7, 2026. The product is packaged in 90 g transparent plastic containers (case pk of 6 units). The lot code GAP11304 can be found on the side of the container under the ingredient line. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was the result of a sample collected and analyzed by Maryland Department of Health that revealed the product contained elevated levels of lead. Galil Importing Corp immediately initiated a recall and is notifying customers to stop distribution and sale of the affected product and place remaining inventory on hold. The company has begun a supplier investigation, and implemented enhanced testing and supplier verification measures to prevent a recurrence. Consumers should not consume the product and should either discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. ### Frozen sausage recalled after complaints of plastic in product URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/frozen-sausage-recalled-after-complaints-of-plastic-in-product/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T02:11:38.000Z Fontanini Foods LLC of McCook, IL, is recalling 2,320 pounds of raw, frozen pork breakfast sausage products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically clear, hard plastic, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The raw, frozen pork breakfast sausage items were produced on June 23\. The following products are subject to recall: - 10-lb. cardboard box cases containing “Fontanini PORK SAUSAGE LINKS” with “ITEM 393” printed on the box and “PACKED ON 06/23/2026” printed on the shipping label. The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 6944” inside the USDA mark of inspection printed on the box. These items were shipped to distributors in California, Florida, Michigan, and Nevada to be served in food service establishments, including restaurants. The problem was discovered after the firm received two customer complaints regarding clear, hard plastic found in the sausage. There have been no confirmed reports of injury or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in food service and restaurant freezers. Food service establishments and restaurants are urged not to serve this product. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Chicken stew from Korea recalled because of inspection problem URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/chicken-stew-from-korea-recalled-because-of-inspection-problem/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T02:01:57.000Z Sempio Food Services Inc. of Cerritos, CA, is recalling 4,596 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken stew products that were imported from the Republic of Korea without the benefit of import reinspection into the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The chicken stew products were produced on March 30 and have the best-by date of Sept. 29, 2027\. The following products are subject to recall: - Cardboard boxes containing pouches of 31.75-oz (900 g) “Sempio Korean Ginseng CHICKEN STEW CLASSIC” - Cardboard boxes containing pouches of 31.75-oz (900 g) “Sempio Korean Ginseng CHICKEN STEW RICH” The products subject to the recall bear Korean establishment number “GIA15001” and shipping mark “MK-2026-0422-01”. The products were distributed to distributors and retailers in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. Retailers are urged not to sell these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### New E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/new-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-raw-milk-cheese/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T19:01:15.000Z The FDA and CDC are investigating a new outbreak of E. coli O26:H11 infections linked to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese. As of Sept. 25, there are 13 confirmed patients, more than half of whom are younger than 5 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ages range from 1 to 58, with a median of 5\. Eight of the patients have required hospitalization and three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a type of kidney failure that can also cause other serious problems including brain damage and death. The sick people are spread across nine states coast to coast. The states with patients are California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. Illness onset dates range from July 7 through Aug. 26\. Public health officials are interviewing patients about the foods they ate before becoming sick. Of nine people interviewed, all nine reported eating Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese before becoming ill. There are likely many more sick people than the patient list reflects at this time. This is because some people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for E. coli infection. According to the CDC for every confirmed patient in an E. coli outbreak there are 26 who go undetected. On Sept. 24, the Food and Drug Administration contacted the company to notify it about the outbreak and recommend it conduct a recall. Sierra Nevada Cheese Company LCC is working with the FDA and that same day agreed to and initiate a recall of all Graziers Raw Milk Cheeses. The recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses were distributed nationwide. They are sold in medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño jack, and Monterey jack in 8-ounce or 16-ounce packages and available to food service customers or wholesalers in 5-pound loaves. This is not the company’s first problem with raw milk. In August 2025, California’s State Veterinarian [ordered a statewide recall and quarantine](https://pressreleases.cdfa.ca.gov/Home/PressRelease/66054324?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of Sierra Nevada’s Bella Capra raw goat milk cheddar after California Department of Food and Agriculture testing found Listeria monocytogenes in the cheese. The FDA recommends the following actions for consumers and retailers: - Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses (medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeno jack, or Monterey jack varieties). Consumers who purchased recalled cheese may return it to the place of purchase for a refund. - This product has a long shelf life. Check your refrigerators and freezers for the recalled raw milk cheeses and throw them away. If you refrigerated or froze cheese without the original packaging and can’t tell if it’s part of the recall, throw it away. - Consumers, restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers who purchased or received recalled raw milk cheese, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. - Retailers that received recalled product and repackaged it for individual sale should not sell it and remove the product from the market. **About E. coli infections** Food that is contaminated with E. coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### UK patient count in Salmonella outbreak passes 600 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/uk-patient-count-in-salmonella-outbreak-passes-600/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T01:49:52.000Z More than 600 people have fallen sick as part of three Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom and two have died. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and others are investigating the Salmonella Enteritidis clusters which have affected 622 people. More than 170 ill people have been interviewed and 143 reported eating food prepared outside the home in the week prior to symptom onset. Investigations have linked 47 cases to 11 businesses, with at least 24 infected people eating dishes containing eggs. The eggs come from multiple sources, but two large importers are being investigated further. Genetic relatedness of the clusters and food information suggests illnesses are associated with eating imported eggs at small cafés, restaurants, and takeaways. Targeted sampling is ongoing to confirm the source but officials warned many samples would be required to achieve confidence in results. Defra’s UK Office for SPS and Trade Assurance oversees market access arrangements for imported food. **European impact** In the first cluster, there have been 391 confirmed cases and one death. Sample dates range from Aug. 11, 2025, to Sept. 8, 2026\. In the past month, 132 infections have been reported in England. Sick people range in age from younger than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30\. Of 173 cases with available information, 45 have been admitted to hospitals. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is also monitoring this Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 cluster. At least 34 people have been hospitalized. In July, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) restarted an investigation into a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that began in spring 2025\. There are 111 patients with 31 in 2026, including 10 in June and eight in July. Only seven patient interview questionnaires have been received by RIVM, with the agency saying it is too early to draw any conclusions about the source. There are also sick people in Belgium, Austria, Denmark, France, and Germany. **England and the rest of the UK** In the second cluster, there are 189 cases in England. Sample dates range from May 27, 2025, to Sept. 2, 2026\. Patients are aged between younger than 1 to 92 with a median of 29 years old. Of 52 patients with information available, 24 were admitted to hospitals. In a third cluster, there are 42 cases and one death, with sample dates ranging from Jan. 27 to Aug. 24, 2026\. Cases range in age from younger than 1 to 87 with a median of 32 years old. Seven people have been hospitalized. In Scotland, there are 15 confirmed cases. Fourteen are in the first cluster and one in the third cluster reported by UKHSA. Sample dates are from April 1 to Aug. 14, 2026\. Patients range in age from 2 to 78 with a median of 36 years old and 10 are female. Several people have reported bloody diarrhea but none have been hospitalized because of salmonellosis. There are two Scottish cases from 2025 in the second cluster. Wales has 10 cases in the first cluster and two in the second. One patient in the first cluster lives in Northern Ireland. There are also two illnesses in either Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. **Listeria guidance** The FSA is also seeking views on revised listeriosis guidance for health and social care settings. A consultation covers England, Northern Ireland, and Wales and is [open until Dec. 16, 2026](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-VAcircBikym-pDrkG8Y6YZLFcJd3QFAmNG7xLQ%5FiD5URjBUQVlOS0ZFWjVQNDRaVkhXU0NMM0tXSyQlQCN0PWcu&ref=foodsafetynews.com). The main changes clarify legal obligations for food businesses operating within health and social care settings, update the Listeria risky foods list, and bring legislative references up to date. There are also new sections on registration of food companies operating within care settings, food safety culture, and on incidents in the care sector. ### Expired eggs used in meal linked to Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/expired-eggs-used-in-meal-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T04:04:21.000Z At least 250 people have fallen sick at a school in the Czech Republic after eating in the cafeteria. The Prague Public Health Authority said the use of eggs past their shelf-life date and a likely failure to follow proper cooking procedures are factors behind the Salmonella outbreak. There are 250 sick individuals, including 10 adults, at Masaryk Elementary School in Újezd ​​nad Lesy, Prague. Those infected are suffering from gastrointestinal issues, cramps, and fever. Completed questionnaires show that cases ate a spaghetti dish before getting sick. Prague public health officials received reports of gastrointestinal symptoms earlier this week among people who had spaghetti carbonara from the cafeteria. **Eggs almost a week out of date** Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of Salmonella in 18 people. More than 40 people have been hospitalized. It was not possible to collect egg samples directly from the school kitchen because they had already been used. Health officials are tracing the specific batch to the supplier's facility with help from other regulatory bodies. Findings by inspectors revealed that eggs used in the spaghetti meal had a best-before date of Sept. 15, yet staff processed them in the kitchen on Sept. 21. Vladimír Možíšek, director at the Prague Public Health Authority, said the lab results had helped focus the investigation. “We greatly appreciate the responsible action taken by the principal, who arranged for a company to sanitize the cafeteria and kitchen areas and temporarily closed the school,” he said. A health check of kitchen staff revealed that none of them are currently reporting any symptoms. An onsite inspection involved collecting samples of ingredients and reviewing food preparation schedules and procedures. Administrative proceedings will be opened against the foodservice operator once the inspection process is concluded. Preventive cleaning and disinfection of the premises were carried out before the school opened on September 22. Epidemiologists urged families to strictly observe enhanced hygiene measures – particularly frequent handwashing with warm water and soap – to prevent the transmission of the infection among household members. ### Salmonella outbreak traced to sprouts spreads to 2 more states URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-sprouts-spreads-to-2-more-states/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T04:03:12.000Z Ten people have been added to the patient count in a Salmonella Bovismorbificans outbreak from recalled broccoli sprouts traced to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC. As of Sept. 24 there were 32 confirmed patients across six states. On Sept. 9 there were 22 patients across four states. This outbreak associated with Evergreen Fresh Sprouts of Moyie Springs, ID, is separate from an outbreak of Salmonella and E. coli infections linked to Everything Sprouts produced in Minneapolis, MN. The Everything Sprouts outbreak has sickened 55 people. For the Salmonella outbreak associated with Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, information collected by state officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows illnesses began on dates ranging from July 7 through Sept. 3\. The sick people live in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. There have been three hospitalizations but no deaths have been reported. Of 27 people interviewed, 26 reported eating sprouts or microgreens. Twenty-two reported specifically eating broccoli sprouts, and one reported eating a microgreen mix containing broccoli microgreens. The implicated broccoli sprouts were distributed in Idaho, Montana and Washington, but may have been distributed in other states. Samples of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts collected from a grocery store and a sick person’s home both tested positive for Salmonella Bovismorbificans. Whole genome sequencing showed that the samples matched the strain of Salmonella that is making people sick. On Sept. 4, Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC initiated a recall of its broccoli sprouts. According to the Food and Drug Administration the implicated sprouts should no longer be available for sale. The company has not recalled any other sprout varieties. **Previous outbreaks** This is the third outbreak since 2011 linked to Evergreen Sprouts. In 2011, 25 people in five states were infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from alfalfa and spicy sprouts sold under the Evergreen Produce label. The FDA warned consumers directly on June 27 that year, a step the agency generally takes only when a company will not recall, and the co-owner told the trade press that recalling would amount to admitting guilt. The company ultimately recalled sprouts on July 1\. In 2014, 19 people in six states were infected with E. coli O121 traced to raw clover sprouts served at sandwich shops in Washington and Idaho. FDA has inspected the company several times since 2010\. The inspection that followed the 2011 outbreak produced a formal warning letter. Most of the inspections since then, including the 2014 inspection, were classified Voluntary Action Indicated, meaning the agency found things it wanted fixed but left the fixing to the firm. The most recent inspection was in 2024, also Voluntary Action Indicated. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any Evergreen sprouts and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Rare E. coli type behind large outbreak in Japan URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/rare-e-coli-type-behind-large-outbreak-in-japan/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T04:01:13.000Z Researchers in Japan have been unable to pinpoint the contamination route of a large outbreak that sickened more than 170 people. In June 2022, 171 of 934 people suffered mainly from diarrhea and abdominal pain after eating boxed lunches in the Kinki region. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Potential infant formula illnesses probed in the UK URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/potential-infant-formula-illnesses-probed-in-the-uk/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T18:14:54.000Z The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) investigated several illness reports linked to a brand of infant formula earlier this year. Officials declined to name the company, product, or local authority, stating there was no present risk to public health. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA identifies two new outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-identifies-two-new-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T04:05:22.000Z The FDA is investigating two new outbreaks, one of Listeria infections and one of E. coli O157:H7 infections. The has not determined the pathogen source for either outbreak. For the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, 40 patients have been identified. The Food and Drug Administration has not reported the ages of the patients or where they live. The FDA has begun traceback in the Listeria investigation but is not reporting what food is being traced. For the outbreak of E coli infections, 25 patients have been identified. The FDA is not reporting the ages of the patients or where they live. The agency has begun traceback but is not reporting what food is being traced. In other outbreak news, for an outbreak of Salmonella Newport the patient count has increased to 116, up from 111 a week ago. The FDA is not reporting the patient’s ages or where they live. In the past week the agency has begun sampling but it is not reporting what is being sampled. The outbreak was first reported on Aug. 26. ### Consent decree bans distributor from operating because of rodent infestation, other filth URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/consent-decree-bans-distributor-from-operating-because-of-rodent-infestation-other-filth/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T04:03:45.000Z A consent decree filed in a federal court in Minnesota bars Gold Star Distribution Inc. from distributing food because of persistent insanitary conditions. The company had been distributing products including food from a facility that the Food and Drug Administration determined to have persistent and severe rodent and pest infestations that put products at potential contamination with filth. The consent decree bans the company and its owner, Bassam Abu Samrah, from operating in the food industry until the FDA finds the problems have been resolved. “Consumers trust that the products they purchase — whether food, medicine, or everyday household items — have been stored safely and are free from contamination,” said Elizabeth Miller, FDA associate commissioner for inspections and investigations. “When a company repeatedly ignores serious, ongoing violations that put trust at risk, the FDA will act. This consent decree makes clear that persistent failure to maintain basic sanitary conditions is unacceptable and will have consequences.” In addition to food, the company distributed drugs and medical devices, which were also contaminated. In 2025, the FDA and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), in collaboration with other state regulatory partners including the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, investigated and found the persistent insanitary conditions at Gold Star’s warehouse facility in Minneapolis. Prior to the 2025 inspection, the FDA inspected the Gold Star facility on five separate occasions. The MDA inspected the facility on 26 separate occasions between 2013 and 2025\. FDA’s prior inspections, and many MDA inspections, cited insanitary conditions associated with rodents, including observations of live and dead rodents, gnaw marks, package damage, rodent excrement, and nesting materials throughout the facility. The FDA and MDA took several regulatory and compliance actions during this time to protect consumers. In November and December 2025, the FDA conducted a follow-up inspection and observed continuing insanitary conditions, including nine live rodents, 17 dead rodents in various states of decay, eight live birds, one dead bird, and five live worms throughout the facility, as well as numerous rodent excreta pellets, urine stains, gnaw holes, and nesting materials in and around pallets of FDA-regulated products, including rice, cat food, drugs, sanitary pads, and cosmetics. The FDA’s laboratory analyses confirmed the presence of rodent urine, urea, excreta, hairs, and gnaw holes in product packaging. In addition to the rodent and bird problems, the FDA observed leaking and overflowing refuse near outgoing shipments of FDA-regulated products; gaps and holes in the facility’s infrastructure; ceiling leaks dripping onto stored products; and trash buildup outside the facility door and refuse container. In November 2025, the MDA twice issued a notice of embargo and cease and desist order covering all food products and operations. The MDA also revoked the defendants’ food wholesale license. In December 2025, the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy issued a cease and desist order against the defendants for warehousing and distributing over-the-counter drugs without a required pharmacy license and administratively detained the over-the-counter drugs held at the facility. Following the FDA’s 2025 inspection, Gold Star voluntarily recalled certain FDA-regulated products that may have been contaminated with filth. The consent decree requires the defendants to retain an independent expert to develop and implement FDA-approved sanitation control and drug storage plans; eliminate all pests and filth from the facility; complete facility renovations to prevent future pest entry; destroy all FDA-regulated products in their possession under FDA supervision; and undergo comprehensive inspections by an independent expert, an independent pest control company, and the FDA, as it deems necessary, before they may resume operations. Defendants must receive written notification from the FDA that they appear to be in compliance before resuming operations. ### Study findings challenge Campylobacter coli knowledge URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/study-findings-challenge-campylobacter-coli-knowledge/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T04:02:06.000Z Detection of the same type of Campylobacter in several countries has challenged previous beliefs that it is associated with unrelated infections. Researchers reported the previously unrecognized circulation of a multidrug-resistant Campylobacter coli sequence type across Europe during 2018 to 2025\. However, they said the lack of epidemiological data means transmission routes and outbreaks cannot be confirmed. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 217 isolates from nine countries of human, animal, food, and environmental sources identified cross-border clusters. Campylobacteriosis cases are primarily caused by Campylobacter jejuni followed by Campylobacter coli. Poultry is the main reservoir. Infections have been considered sporadic but WGS–based surveillance has demonstrated that many cases occur as genetically related clusters. Scientists said the multidrug-resistant Campylobacter coli sequence type (ST) 10042 was associated with a peak of infections in Portugal and has been detected in Germany, Luxembourg, France, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Spain. **Multi-country analysis** Given the increase in Campylobacter coli in Portugal in 2022, driven by ST10042, researchers conducted an extended investigation. Findings were published in [Emerging Infectious Diseases](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32/10/26-0512%5Farticle?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Of the 217 isolates, most were from humans and Portugal contributed the largest number, followed by Germany and Luxembourg. Portugal, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Ireland also had animal/food isolates, but environmental isolates were detected only in Portugal and Luxembourg. Of the 30 animal and human food-derived isolates, 25 were from poultry. Food isolates were recovered from raw chicken and turkey meat in Portugal, and from chicken-based prepared dishes in Luxembourg. The 104 Portuguese isolates from 2020 to 2025 consisted of one main cluster of 28 isolates and 15 smaller clusters of 2 to 4 isolates while the others were sporadic. The main cluster had 20 human isolates from 2021 to 2024, and eight nonhuman isolates from chicken, turkey or cattle collected in 2021 to 2022, and three poultry meat isolates from 2021, 2023, and 2024. One cluster from Ireland, which included chicken and human isolates from 2021 and 2022, was consistent with an outbreak, possibly linked to chicken contamination. Despite low international reports, the strain was found in databases across Europe, forming distinct genetic clusters across countries and sectors. The lack of detailed epidemiological metadata means transmission routes and outbreak causality remain unknown. “These findings demonstrate that Campylobacter coli infections can involve sustained international transmission rather than sporadic cases and highlight the need for coordinated, cross-sector genomic surveillance to detect emerging antimicrobial-resistant lineages,” said scientists. ### Sprouting seeds recalled because of link to outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/sprouting-seeds-recalled-because-of-link-to-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T03:25:17.000Z Berlin Seeds, of Millersburg, OH, is recalling 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seed because the seed has the potential to be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and/or Salmonella. To date, one illnesses has been reported directly to Berlin Seeds in connection with this seed. The recall was initiated after the seed supplier notified Berlin Seeds that the seeds were identified through traceback as seed used by a sprout grower whose finished sprouts were part of an FDA investigation involving a multi-state foodborne illness outbreak of multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (multiple serotypes include: O26:H11, O103:H25, O168:H8) and Salmonella Agona infections. The supplier also notified Berlin Seed that a spent irrigation water sample from one of its alfalfa seed lots had tested positive for E. coli. The recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration does not name the seed supplier. The recalled product was sold by Berlin Seeds at their retail store in Millersburg, OH and through their company website from Feb. 13, to Aug. 23 to customers in AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY. The Berlin Seeds branded Alfalfa Sprouting Seed is packaged under the Berlin Seeds label in 1/4 lb., 1/2 lb., 1 lb., 5 lb., and 50 lb. sizes. The 1/4 lb., 1/2 lb., 1 lb., and 5 lb. sizes are packaged in resealable bags, while the 50 lb. size is packaged in a non-resealable poly woven bag. The 5 lb. and 50 lb. packages bear lot code SAL2-24JB located on the bottom right-hand corner of the label. The 1/4 lb., 1/2 lb., and 1 lb. packages do not bear a lot code. No other Berlin Seeds sprouting seeds, including alfalfa sprouting seed, are affected by this recall. Consumers who believe they may have purchased the affected Alfalfa Sprouting Seed should stop using it immediately and should not sprout it, plant it, or give it away. They should not eat any sprouts already grown from this seed and should throw them away. The seed should be disposed of in the trash in a sealed bag, and any jars, trays, sprouters, or surfaces the seed or sprouts may have touched should be carefully cleaned and sanitized. Consumers who have eaten the recalled product and feel ill should contact their health care provider. Retailers and distributors who believe they have received the affected Alfalfa Sprouting Seed should immediately stop selling and distributing the seed in inventory and dispose of it according to local protocols. Additionally, they should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the product may have touched. ### More than 83 tons of meat recalled because of fake inspections URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/more-than-83-tons-of-meat-recalled-because-of-fake-inspections/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T01:24:21.000Z Star Meat Delivery Inc. of Lucama, NC, is recalling 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products that were produced without federal inspection and bearing labels with a fake USDA mark of inspection, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. As more information becomes available, FSIS may update the product list and labels with additional items. Any product bearing the false establishment number “EST. 1363” should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat. The raw pork, beef, and goat items were produced on various dates prior to September 22\. The products were vacuum-sealed and packed into cardboard boxes for shipment; individual consumer packages may not bear this labeling, as retail stores may have applied their own stickers with pricing. The following products, distributed in bulk under the A&D Foods label, are subject to recall: - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “GOAT CUT 1-1/2" 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “GOAT BURN SKIN ON CUT 1-1/2" 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “SLICE RIBEYE 4oz 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “BEEF CHUCK THIN SLICED KBQ 4 MM 20.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “BEEF OXTAIL CUT 10.00LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “BEEF SHORT RIBS SLD 3/8" REGULAR 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “SHANKS BONE IN CUT 1.5 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK GROUND 10.00LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK CHORIZO 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK CHOP B/I 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK FEET CUT 8 PCS 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK FEET CUT 6 PCS 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK RIB PIECES PREM 1" 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK BOSTON DICED 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK BOSTON SLICE 1 INCH 20.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “Menudo Mix 30.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK BOSTON THIN SLICED 3.5MM 20.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK HOCK SLICED 10.00 LBS” - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Ribs 4Bone 2" C. Cut P/Caldo - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Short Rib Thin Sliced - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Pork Boston Butt Sliced 4MM - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Short Ribs SLD 3/8" Premium C. Cut - Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Feet Cut The products subject to recall bear false marks of inspection with establishment number “EST. 1363,” which does not have a federal grant of inspection. These items were shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, for further distribution to retail and restaurant locations nationwide. The problem was discovered during FSIS surveillance activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in the refrigerators or freezers of consumers, restaurants, or retailers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. Retailers and restaurants are urged not to sell or serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Organic applesauce recalled because of elevated levels of patulin URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/organic-applesauce-recalled-because-of-elevated-levels-of-patulin/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T01:07:46.000Z Wakefern Food Corp. is recalling Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce after routine FDA testing identified elevated patulin levels that exceed food safety limits. Patulin is a naturally occurring substance produced by molds that grow on damaged or bruised apples and may be present in products made from affected fruit. Because patulin levels in this product exceed acceptable limits, the product should not be consumed. The recall affects Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce sold in 23-ounce plastic jar containers with the UPC Code 04119005677\. All recalled packages have a best-by date of June 16, 2027. The products were distributed through Wakefern supermarket banners ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market. No other products sold at those supermarkets are affected by this recall, and no illnesses or injuries associated with the product have been reported. The issue was identified through routine monitoring by the FDA. Food safety standards limit the amount of patulin permitted in food products because of potential health concerns associated with elevated exposure over time. ### Food safety and corruption URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/food-safety-and-corruption-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T23:23:06.000Z As foodborne illness outbreaks have grabbed headlines, confidence in the federal government’s stewardship of the food system has faltered. The Administration has sought to redirect public attention towards the nation’s obesity epidemic, and its promise of getting us all to eat “real food.” But progress on reducing the nation’s chronic diet-related disease epidemic faces the same fundamental problem today in the United States as efforts to prevent acute foodborne illness: rampant corruption. Nutrition and food safety are not the same, but they overlap significantly. A growing body of [evidence](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11980346/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) suggests that harmful additives in food are a key driver of chronic disease. At the same time, microbiological pathogens like *E.coli* in [romaine](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/financial-impact-romaine-lettuce-e-194859151.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) lettuce or, more recently, *Cyclospora* in salad greens, can scare off consumers from more nutritious foods, pushing them to eat more sterile, typically ultra-processed, foods. So a strategy to improve Americans’ diets that that neglects microbiological food safety does not make a lot of sense. Even so, policies to rid the food supply of sketchy ingredients and improve consumers’ access to “real food” could do a lot to improve public health. This is not a new problem. As the graph below from the [National Institutes of Health](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity?ref=foodsafetynews.com) shows, child obesity has been soaring for decades: ##### Trends in Obesity Among Children and Adolescents Ages 2–19 years, by Age: United States, 1963–1965 through 2017–2018 ![Food Blog Safety And Corruption](https://consumerfed.org/media/q3lfpnff/food-blog-safety-and-corruption.jpg) Why has our public health system allowed this to happen? In a word, corruption. Food is complicated, and throughout history, well-intentioned people and innovations have gone awry. Trans-fat, for example, was [long thought](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8452362/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to be healthier than the saturated fats it replaced. But corruption explains a lot of why [one in five kids](https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obesity-facts/childhood-obesity-facts.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) today can expect to suffer from obesity before they reach adulthood. All too often, long after the science has revealed an unacceptable health risk associated with a food product (e.g. trans-fat), vested interests have delayed or stymied corrective action. It took 25 years of advocacy by groups like CFA member Center for Science in the Public Interest to get trans-fat out of the food supply. The [carcinogenic](https://consumerfed.org/news/testimony-comments/coalition-implores-fda-commissioner-to-end-decades-long-delay-and-ban-carcinogenic-drug-outlawed-around-the-world/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) pig feed additive carbadox offers a contemporary, and galling, example of industry rent-seeking behavior at work. And the same stall tactics have preserved obviously inadequate regulatory processes (e.g. allowing chemical companies to [secretly self-determine](https://www.ewg.org/research/secret-gras-how-100-food-chemicals-bypassed-government-safety-review?ref=foodsafetynews.com) novel food ingredient safety). Campaigning as disruptive reformers, the Administration has portrayed its Make America Healthy Again movement as an antidote to Big Food’s corrupting influence. At the recent Republican “mid-term convention,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed the Democratic Party for having “cultivated deep ties” with “Big Food.” There is some truth in this. The food and beverage industry reportedly [gave](https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary?cycle=2024&ind=N01&ref=foodsafetynews.com) $8.08 million to the Democratic Party in the 2024 election cycle. But the same reporting shows the industry gave $9.95 million to the Republican Party. Likewise, the Administration’s “[MAHA Report](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MAHA-Report-The-White-House.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com)” criticized the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) as “being unduly influenced by corporate interests.” Yet when the Administration assembled a group of experts to issue new guidelines, they [disclosed](https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/07/new-dietary-guidelines-review-panel-financial-ties-beef-dairy-industry/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) financial ties to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, and General Mills, among others. Not exactly “pure as the wind driven snow,” as the irascible consumer advocate [Tony Corbo](https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2020/09/16/honoring-the-legacy-of-tony-corbo/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) used to say. Not all corruption is the same. A scientist that accepts grant funding from a trade group is not necessarily corrupt, nor is a member of Congress who accepts a campaign donation from a food company. Formally [defined](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corruption?ref=foodsafetynews.com), corruption is “dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers),” or “inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (such as bribery).” Money influences people in insidious ways. As Upton Sinclair said, “it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” But in a world of super PACs and public-private partnerships, the line between acceptable conflicts, or appearances of conflict, and corruption, is not always clear. That ambiguity puts a premium on rigorous and uncompromising responses to powerful people who are caught red-handed engaging in dishonest or illegal behavior. And that is where this Administration and its allies in Congress most distinguish themselves. There are already indications that the new normal will jeopardize food safety. Take infant formula. Last week, the Department of Justice [announced](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/abbott-agrees-to-385-million-settlement-in-baby-formula-case-ba082608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) a $385 million civil settlement with Abbott Laboratories. After four babies fed Abbott formula developed cronobacter sakazaki infections, two of whom died, a nationwide infant formula shortage ensued. Notably, then-FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and Abbot executives were grilled by House and Senate panels back in 2022, but a more recent botulism outbreak linked to infant formula, which has put over 50 babies in the hospital, has failed to rouse the 119th Congress to hold a [single hearing](https://foodfix.co/congress-reaches-new-level-of-dysfunction-with-farm-bill-food-safety-failures/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In any event, the Abbott civil settlement sounds like a lot, but in the past, the company would have likely faced criminal sanctions. The government [alleged](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/abbott-agrees-to-385-million-settlement-in-baby-formula-case-ba082608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the company “knowingly” failed to adopt safeguards against cronobacter sakazaki contamination in their Sturgis, MI infant formula manufacturing facility, and “withheld information from FDA related to the presence of microorganisms in the Sturgis facility.” Why not enforce the statute’s criminal penalties for this behavior? As it turns out, DOJ had opened a criminal investigation. But a May 2025 Executive Order [announced](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/fighting-overcriminalization-in-federal-regulations/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) a new policy that “criminal enforcement of criminal regulatory offenses is disfavored,” and the Trump Administration [disbanded](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-justice-department-unit-drug-food-safety-cases-being-disbanded-2025-04-25/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) the Justice Department unit that handles criminal and civil enforcement of U.S. food and drug safety laws. Foodborne illness litigator Bill Marler recently [wrote](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/eighteen-cases-in-forty-years-that-is-the-whole-history-of-food-crime-prosecution-in-america-attorney-general-blanche-here-is-where-to-start/?ref=foodsafetynews.com): “Every food safety executive I have ever deposed has told me some version of the same thing: the budget requests get approved after somebody gets prosecuted, not after somebody gets sick.” In other words, without a credible threat of criminal enforcement, expect companies to invest less in food safety, and more foodborne illness outbreaks. Investigating those outbreaks may become more complicated too. After investigators linked Taylor Farms lettuce to an unprecedented wave of cyclospora illnesses, FDA did not send a team of investigators to the farms implicated in the outbreak for weeks. Part of this was because Taylor Farms [stonewalled](https://consumerfed.org/news/blogs/tracing-a-monumental-food-safety-failure/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on providing location data to FDA for roughly a week—information that would have been required within 24 hours under the final traceability rule scuttled by the Administration. But safety concerns also contributed to the delay. In Guanajuato province, where Taylor Farms grows its lettuce, 2,035 people were murdered last year. The people are [terrorized](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/world/americas/mexico-shooting-salamanca-cartels.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) by drug cartels. For its inspectors’ protection, FDA had to coordinate its travel with U.S. State Department security experts. To be clear, Mexican drug cartels were a problem before the Administration came to power. Moreover, history suggests even the most earnest, expert U.S. federal campaign to combat the cartels may have limited effect. But by abandoning some of the most significant restrictions on money laundering under federal law, the Administration has [turned](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/donald-trump-gao-report-shell-companies-money-laundering-drug-cartels/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) the United States into “a safe space for money launderers, drug cartels, and international financial rogues.” Presidential [pardons](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyp36dwnezo?ref=foodsafetynews.com)to [drug traffickers](https://www.npr.org/2025/05/31/nx-s1-5415939/trump-pardons-drug-kingpins-even-as-he-escalates-the-u-s-drug-war?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [drug money launderers](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7e0jve875o?ref=foodsafetynews.com), not to mention a foreign policy that targets judges and regulators on behalf of autocrats and Big Tech, have reinforced the “pay-to-play” message. Public health does not pay to play. It depends on elected officials honoring their commitments to ordinary voters, exercising restraint in the face of scientific uncertainty, and establishing processes to gather better data and validate whether policies are working. Will Administration officials like Heidi Overton, the nominee for FDA Commissioner who recently [spoke](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-senate-panel-sets-hearing-trumps-fda-pick-2026-09-17/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) out in favor of cutting back the national childhood vaccination schedule, take this sort of approach to champion policies at odds with the interests of Big Food? The Administration’s food safety record so far—from [eliminating](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com) six of eight pathogens tracked by CDC’s FoodNet surveillance system, to delaying enforcement of FDA’s traceability rule for two-and-a-half years, to [disbanding](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/usda-eliminates-two-food-safety-advisory-committees-members-say-2025-03-07/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) USDA’s food safety advisory committees—suggests otherwise. Hopeful food reformers should take notice and beware. **About the author:* This column was*[ *originally published*](https://consumerfed.org/news/blogs/food-safety-and-corruption/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *by the Consumer Federation of America. Thomas Gremillion is Director of Food Policy for the Federation. Gremillion oversees the research, analysis, advocacy and media outreach for the group’s food policy activities, and monitors food safety activities at USDA, FDA and in Congress.* ### Source of Belgian norovirus outbreak remains unknown URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/source-of-belgian-norovirus-outbreak-remains-unknown/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T04:03:51.000Z Officials have been unable to confirm exactly how about 175 people fell sick with norovirus at a camp in Belgium at the end of August. An investigation into the outbreak at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) involved the regional health service (GGD) West-Brabant, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) in Belgium. The introductory event organized by the higher education institution was at a campsite in Poppel, Belgium. About 900 people took part. Symptoms appeared from Aug. 27 to 28 in young people and supervisors and included nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. A few students required brief hospitalization. Most of those affected recovered within a few days. Stools of four sick participants were examined and were positive for norovirus. In the week following the event, 347 participants completed a GGD survey. Although questioning revealed that certain food items were mentioned more frequently by those who fell ill, people who had not consumed these products also became ill, while others who had consumed them did not. Investigations into the caterers and the available food also found no evidence of shortcomings or contamination. Possible explanations for the incident include transmission from one or a few already infected individuals, food contamination by an infected person at the introductory camp, or a combination of several factors. BUas has implemented additional hygiene and cleaning measures with extra staff and has increased the frequency of cleaning. Recommendations for future events covered hand hygiene, cleaning, and the management of cases of illness within large groups. It is important that people wash their hands well with soap and water, especially after visiting the toilet and before preparing food. Those who are ill should stay at home and limit contact with vulnerable people. ### FSS gives update on efforts to reduce foodborne illness URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fss-gives-update-on-efforts-to-reduce-foodborne-illness/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T04:01:29.000Z Plans to create Scottish-specific pathogen thresholds have been dropped, according to an update on foodborne illness in the country. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said it would follow the approach set for the United Kingdom by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). It has been estimated that the burden for the UK economy from foodborne illness is around £9.1 billion ($12.2 billion), which equates to £750 million ($1 billion) in Scotland. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Flour and baking mixes recalled because of wheat gluten URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/flour-and-baking-mixes-recalled-because-of-wheat-gluten/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T00:01:07.000Z GF Blends is recalling Truly AIP All Purpose Flour and Bread Mix and EAT G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R. Flat Bread Pizza Mix listed below due to potential undeclared wheat gluten. People who have celiac disease or a severe gluten intolerance run the risk of adverse health effects or allergic reactions if they consume these products. These recalled products were manufactured using Plantain Flour supplied by PMF Global, which was labelled and as certified gluten free. Independent third-party testing confirmed the plantain flour ingredient contained gluten and recalled products all tested at levels significantly exceeding the FDA's 20 ppm, therefore containing undeclared wheat gluten. GF Blends will further test to confirm for wheat gluten. The company had not received any reports of adverse health effects as of Sept. 17. The affected products were distributed via customers up to Sept. 12 on [eatgangster.com](http://eatgangster.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [trulyaip.com](http://trulyaip.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on Amazon.com and to retail and online customers nationwide. Products subject to the recall are: | **Brand** | **Product** | **Lot Number** | **Best-By Dates** | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------- | ----------------- | | Truly AIP | All Purpose Flour 15.3 oz | 260225 | 2-25-28 | | Truly AIP | All Purpose Flour 15.3 oz | 260610 | 6-10-28 | | Truly AIP | Bread Mix 14 oz | 260417 | 4-17-28 | | Truly AIP | Bread Mix 14 oz | 260617 | 12-17-27 | | EAT G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R | Flat Bread Pizza Mix 163 g & 3.98 lb | 260327 | 9-27-27 & 7-27-27 | | EAT G.A.N.G.S.T.E.R | Flat Bread Pizza Mix 163 | 260803 | 2-03-28 | ### E. coli outbreak tied to frozen berries sold at Walmart and Publix has ended URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/e-coli-outbreak-tied-to-frozen-berries-sold-at-walmart-and-publix-has-ended/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T23:22:57.000Z The CDC has declared an end to an outbreak on E. coli O145:H28 infections traced to frozen blueberries from Chile. The blueberries, and berry mixes containing them, were sold under the Walmart’s Great Value brand and the GreenWise brand at Publix. The berries were imported from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., of San Carlos, Chile. A total of 17 confirmed patients were infected in Florida and Georgia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illnesses began on dates ranging from May 11 through Aug. 2\. Six patients were hospitalized but no one died. Eleven of 13 patients interviewed reported eating frozen blueberries before becoming sick. There are likely many more outbreak patients because some do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for E. coli infection. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed patient in an E. coli outbreak there are 26 who go undetected. As part of this investigation, the Food and Drug Administration conducted a remote inspection of Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. and collected records from the firm. The FDA also collected finished product samples of product in the United States. All samples collected by the FDA were reported as negative; however, earlier in the investigation, Publix, as a customer of Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile, collected and tested product samples of their GreenWise-brand Frozen Blueberries, and one sample tested positive for the same strain of E. coli that made people sick in this outbreak. Publix recalled all of their Greenwise-brand organic frozen blueberries and mixed berries, and they should no longer be available for sale. In response to the FDA’s investigation, on July 3, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recalled one lot of frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries. On Sept. 2, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. expanded their recall to include one lot of Great Value-brand Frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend product. Recalled products should no longer be available for sale; however, some recalled product has “Best By” dates ending in 2028\. Consumers should check their freezers for recalled product and should not eat it. The FDA has added products from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A, of San Carlos, Chile to [Import Alert 99-35](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms%5Fia/importalert%5F1128.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Frozen blueberries from this firm that are offered for entry into the United States may be detained at the border without physical examination. FDA’s outbreak investigation is complete. **About E. coli infections** Food contaminated with E. coli does not look, smell or taste bad, but can still cause serious illness Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled berries and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications. About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Swedish analysis reveals scale of unreported foodborne infections URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/swedish-analysis-reveals-scale-of-unreported-foodborne-infections/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T04:03:31.000Z Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Listeria are the main contributors to the foodborne disease burden in Sweden, but many cases are not reported, according to a study. Researchers estimated the national foodborne burden from 2013 to 2022 and explored links to sources and climate factors. They identified over 1.2 million cases, most unreported, corresponding to 37,665 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hepatitis A outbreak traced to clams continues URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/hepatitis-a-outbreak-traced-to-clams-continues/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T04:02:15.000Z The CDC and FDA are continuing to investigate an outbreak of hepatitis A infections linked to imported black clams. The Food and Drug Administration has posted a warning about La Serranita-brand concha negra (black shell) fresh frozen shell meat from Ecuador in 16-ounce plastic packages. As of Sept. 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was reporting 37 people had been infected. Illness onset ranges from July 30, 2025, through June 23, 2026\. Of 37 patients, 30 have required hospitalization. State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the 15 to 50 days before they got sick. Of the people interviewed, 77 percent reported eating ceviche (raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus juice), 76 percent reported eating raw or undercooked shellfish, and 47 percent reported eating raw or undercooked conchas negras (black clams). This suggests that people in this outbreak may have gotten sick from eating raw or undercooked clams, according to the CDC. The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell and consumers not to eat La Serranita-brand concha negra (black shell) fresh frozen shell meat from Ecuador because it may be contaminated with hepatitis A virus. La Serranita-brand concha negra (black shell) shell meat was distributed to restaurants and retailers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and may have been further distributed. Restaurants and retailers should dispose of these products by throwing them away or contacting their distributor to arrange for destruction. **About hepatitis A** Hepatitis A is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable, liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). Food contaminated with hepatitis A does not look, smell or taste bad. Freezing does not kill the virus. Not everyone with hepatitis A has symptoms. Adults are more likely to have symptoms than children. If symptoms develop, they usually appear two to seven weeks, at an average of 28-30 days, after infection. Symptoms usually last less than two months, although some people can be ill for as long as six months. If symptoms develop, they can include yellow skin or eyes, not wanting to eat, upset stomach throwing up, stomach pain, fever, dark urine or light-colored stools, diarrhea, joint pain, feeling tired. Even if no symptoms are present people can still spread the infection. In addition, a person can transmit hepatitis A to others up to two weeks before symptoms appear. ### Complaints up but unsafe food alerts not rising, says Lithuanian agency URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/complaints-up-but-unsafe-food-alerts-not-rising-says-lithuanian-agency/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T04:01:25.000Z There has been an increase in reports by consumers of potential violations involving food, according to Lithuania’s food agency. From January to August 2025, the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) received 2,311 notifications, while this year there were 2,639. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ultra-processed food has links to food safety URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/ultra-processed-food-has-links-to-food-safety/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T15:07:13.000Z “It’s about time.” That was California resident Rick Salazar’s immediate reaction upon learning that California lawmakers last month voted unanimously in favor of certified labels on foods that are not ultra-processed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK survey puts average recall cost at almost £550,000 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/uk-survey-puts-average-recall-cost-at-almost-550-000/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T04:05:12.000Z Recalls can cost about half a million pounds and tracing affected products can take several hours on average, according to a survey in the United Kingdom. Tracing products in the United States routinely takes several days to weeks. Research in July and August 2026 commissioned by technology company Balloon One included 502 UK food and beverage businesses that manufacture, process, distribute or supply chilled, convenience or ready-to-eat products. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns Texas beverage companies about acidified food, unapproved drug claims URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-warns-texas-beverage-companies-abou-acidified-food-unapproved-drug-claims/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T11:42:52.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until a company has been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The Food and Drug Administration has warned two Texas beverage companies about violations involving acidified foods, including failures to register as food canning establishments, file scheduled processes and adequately monitor pasteurization and pH. The agency also determined that certain beverages marketed by H2 BEV LLC and H2 RENU INC. were being promoted with disease-related claims that made them unapproved new drugs under federal law. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Finland assesses safety of plant-based dairy products URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/finland-assesses-safety-of-plant-based-dairy-products/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T04:32:51.000Z Microbiological risks and mycotoxin levels in plant-based dairy alternatives are generally low but consumer storage practices and product ingredients can significantly impact safety, according to research in Finland. Findings come from a risk assessment as part of a project by Ruokavirasto (the Finnish Food Authority) and research organization VTT. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sunday Edition: Sodium URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/sunday-edition-sodium-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T19:29:30.000Z - The U.S. Department of Justice announced [a settlement with Abbott Laboratories related to its role in an outbreak of cronobacter infections from powdered infant formula in 2022](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/abbott-hit-with-almost-390-million-to-settle-false-claims-allegation-about-infant-formula/). Two infants died as a result of the outbreak. Under the civil settlement, Abbott will pay $348.7 million dollars to the United States and another $36.2 million to certain states for claims settled by their Medicaid and WIC programs. This settlement does not determine liability on the part of the company. Numerous lawsuits filed by parents are still pending. - The [seed supplier for a sprout growing company involved in an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella has agreed to conduct a recall](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/supplier-in-sprout-outbreak-recalls-seed/) after initially refusing to do so. The Food and Drug Administration has not revealed the name of the supplier or provided any information about the seeds. The supplier sold seeds to Everything Sprouts LLC. Products sold by the company have been linked to 55 cases of infection in 15 states. No deaths have been reported. The seed lot was also sold to other sprout growers and distributors in the U.S. and at least four other countries. - Two papers related to [a hepatitis A outbreak in Italy earlier this year](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/details-emerge-about-italian-hepatitis-a-outbreak/) revealed details about the official response and consumer awareness of risks related to the outbreak. More than 130 people in the Campania region were affected. The source of the infection may have been consumption of bivalve mollusks such as mussels. While more than 90 percent of consumers surveyed were aware of the outbreak, only 55 percent knew that infected individuals could transmit the virus before the onset of symptoms. - A survey of small businesses across the United Kingdom found [good practices relating to food safety and allergen information but low awareness of food crime](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/survey-reveals-regulatory-insights-from-small-uk-firms/). Businesses that responded to the survey expressed high levels of trust in the Food Standards Agency’s commitment to maintaining food safety and standards. However, awareness of the National Food Crime Unit was reported by fewer than one in five businesses. Nearly one in ten firms had been victims of food crime in the previous 12 months, most commonly involving stolen or substituted food products. - A [new FDA report on delis located in grocery stores](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-report-on-food-safety-in-delis-stresses-personal-hygiene/) found that delis with a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) had better food safety management system scores than those that did not have a CFPM. The two most common risk factors affecting compliance were improper holding time and temperature, and poor personal hygiene. The report drew on a sample of randomly selected delis using data collected from 2019 through 2022. --- **Today’s Topic: Sodium** The British stepped up their raids in Kentucky in early 1777, but frontiersman Daniel Boone left the safety of Boonesborough to boil salt at the [Blue Licks](https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/blue-licks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) along the Licking River. At that time, obtaining salt was more important to the life of Boonesborough for Boone than defending against British operations directed at the destruction of crops and livestock in an effort to force the abandonment of the settlement. While hunting in the Licking River area, Boone was overtaken and captured by a large party of Shawnees. The salt would have to wait for his escape when he made his way back to Boonesborough. As far back as 6050 BC, salt, a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), has been integral to human life. The human body needs sodium, which is an essential nutrient, to survive, but consuming too much poses serious health risks. Because the human body cannot produce sodium on its own, it relies entirely on dietary intake to maintain crucial everyday functions. Too much sodium is shown to raise blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and there is evidence that those conditions disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority groups in this country. Scientific evidence supports the public health benefits of reduced sodium intake. Reducing sodium intake could prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and illnesses in the coming years. Almost half of American adults and almost three in five non-Hispanic Black adults have high blood pressure. Additionally, about one in 10 children and one in eight teens have elevated or high blood pressure. Studies suggest that sodium preferences are shaped by early-life consumption habits and can extend into adulthood, although palates can also adjust to lower-sodium foods. Sodium reduction targets are being used to address excessive sodium intake in the U.S. On average, current consumption is almost 50 percent above the recommended limit. **The challenge of reducing sodium intake** Ninety percent of Americans eat more sodium than recommended. The average American’s sodium intake is approximately 3,400 milligrams per day. Historically, dietary guidelines call for individuals 14 years and older to limit their consumption to 2,300 milligrams per day. The majority of the sodium people in the U.S. consume, more than 70 percent, comes from processed, packaged, and prepared foods, not from table salt added to food when cooking or eating at home. This makes it very difficult to control how much sodium we consume. Lowering sodium in the food supply supports more food choices for consumers seeking a diverse diet consistent with the [Dietary Guidelines for Americans](https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Some companies have reduced sodium in certain foods, but many foods continue to contribute to high sodium intake, especially processed, packaged, and prepared foods. Food eaten away from home is also a contributing factor. Companies add sodium to processed, packaged, and prepared foods for many reasons. For example, it helps control microbial growth, which can cause food to spoil and lead to foodborne illness. While sodium is necessary for many reasons, today’s food supply contains too much sodium. Americans eat about one-third of their food calories and spend more than half of their food dollars outside the home, so it’s important that restaurants are part of the solution, along with the rest of the food industry. Including restaurant foods and food service is necessary to achieve sodium reduction goals and help people’s taste buds adapt, whether they are eating at home or outside the home. **The FDA’s approach** To help reduce sodium across the food supply, the FDA is taking an iterative, stepwise approach that includes establishing voluntary sodium targets for industry, monitoring and evaluating progress, and engaging with stakeholders. The FDA supports gradual progress to allow time for product reformulation and for consumer tastes to adjust. We know that people usually don’t notice small reductions (about 10 percent) in sodium. And, over time, people’s taste buds get used to these gradual changes. A key part of the FDA’s sodium reduction plan is monitoring progress to understand changes as they occur. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborate on these monitoring efforts. The FDA also actively engages with food manufacturers to learn about their sodium reduction efforts. The FDA reached a milestone with Phase I of its [voluntary sodium reduction targets](https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/sodium-reduction-food-supply?menuid=18263&seriesfeature=&subsiteid=264&ref=foodsafetynews.com) and is issuing draft guidance for Phase II. The new voluntary targets aim to reduce average individual sodium intake to about 2,750 milligrams per day. This reduction is about 20 percent lower than consumer intake levels before 2021\. The Phase II voluntary sodium reduction targets follow the initial set of targets issued in October 2021\. The initial set of targets encouraged the food industry to reduce sodium levels in a wide variety of processed, packaged, and prepared foods. “Reducing sodium in the food supply has the potential to be one of the most important public health initiatives in a generation. The early successes we’re seeing with sodium level reduction in certain foods are encouraging and indicative of the impact we believe our overall nutrition approach can have on the wellbeing of society,” said then-FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. The FDA’s sodium reduction and other nutrition initiatives are part of a broader, whole-of-government approach to help reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases and advance health equity, Jones added. The Phase II targets continue to focus on commercially processed, packaged, and prepared foods in the marketplace. The guidance is particularly relevant as more than 70 percent of sodium intake in the U.S. population comes from sodium added during food manufacturing and commercial food preparation. The FDA expects to issue regular evaluations of sodium levels in foods about every three years to support its science-driven, transparent, and stepwise process. Future phases of sodium reduction targets will be considered as part of the agency’s evaluation and monitoring of sodium reduction progress in the marketplace, as well as monitoring of sodium intake in the population. **The Pros: Why your body needs sodium** The human body only needs about 500 mg of sodium daily to function. When consumed in moderation, sodium plays several vital roles: - Regulates fluid balance**:** Sodium works with potassium to maintain proper blood and cellular fluid volume, keeping you properly hydrated. - Supports nerve function**:** Sodium is crucial for generating the electrical impulses that allow your brain and nerves to communicate with the rest of your body. - Enables muscle contraction**:** Your muscles, including your heart, rely on sodium to contract and relax properly. - Prevents low blood pressure**:** Adequate sodium levels prevent hypotension (dangerously low blood pressure), which can trigger dizziness, fainting and extreme fatigue. - Food preservation and function**:** In cooking, salt acts as a natural preservative by halting bacterial growth and serves as a vital binder and texture stabilizer. **The Cons: The risks of high consumption** - According to organizations like the [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/salt/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [American Heart Association](https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/effects-of-excess-sodium-infographic?ref=foodsafetynews.com), nine out of 10 Americans eat too much sodium, averaging around 3,400 mg per day. Chronic overconsumption leads to major health complications: - High blood pressure (hypertension): Excess sodium causes your body to retain extra water. This increases your total blood volume, placing intense pressure on your blood vessels and forcing your heart to work much harder. - Heart disease and stroke: The stiffening and strain placed on your arteries from high blood pressure directly elevates your risk for devastating cardiovascular events like heart attacks, heart failure and strokes. - Kidney damage: Your kidneys must work overtime to filter out excess sodium. Over time, this constant stress diminishes kidney function and increases the risk of chronic kidney disease. - Bone loss (osteoporosis): High levels of sodium cause your body to excrete more calcium through your urine. To compensate, your body may pull calcium directly from your bones, weakening them over time. - Bloating and water retention: In the short term, eating highly salted foods causes rapid fluid retention, leading to uncomfortable swelling and puffiness. --- **Our Take** A friend whose cardiologist sent her to a class on managing sodium consumption when it was too high was then told at her next appointment that a low blood pressure reading was likely a sign that her sodium intake was too low. It shows that even someone educated on the subject and watching their sodium intake can find it difficult to stay in the sweet spot. Individuals who want to reduce their sodium intake soon learn that more than 70 percent of the sodium Americans eat comes from prepared, packaged, and restaurant foods. So, it’s very hard to control how much sodium you consume. People who successfully reduce their sodium intake usually avoid as many processed foods and restaurant meals as they can. --- **By the numbers** **3,400** – The amount, in milligrams/day, of average sodium intake per person in the U.S. **1,500** – The amount, in milligrams/day, of sodium intake that is the ideal health target, especially for those with high blood pressure. 2,300 mg/day or less is considered healthy for adults, which is about 1 teaspoon of table salt. **2,750** – The amount, in milligrams/day, that is the Healthy People 2030 goal for reducing average sodium intake in the U.S. **1,200** – The amount, in milligrams/day, of recommended maximum sodium intake for children aged one to three years. For children aged nine to 13 years, the recommended maximum level is 1,800 mg/day and for children aged four to eight years, it is 1,500 mg/day. **5** – The amount of sodium, in milligrams, that is the maximum allowed on a per serving basis in order for a product to contain a salt- or sodium-free claim. A product labeled as “very low sodium” must contain 35 mg or less per serving, while a “low sodium” product must contain no more than 140 mg per serving. **50** – The percentage reduction in sodium required for a regular product to be packaged as “light in sodium” or “lightly salted.” If it contains 25 percent less sodium than a regular product, it can be labeled “reduced sodium.” “No salt added” or “unsalted” means no salt is added during processing, but these products may not be salt or sodium-free unless specifically labeled as such. --- **What it means** Since Aug. 15, 2024, the FDA has been working on its second round of sodium reduction targets for 163 food categories that, if achieved, would reduce average sodium intake to about 2,750 milligrams/day. That process is working, albeit slowly. In the meantime, anyone with high blood pressure or other conditions can reduce their sodium intake to a healthier level on their own. Reduce your sodium intake by: - Asking for a low-sodium option at restaurants. - Avoiding condiments such as ketchup, salad dressings and soy sauce. - Buying canned, fresh or frozen vegetables without added salt or sauce. - Choosing fresh meat instead of cured or processed meats. - Counting the milligrams of sodium in your food. - Limiting “instant” products such as ready-made pasta. - Using salt-free seasonings. *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Publisher's Platform: This FDA official got it right URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/publishers-platform-this-fda-official-got-it-right/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T01:17:15.000Z I have spent more than 30 years representing people sickened by contaminated food. I do not often read a speech by an FDA official and find myself agreeing with nearly every line. This week I did. Dr. Donna Garren, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Produce Safety, spoke on Sept. 15 at the [annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture](https://www.nasda.org/media-advisory-produce-safety-leader-for-u-s-food-drug-administration-to-discuss-opportunities-with-state-agriculture-officials/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Portland, Maine. I could find only two outlets that covered it, [Agri-Pulse](https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25255-daybreak-sept-16-farm-bill-back-for-senate-committee-vote?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [Lancaster Farming](https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/news/fda-director-takes-lessons-from-cyclospora-outbreak/article%5F84703c38-824f-4eaf-8a61-93f8af0549f2.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and both are worth reading in full. Her message, in short: the 2026 *Cyclospora* outbreak exposed weaknesses in how we oversee fresh produce, and FDA needs a system that finds hazards before people get sick rather than after. She has been on the job less than three months. She [joined FDA effective June 29](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-names-produce-safety-director/), after nearly 15 years at the American Frozen Food Institute and earlier leadership roles at Boskovich Farms, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, the National Restaurant Association, the Consumer Goods Forum and NSF International. Her office writes FDA’s regulations, policy and guidance for fresh fruits and vegetables, including the minimum standards under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. That background matters. When someone who has spent a career working alongside industry says the system has to change, growers and processors will hear it in a way they may not hear it from me. **Never let a good crisis go to waste** The numbers are hard to overstate. According to [FDA](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/post-outbreak-response-activities-multistate-outbreaks-cyclospora-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com), CDC reported 19,595 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States as of Sept. 8, including more than 12,000 from one multistate outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. [CDC declared that outbreak over](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on Sept. 11\. Two people died. Garren told the state agriculture officials that the outbreak should be a moment of reckoning for FDA, because it showed a food safety system that does not always reflect the complexity of today’s global supply chain. Then, according to Lancaster Farming, she reached for the old saying: never let a good crisis go to waste. She is exactly right, and that saying is the history of food safety in this country. Crises are how this system changes. After the 1993 Jack in the Box *E. coli* outbreak, USDA declared *E. coli*O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef in 1994\. Hamburger cases were the core of my practice for a decade, and today they are close to zero for my firm. That is the best thing to happen in food safety in my lifetime, and it came out of a crisis. After the 2006 spinach outbreak and the 2008 to 2009 peanut outbreak, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, signed in January 2011. Crises also get wasted. Less than two years after FSMA was signed, USDA shut down its produce testing program. Fifteen years after FSMA, the food traceability rule Congress required, the tool that would let investigators trace lettuce faster, has been [delayed again after pushback from industry](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/cyclospora-outbreak-followed-years-of-declining-fda-foreign-inspections?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Attention fades when the case counts stop climbing. Garren is telling her own agency not to let that happen this time. **If we don’t act, shame on us** The sharpest line of the day did not come from Garren. It came from California Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross, who [chairs NASDA’s Food Systems and Nutrition Committee](https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=13276507&ref=foodsafetynews.com), the committee Garren addressed. Speaking about how communication breaks down in every outbreak, Ross said: “If we don’t act on this, shame on us.” She is right, and the “us” is broad. It includes FDA and USDA, the growers, processors and retailers, the Congress that writes the budget, the state agriculture departments in that room, and people like me who have been making these arguments for more than thirty years. More than 19,000 people were sickened in one season, more than 12,000 of them in a single outbreak, and two people died. If a year from now all we have is another round of statements, with no testing program, no rule on naming firms and no published root cause, then shame on all of us. **She wants produce testing back** This is the part of her speech I most want to highlight. Lancaster Farming reports that she wants FDA to reinstate a national approach to microbiological data on produce, similar to USDA’s Microbiological Data Program. I know that program well. [USDA ran it from 2001 to 2012](https://www.ams.usda.gov/node/37908?ref=foodsafetynews.com), working with state agriculture departments to sample and test fresh fruits and vegetables for foodborne pathogens, and it ended in December 2012 when its funding was eliminated. In its final year it was a $4.5 million program that [accounted for more than 80 percent of government produce testing](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/foodborne-disease/food-safety-scan-usda-produce-testing-ending-food-whistleblower-protection?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The Associated Press reported in 2012 that it had found more than two dozen contaminated samples that led to recalls of lettuce, tomatoes and other foods. I argued at the time that ending it was a mistake, and I have said so many times since. Hearing a senior FDA official say publicly that something like it should come back is welcome news. **She wants the data used before people get sick** Garren described a system that brings together surveillance data, inspection records, outbreak histories and even satellite imaging to flag hazards before illnesses occur. That is the right goal. FDA already holds much of this information. All summer I have been tracking [FDA’s own outbreak investigations table](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com), where many files list no food, no on-site inspection, or both. The information exists. What has been missing is putting it to work, and putting it in front of the public. A director who wants to do both has my support. **Same rules for everyone** She said domestic growers, foreign farms and importers must be held to the same standard, and that fairness and public health point in the same direction. That principle matters. The Associated Press found that [FDA inspections of foreign food sites are down nearly 35 percent since 2019](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/cyclospora-outbreak-followed-years-of-declining-fda-foreign-inspections?ref=foodsafetynews.com). When I went through FDA’s investigations table in August, eleven of seventeen open investigations showed no on-site inspection, and the six that did all involved firms on American soil. Parity is fair to American farmers and safer for American consumers. **Name them** Here is the line from her speech I would put on the wall. Garren called transparency both a value and a mechanism, and she said: “When bad actors know they will be named … behavior changes.” She added that this means publishing outcomes, sharing data, and showing that oversight is real and applied without exception. I have been making that argument in outbreak after outbreak. Earlier this month FDA closed a summer *E. coli* O157:H7 file by [saying romaine lettuce caused it, naming no grower and no processor](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/fda-now-says-romaine-calm-romaine-lettuce-caused-a-summer-2026-e-coli-o157h7-outbreak-it-waited-until-it-closed-the-file-and-it-named-no-grower-and-no-processor/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Stop Foodborne Illness has a citizen petition pending at FDA, Docket FDA-2026-P-1448, on naming the firms tied to outbreaks. Garren’s principle, applied, answers the question that petition asks. **States as partners** She also wants FDA to work more closely with state agriculture departments and to share information better, describing state staff as the boots on the ground who talk to producers every day. The old Microbiological Data Program ran through state agriculture departments, so a closer federal-state partnership is exactly how a revived testing program would work. **How to make it stick** A speech is a start. Three steps would turn what she said into policy: funding for a national produce testing program in the next federal budget, a rule requiring FDA to name the firms linked to outbreaks, and publication of the root cause findings in the iceberg lettuce outbreak, which [FDA says](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/post-outbreak-response-activities-multistate-outbreaks-cyclospora-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) it is committed to sharing. Each of those follows directly from her own words, and together they are what not wasting this crisis looks like. If she wants allies in getting them done, she has one here. Garren told Lancaster Farming that friends say she picked the worst time to join FDA. She disagrees, and said she likes figuring out what happened and building plans that keep it from happening again. After this summer, that is exactly the attitude the job needs. Welcome, Dr. Garren. Keep saying it. ### Potato chips recalled because of undeclared soy URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/potato-chips-recalled-because-of-undeclared-soy/ Last updated: 2026-09-19T03:05:27.000Z Saratoga Potato Chips of Fort Wayne, IN, is recalling two Best if USED BY codes of 7.75-ounce packages of J. HIGGS Loaded Bacon and Cheddar Potato Chips because they may contain undeclared soy allergen. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The recalled J. HIGGS Loaded Bacon and Cheddar Potato Chips were distributed in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and Maryland and sold in Save A Lot stores. The product has UPC code 0-51933-31645-4, comes in a 7.75-ounce, flexible multi-layered laminated metalized package marked with Best if USED BY DEC 11 26 and Best if USED BY DEC 18 26 on the top right corner of the bag. No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The issue was identified through company review. ### Before the next food safety headline URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/before-the-next-food-safety-headline/ Last updated: 2026-09-19T03:40:50.000Z Every major food safety headline begins long before anyone writes it. Before an outbreak is identified, a recall announced, or an investigation launched, countless quieter decisions shape what happens throughout the food system. A supplier is approved. A specification is accepted. Equipment is maintained. An unusual result is investigated or dismissed. A worker decides whether to speak up. Most of these decisions will never become news, and when they are made well, that is precisely the point. The third annual Global Glove Safety Day today is an appropriate time to think not only about the failures that make headlines, but also about everything that happens *before* them. The most important question may not be simply, “What went wrong?” It may be: What are we assuming is safe today? **The danger of assumed safety** More than three decades in food safety have taught me that failures rarely begin at the moment we discover them. They have a history. Somewhere upstream, a hazard may not have been recognized, a specification may have gone unchallenged, a supplier assurance may have been accepted without sufficient verification, or a worker may not have felt empowered to stop a process. Individually, these decisions can appear small. Collectively, they can determine whether food reaches a family safely. This is why prevention demands more than compliance. Regulations, standards, audits, testing programs, and documentation are essential, but the existence of a control is not the same thing as evidence that the control is working as intended. A certificate, specification, training record, or audit is not, by itself, prevention if the assumptions behind it remain unexamined. Leaders should continually ask: How do we know? How do we know a supplier is consistently meeting our safety expectations? How do we know a material is appropriate for its intended use? How do we know a recurring deviation is an isolated event rather than an early warning? That distinction between assuming and knowing is where prevention often begins. **A glove is a small thing — until it isn't** Food handling gloves provide a useful example. Consumers see someone preparing food while wearing gloves and understandably associate them with cleanliness and protection. But a glove does not become an effective food safety control simply because it came out of a box. It must be appropriate for its intended use, sourced and stored appropriately, and used correctly. Employees must also understand when gloves need to be changed and that gloves do not replace proper handwashing or sound food-handling practices. We should not confuse the appearance of protection with evidence of protection. That principle extends far beyond gloves. It applies to sanitation programs, supplier assurances, environmental monitoring, training, traceability, and other controls throughout the food system. Are they working because we have evidence that they are working, or do we believe they are working because they are familiar, documented, and have not obviously failed? Food safety leadership should sometimes be uncomfortable. Familiarity can create confidence. Confidence can become assumption. Assumptions that are never challenged can become vulnerabilities. **Prevention is a leadership system** Food safety cannot belong only to people with “food safety” or “quality assurance” in their titles. Procurement influences safety through purchasing requirements and supplier decisions. The operations team influences safety when production pressures compete with sanitation or investigation. Executives influence safety through priorities, resources, and the behaviors they reward. Frontline employees influence safety every time they follow a procedure, notice something unusual, or raise a concern. Safety really is in our hands, but that should never become an excuse to place the burden solely on the individual worker. Consider something as simple as changing a glove. We can ask whether an employee changed it at the appropriate time, but leadership should ask whether the right glove was purchased, expectations were clear, training was effective, supplies were available, and employees could stop when something appeared wrong without fearing that production mattered more than safety. That is the difference between treating food safety as a behavior and treating it as a system. Strong organizations create conditions in which people can act on their responsibility. They also recognize that compliance is the floor, not the ceiling. Meeting a legal requirement answers one question. Responsible leadership asks another: Have we done what we reasonably can to prevent foreseeable harm? **The stories no publication can report** Modern food safety has extraordinary capabilities for finding problems. Advances in laboratory science, epidemiology, whole genome sequencing, surveillance, and traceability have transformed our ability to identify hazards and respond to outbreaks. Those capabilities save lives, but finding a failure faster is still different from preventing it. Readers come to **Food Safety News** in part because this publication documents the realities of food safety failures: outbreaks, recalls, investigations, regulatory actions, and their consequences. That reporting matters because the food system must learn from what went wrong. But there is another category of food safety story that no publication can fully report: the failures that never happened. We never read the headline for the outbreak prevented because someone acted on an early warning. Nobody posts recall notice for contaminated product stopped before entering commerce. We rarely hear about the supplier questioned before a vulnerability became a crisis, the employee whose concern was taken seriously, or the leader who accepted a production delay because an unanswered safety question mattered more than the schedule. Imagine the strangest possible food safety headline: “BREAKING NEWS: NOTHING HAPPENED.” No outbreak. No recall. No illnesses. No families harmed. Of course, “nothing happened” is not news. In food safety, however, it can represent extraordinary and intentional work. The public may never know what was prevented, but invisibility should not mean insignificance. Organizations should identify these moments, study them, and recognize what made the right decision possible. **The public may never read the headline – The organization should still learn the story** Sept. 18 has a deeply personal meaning for me. It is the birthday of my son, Riley, who was born in 1991\. He died in 1993 during the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak. This year, he would have turned 35. More than three decades later, his birthday reminds me why prevention can never remain an abstraction. Behind every outbreak number is a person. Behind every case count is a family that expected the food they ate to be safe. Some consequences cannot be undone after a hazard is identified. That is why Sept. 18 became the date for Global Glove Safety Day. The day focuses attention on gloves, but the responsibility it represents is much larger. It is about looking at something ordinary and asking whether we know as much about its safety as we think we do. It is about questioning routine, demanding verification, and creating workplaces where people can raise concerns before they become incidents. **Before someone writes the headline** We cannot prevent every food safety failure by focusing on one product, one procedure, or one day. But we can build organizations that are better at questioning assumptions. We can make safety part of purchasing decisions, ask suppliers for evidence rather than reassurance, learn from near misses and successful interventions, and give employees both the responsibility and authority to raise concerns. Leaders throughout the food system should keep asking:What are we assuming is safe simply because nothing bad has happened yet? The next major food safety headline may already have a history. Somewhere today, a decision is being made that could become part of that history or prevent it. Identify the assumption, question it, verify it, and fix it if necessary. Do it before someone else has to write the headline. ### Details emerge about Italian hepatitis A outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/details-emerge-about-italian-hepatitis-a-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T04:05:43.000Z Researchers have shared more details about a hepatitis A outbreak in Italy earlier this year that affected more than 130 people. Two papers related to the hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak were presented at the recent national conference of the Italian Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists (AIVI). They were published in the Italian Journal of Food Safety. In early 2026, the Campania region experienced a significant increase in cases of hepatitis A, particularly within the area of Naples. Epidemiological investigations identified a potential association between illness and consumption of bivalve mollusks, such as mussels, clams and oysters, consistent with findings from another regional hepatitis A outbreak in 2015. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Scottish testing finds Listeria and allergen issues URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/scottish-testing-finds-listeria-and-allergen-issues/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T04:03:19.000Z A food testing program in Scotland has revealed a high level of compliance but also showed examples of microbial contamination and meat substitution. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) funds an annual food sampling plan delivered by local authorities (LAs) and Public Analyst laboratories. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA steps up enforcement on importers because of illegal colors, pesticides and unsafe additives URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-steps-up-enforcement-on-importers-because-of-illegal-colors-pesticides-and-unsafe-additives/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T04:01:02.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pasta sold at Walmart stores nationwide recalled because of Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/pasta-sold-at-walmart-stores-nationwide-recalled-because-of-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T01:13:26.000Z Gias Foods has issued a nationwide recall of two lots of bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine sold at Walmart after testing found the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company reported the frozen pasta comes in a 22-ounce yellow plastic packages with UPC 194346442706\. The recalled lots were marked L6079C or L6080C with expiration dates of 09/19/2027 or 09/20/2027 stamped on the back. The affected product was distributed at Walmart stores nationwide. No illnesses have been reported. Gias Foods said the recall started after routine sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found the bacteria in finished products. The company said it stopped distributing the pasta while it and the FDA continued to investigate the cause. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### FDA issues public warning about more products containing toxic yellow oleander URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-issues-public-warning-about-more-products-containing-toxic-yellow-oleander/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T00:44:42.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has added three products to a safety alert about yellow oleander. There are now 33 products on the warning list. The agency is reminding consumers to avoid these products because they have been tested and found to contain toxic yellow oleander and can cause neurologic, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse health effects that may be severe, or even fatal. FDA continues to investigate the safety of botanical weight loss products on the market by testing for yellow oleander. Additionally, two of these products contain other hidden drug ingredients and may cause life-threatening reactions. See FDA’s notifications for [D Magic Plus](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/medication-health-fraud-notifications/dmagic-plus-may-be-harmful-due-hidden-ingredients?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [B. Magi](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/medication-health-fraud-notifications/b-magi-may-be-harmful-due-hidden-ingredients?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for more information. The FDA is advising consumers to stop using and dispose of the 33 products on the list, which can be found by [clicking here](https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-issues-warning-about-certain-products-containing-toxic-yellow-oleander?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery). The FDA advises consumers who have taken any of these products to contact their health care provider immediately, even if the products have not been used recently, so that an appropriate evaluation may be conducted. Call 9-1-1 or get emergency medical help right away if you or someone in your care has serious side effects from these products. In September 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a [report](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7237a3.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of several tejocote root products found to be substituted with yellow oleander, a toxic substance. Based on this report, the FDA initiated an investigation to sample and test additional tejocote root products. As part of FDA’s ongoing surveillance sampling efforts, we continue to test products; those found to contain yellow oleander are listed above. Based on the FDA’s sampling and testing results thus far, the FDA is also concerned that other products marketed as tejocote root (including with other names such as *Crataegus mexicana*, Raiz de Tejocote, and Mexican Hawthorn) may contain yellow oleander. Additional investigation by FDA has determined that some dietary supplements that are not labeled to contain tejocote root may also contain toxic, yellow oleander. Consuming yellow oleander can cause severe adverse health effects and be potentially fatal. ### FDA releases executive summaries on two outbreak investigations URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-releases-executive-summaries-on-two-outbreak-investigations/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T19:29:41.000Z The FDA has released two executive summaries on outbreak investigations, one on a cantaloupe outbreak and the other on an outbreak traced to soft cheese. Portions of both of the summaries have been redacted. **Salmonella outbreak traced to cantaloupe** For an investigation of a Salmonella Newport outbreak traced to cantaloupe, the executive summary discusses multiple firms in Guatemala; the name of only one has not been redacted. The outbreak sickened 70 people across 25 states early this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not report publicly on the outbreak until it was declared over. According to the executive summary from the Food and Drug Administration released Sept. 16, cantaloupe was determined to be the likely source of the Salmonella infections in February. On Feb. 25, the FDA requested increased screening of cantaloupe from two firms in Guatemala, but the names of the firms were redacted. On Feb. 27 a third firm was added, but its name is also redacted in the executive summary. It was determined that Ayco Farms Inc. of Pompano Beach, FL, was the importer and distributor. Cantaloupes shipped to Ayco Farms were sourced from Ayco Farms, San Jorge and Agrobassy Farms located in (redacted) Guatemala. The FDA initiated 11 traceback assignments for information and records collection. The agency also issued a for cause inspection assignment for records, information collection, and sample collection from Ayco Farms Guatemala S.A. and packinghouse, (redacted), Guatemala, and to (redacted) and packinghouses in (redacted), Guatemala. A two-item FDA Form 4056 was issued to (redacted) for failure to monitor dump tank water. A two-item FDA Form 4056 was also issued to Ayco Farms for failure to maintain dump tank water temperatures and fraying edges on a food contact surface conveyor belt. Thirty-seven cantaloupe samples were collected because of an increased import screening and they all tested negative for Salmonella. Twenty-three foreign inspection samples were collected from Ayco and (redacted) and their packing houses in Guatemala. Five samples resulted in 73 isolates testing positive for four non-outbreak strain Salmonella spp. including Salmonella Gaminara, Salmonella Abaetetuba, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Carrau. Some isolates’ whole genome sequencing matched each other, and some matched between the two farms. Whole genome sequencing of one environmental isolate matched five patient samples collected between 2021 and 2026\. On March 24, Ayco Farms recalled one lot of whole cantaloupe. On April 1 FDA placed Agrobassy Y CIA LTDA and Ayco San Jorge Y Compania Limitada on Import Alert 99-35\. **Listeria outbreak traced to soft cheese** On May 26, the FDA received notification of an investigation of an outbreak involving two soft ricotta cheese samples that were confirmed (redacted) positive for Listeria monocytogenes. On May 27 the CDC also notified the FDA of the cluster and corresponding investigation involving eight patients from three states. Ultimately 15 patients were identified. According to the executive summary, traceback of requeson cheese consumed by four patients identified three points of sale, three distributors, and one manufacturer, Clover Hill Dairy LLC of Mechanicville, MD. Records obtained from Maryland state health officials indicated that the manufacturer sourced milk from five dairies, all located within the state of Maryland. The Maryland Department of Health’s Center for Milk and Dairy Product Safety issued a summary of suspension notice, which suspended the Manufacturing Grade Milk Processing Permit for Clover Hill Dairy. The dairy recalled all requesón/soft ricotta products produced by the firm and subsequently expanded the recall to include all cheese products within expiry. The distributor, Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC, also issued a recall for all requesón cheese distributed by Clover Hill Dairy. Based on epidemiologic, traceback and laboratory data, soft cheese, specifically requeson, was confirmed as the source of the outbreak. The investigation determined that the soft cheese was manufactured at Clover Hill Dairy. The outbreak strain of Listeria was detected in nine product and environmental samples. **Other outbreak news** The FDA updated patient counts for three outbreaks. Sources of the pathogens in all three outbreaks remain unknown. For an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections, the patient count is 111, up from 109 a week ago. The FDA has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. The agency has begun traceback efforts but has not reported what food it is tracing. The outbreak was first posted on August. 26. For an outbreak of Listeria infections, the patient count has increased from nine to 10\. The FDA has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. The agency has begun traceback efforts but has not reported what food is being traced. The agency has also begun onsite inspections and sample testing, but it is not reporting what location is being inspected or what is being tested. The outbreak was first posted on July 22. For an outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite, the patient count has increased from 231 to 234\. The FDA has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. The agency has begun traceback and sampling, but is not reporting what food is being traced or what is being tested. The outbreak was first posted on July 22\. ### FDA report on food safety in delis stresses personal hygiene URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-report-on-food-safety-in-delis-stresses-personal-hygiene/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T20:50:12.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has released a 54-page report on the Occurrence of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors in Retail Food Store Delis. The report includes findings from data collection from 2019-2022 and is part of the agency’s efforts to reduce foodborne illnesses, which have an annual economic burden of $90.2 billion. The delis used in the study were randomly selected. Key findings noted in the report include: - Delis that had a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) who was the person in charge at the time of the data collect had significantly better food safety management system (FSMS) scores than those that did not have a CFPM; and - Having a well-developed FSMS was the strongest predictor that risk factors would be minimized; - The two most commonly occurring out of compliance risk factors were improper holding time and temperature, and poor personal hygiene; and - The least commonly out of compliance risk factor was inadequate cooking. The retail segment of the food industry employs 6 million workers and represents a combined annual sales volume of almost $800 billion, according to the report. At the time of the data collection for the report, there were 78,919 retail food store establishments in the contiguous United States. According to the FDA, the National Retail Food Risk Factor Study aims to observe behaviors across different segments of the retail food industry such as restaurants and delis to identify which foodborne illness risk factors are most out of control. According to the CDC, when considering incidents in 2017, retail food stores accounted for 21 outbreaks. For the purposes of the report, delis were observed across the United States. Delis are described as “areas in a retail food store where foods, such as luncheon meats and cheeses, are sliced for the customers and where sandwiches and salads are prepared on-site or received from a commissary in bulk containers, portioned, and displayed…” “These delis are unique in that they must reside in a retail food store (grocery store) and may have multiple regulatory authorities, whereas stand-alone delis are regulated solely by the U.S.Department of Agriculture,” according to the report. Delis have unique storage, handling, and service risks and opportunities. Most deli foods are ready-to-eat and receive no subsequent kill step for food safety such as cooking. The report states that a key food safety consideration in delis is to maintain good personal hygiene such as washing hands and no bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food. The FDA report cites surveillance data from the CDC, which consistently identifies five major risk factors related to food safety practices within the retail food industry that contribute to foodborne illness. Most regulatory retail food inspection programs throughout the United States monitor these risk factors in their routine inspections, and each necessitates specific food safety behaviors and practices to control the risks. These risk factors are: - Poor personal hygiene - Improper food holding/time and temperature - Contaminated equipment/protection from contamination - Inadequate cooking - Food obtained from unsafe sources To read the full report, [click here](https://www.fda.gov/media/194826/download?attachment&ref=foodsafetynews.com). ### Chinese scientists highlight risks of raw fish URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/chinese-scientists-highlight-risks-of-raw-fish/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T04:03:37.000Z Five people were sickened in China earlier this year after eating fish at a restaurant. In February 2026, Henan CDC received a report of a suspected clonorchiasis case. Clonorchiasis is transmitted by eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish and shrimp carrying the larvae of the liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Survey reveals regulatory insights from small UK firms URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/survey-reveals-regulatory-insights-from-small-uk-firms/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T04:01:50.000Z A survey of small businesses across the United Kingdom has found good practices relating to food safety and allergen information but low awareness of food crime. The 2025 edition was the fifth in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland but the first to include Scottish companies. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Supplier in sprout outbreak recalls seed URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/supplier-in-sprout-outbreak-recalls-seed/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T22:22:23.000Z The seed supplier for a sprout growing company involved in an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella has agreed to conduct a recall. The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall on Sept. 15, but did not name the seed supplier. The agency also did not provide any identifying information about the seeds, such as lot numbers. The seed supplier initially refused to conduct a recall. The supplier sold seeds to Everything Sprouts LLC. The seed lot was also sold directly to other sprout growers and wholesale distributors in Puerto Rico and the U.S. It was also shipped internationally to Canada, Mexico, Tahiti, and Venezuela. Products from Everything Sprouts have been linked to an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella infections. So far, 55 patients in 15 states have been identified. Four of the patients have required hospitalization, but no deaths have been reported. Some people were infected with more than one outbreak strain. Forty-six people were infected with E. coli, seven people were infected with Salmonella, and two people were infected with both Salmonella and E. coli. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 31 to Aug. 8, but additional patients could be identified because of the lag time of when a patient becomes ill and when they are added to the national toll. Also, there are likely many more sick people who have not been identified. This is because some people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella or E. coli. The CDC estimates that for every patient identified in a Salmonella outbreak, 29 go undetected. For E. coli outbreaks the multiplier is 26. The patients in the outbreak range in age from 12 to 94 years old, with a median age of 34 years. State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 34 people interviewed, 26 reported eating alfalfa sprouts. Whole genome sequencing showed that bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence show that alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC of Minneapolis, MN, is one of the sources of illnesses in this outbreak. While alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC are a source of illnesses in this outbreak, these sprouts do not explain all the illnesses. The FDA’s traceback investigation has identified at least one additional sprout grower who received and used the same lot of alfalfa sprout seeds under investigation in this outbreak from a common seed supplier. The FDA has not named the sprout grower. Everything Sprouts recalled three of its products in August. The recalled sprouts are past their expiration dates and should no longer be available for sale. ### Fine and charges issued in case involving fish that was unfit to eat URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fine-and-charges-issued-in-case-involving-fist-that-was-unfit-to-eat/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T06:07:54.000Z Two men have been charged in Norway for their roles in selling farmed salmon that was unfit for human consumption. The defendants, both men in their 50s, worked in senior positions at the company Pure Norwegian Seafood. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Chemical topics dominate Dutch emerging risk signals URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/chemical-topics-dominate-dutch-emerging-risk-signals/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T04:01:42.000Z Potential chemical risks dominated discussions this past year in a Dutch network created to identify emerging food safety risks. The Food Safety Signalling Consultation (SO-V) was formed in 2020 to identify and interpret emerging food safety risks. It has two sections: one for microbiological risks (SO-VM) and another for chemical risks (SO-VC). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Frozen raspberries recalled because of norovirus; illnesses reported URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/frozen-raspberries-recalled-because-of-norovirus-illnesses-reported/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T02:45:09.000Z Alasko brand frozen whole raspberries are being recalled in Canada because of contamination with norovirus. This recall was triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak. There have been reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. The recalled berries were distributed in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. Consumers can identify the recalled berries by looking for the following label information: | Brand | Product | Size | UPC | Codes | | ------ | -------------------------- | --------------- | ----------------- | -------------------------------------- | | Alasko | Whole Raspberries (frozen) | 1 kg | 6 95058 00205 4 | PO#138602LOT# SY25314BB: 2027-NO-10 | | Alasko | IQF Whole Raspberries | 5 kg (5 x 1 kg) | 1 069505 800205 1 | #Lot: SY25314P.O: 138602BB: 2027-NO-10 | **About norovirus infections** Food and beverages contaminated with norovirus may not look or smell bad, but it can cause severe illnesses. Symptoms of norovirus infection may include vomiting and/or diarrhea, nausea, muscle aches, fever, and headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms typically start 12 to 48 hours after exposure and can last for one to three days. Most people recover without treatment, however some may need medical attention for dehydration. People with norovirus infections can spread the infection easily to others. The virus can live on surfaces for long periods of time. To prevent others from getting sick always wash hands carefully with soap and warm water after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Use soap and water to clean toilets or other areas that may be soiled with stool or vomit. Hard surfaces can be disinfected with 1/3 cup household bleach mixed with one gallon of water – always wear gloves when handling bleach-based cleaners. ### So Delicious frozen dessert product recalled because of foreign objects URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/so-delicious-frozen-dessert-product-recalled-because-of-foreign-objects/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T02:07:55.000Z Danone USA is recalling of So Delicious Dairy Free Salted Caramel Cluster Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert pints with best-by dates on and before April 3, 2028, because consumers complained about the presence of foreign materials, such as small stones and other hard objects, within the cashew inclusions. The recalled product is packaged in pint containers and includes the products with the SKU number 136603 and the UPC number 744473476138\. The recall applies to product with best-by dates on and before April 3, 2028\. The recalled product was distributed to retail stores within the United States. The issue was identified through consumer complaints. According to a company news release, unaffected product is still available on shelves, and product shipped going forward is not affected by this recall. Consumers who purchased affected product should not consume it. ### The last mile of a food safety recall: It is not complete until consumers are protected URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/the-last-mile-of-a-food-safety-recall-it-is-not-complete-until-consumers-are-protected-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T04:05:03.000Z Imagine being the parent of an infant and learning that the baby formula in your home may be associated with a life-threatening illness. You rush to the pantry and begin looking for which product codes are associated with a recall notice web site, and you can’t find the codes. Perhaps the container has already been discarded but you know you have used that brand. Perhaps you never even heard about the recall until after the product had been consumed and you’re at the hospital with your sick infant. In June 2026, Nara Organics recalled all lots of its powdered infant formula after FDA investigated four confirmed cases of [infant botulism among infants who had consumed the product](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-powdered-infant-formula-june-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The recall was announced quickly, but issuing a recall and reaching every household that may still possess the product are not the same thing. That distinction is not theoretical. During a the ByHeart infant formula recall, FDA found recalled product [remaining on retail shelves after retailers had already been notified](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-infant-formula-november-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The FDA, along with state and local partners, [conducted over 4,000 checks at retail locations](https://www.fda.gov/food/recalls-outbreaks-emergencies/fda-calls-food-industry-leaders-strengthen-recall-compliance-and-ensure-recall-effectiveness?ref=foodsafetynews.com) across the country following the [recall of infant formula](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/byheart-updates-information-regarding-voluntary-recall-all-batches-byheart-whole-nutrition-infant?ref=foodsafetynews.com) related to an outbreak of infant botulism. During these checks, they discovered that recalled product remained available for sale at over 175 retail locations across 36 states. In one case, recalled product remained available for sale over three weeks after the recall was initiated, and in another case, the recalled product was offered at a discounted price, with the promotional period beginning five days after the recall had been expanded to include all infant formula products from the manufacturer in question. In several cases, recalled product returned by consumers was placed back on shelves. The FDA stated that these preventable situations placed America’s most vulnerable population — infants, for whom infant formula is often a sole source of nutrition — at continued risk of serious illness. FDA [issued warning letters](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/compliance-actions-and-activities/warning-letters?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in December 2025 to several retailers citing failures to effectuate the recall of adulterated infant formula at their retail locations. If a recalled product can remain in commerce in retail grocery shelves or available online after a recall begins, it can certainly remain in consumers' pantries, freezers, vacation homes, and the homes of grandparents or other caregivers. Prior to this during the [Boars Head Listeria outbreak in 2024](https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), there were multiple complaints of recalled food stored in consumers homes and consumed after a recall notice, as evidenced by [class actions filed in early August 2024](https://milberg.com/news/boars-head-deli-meat-class-action-lawsuit/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and a subsequent [individual injury lawsuit](https://nypost.com/2024/08/02/business/queens-woman-files-class-action-suit-against-boars-head-over-deli-meat-recall-linked-to-listeria-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com); in both cases attorneys argued that Boar’s Head’s recall was "designed to reach very few people." The lawsuits stated that normal everyday consumers did not receive direct text alerts, emails, or clear in-store signage, leading them to consume products already in their refrigerators weeks after the media broadcasted the notice A recall may have been initiated, publicized, and reported by the industry and government regulators. Yet from the consumer's perspective and the public health, it has failed if they are not aware and the dangerous product is still consumed after the recall notice. **The measure we are missing** [FDA guidance](https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/initiation-voluntary-recalls-under-21-cfr-part-7-subpart-c?ref=foodsafetynews.com) describes recall effectiveness primarily as verification that recall communications reached direct consignees and that those distribution and retail businesses understood and followed the recall instructions. This includes requirements for [public warning.](https://www.fda.gov/media/71814/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) The FDA provides [specific guidance](https://www.fda.gov/media/110457/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to assist and provide recommendations to industry and FDA staff regarding the use, content, and circumstances for issuance of public warnings and public notifications for firm-initiated or FDA-requested recalls. These procedures are essential for controlling product within the commercial distribution chain. However, the regulations do not create any legal obligation for newspapers, television stations, radio stations, internet news sites, trade publications, or social media platforms to republish that information. They also don’t routinely measure whether the consumer who ultimately purchased the product had received the communication, or confirmed the actions recommended, or whether it was consumed after the recall announcement. There does not appear to be a routinely published national measure of the percentage of recalled food successfully removed from consumers' homes. That absence represents a public-health blind spot. The government and industry measure recall execution far better than recall effectiveness. **The last mile of a food safety recall** The food industry is investing heavily in the traceability of ingredients from suppliers through manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales and service due to [pending FDA requirements](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Yet traceability requirements end at the checkout counter or restaurant. The last mile of a food safety recall is the final, often unmeasured, step between identifying a recalled product in commerce, and alerting a consumer to avoid consumption. Consumer notification and verification of receipt should become a formal component of every recall plan rather than an activity that relies primarily on voluntary media – broadcast and social – coverage or industry and government websites. **The technology already exists** This is not a technology problem. Several grocery brands have publicly described systems that notify customers who may have purchased recalled products using email and register receipt messages. Some have used membership purchase records to send recall notices directly to members whose purchase histories indicate they bought the recalled product. Some also communicate recalls through direct email using online ordering purchase-history information supporting customer communications. However membership requirements often preclude these individual methods from reaching all the likely customers of a recalled product. The next generation of recall notifications to consumers should include the means for the consumer to quickly confirm if a product in their home has been recalled and/or provide notification of purchase specific product possession in cases where the product packaging is no longer available. For example, if all high risk packaged food products like infant formula had product lot specific QR codes that the consumer could scan themselves, and the QR codes were linked to the product manufacturer’s website that quickly informed the customer not to use the product during a recall, consumers could check the safety of a product quickly. To cover gaps when product packaging has been discarded but the consumer knows they have already consumed a product, voluntary digital pantry applications or mobile apps that automatically compare products purchased (e.g., via scanning QR codes) against recall databases via voluntary registration of purchase history for higher-risk products such as infant formula could be additionally helpful. Even a voluntary registration into a national Amber Alert style system (e.g., parents or caregivers who purchase infant formula) would be better than the current state of recall communications. Instead of consumers searching for recall information about a product they have purchased, recall information should search for consumers. **A recall effectiveness index might encourage government and industry innovation and action** The government should establish a Recall Effectiveness Index (REI) as an industry performance metric. Rather than measuring only how quickly a recall was initiated, the REI would evaluate: (1) identification of affected products and volume of sales at retail; (2) speed of consumer notification; (3) percentage of identifiable purchasers successfully reached; (4) consumer action and product removal; and (5) public-health outcomes, including illnesses occurring after recall initiation. What gets measured gets managed. If recall effectiveness is never measured at the consumer level, the last mile will remain the weakest part of the recall system and continue to lead to illnesses and deaths from previously recalled food products. **Doing the right thing** Food companies possess sophisticated capabilities to communicate with customers before a purchase through advertising, loyalty programs, mobile applications, and digital marketing. Those same capabilities should be used when protecting public health. If companies can find customers to sell them food, they should make every reasonable effort to find those same customers when a product may place them at risk. That is more than regulatory compliance — it is corporate responsibility. Food safety does not end when contaminated product leaves the manufacturing facility, nor when a recall press release is issued. It ends only when recalled food is no longer capable of harming consumers. Companies, retailers, regulators, and technology providers already possess many of the tools needed to close the last mile of a food safety recall. The next step is to make direct consumer notification and verification an expected component of every high-risk recall. A recall should not be considered successful simply because a press release was issued. It should be considered successful only after every reasonable effort has been made to identify affected consumers, and notify them promptly so they can remove dangerous products from their homes. That is what consumers expect—and it is the right thing to do. ### EU proposes changes to rules about meat storage conditions URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/eu-proposes-changes-to-rules-about-meat-storage-conditions/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T08:24:04.000Z The European Commission has opened a comment period on a change to regulations that would give companies more flexibility related to frozen meat. The proposals would increase the options for food businesses around storage conditions before freezing meat. They are based on a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion that includes using different time and temperature combinations or microbiological evidence to satisfy authorities. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sri Lanka creates food safety policy with FAO support URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/sri-lanka-creates-food-safety-policy-with-fao-support/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T04:01:28.000Z Sri Lanka has unveiled its first national food safety policy with six themes including improving food controls, strengthening surveillance, and enhancing standards. Developed by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, through the Food Control Administration Unit (FCAU), it promotes a preventive, risk-based approach. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Abbott to pay almost $385 million to settle false claims allegation about infant formula URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/abbott-hit-with-almost-390-million-to-settle-false-claims-allegation-about-infant-formula/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T16:23:43.000Z Saying that the nation’s food supply is non-negotiable, the Department of Justice announced a settlement with Abbott Laboratories for more than $384 million related to the 2022 infant formula crisis. The company was linked to an outbreak of cronobacter infections that saw two infants die after consuming powdered infant formula products made by Abbott’s Sturgis, MI, production plant.The company’s recall of several brands and varieties of infant formula, including Similac, led to a severe nationwide shortage, including shortages of formula contracted by federal and state governments. The settlement announced Sept. 14 resolves claims by the federal government related to allegations about false claims and is not a determination of liability on the part of the company. Numerous court actions brought by parents are pending. The settlement relates to the fact that Abbott caused false claims to be submitted between Jan. 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2022, to federal and state programs arising from its failure to manufacture certain powdered infant formula and nutritional therapy products at its Sturgis, MI, and Casa Grande, AZ, facilities in compliance with federal and state statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements. Under the civil settlement agreement, Abbott will pay $348,700,868 to the United States to resolve the False Claims Act allegations and an additional $36,298,172 to certain states for claims settled by their Medicaid and WIC programs. The civil settlement also resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, which allow private individuals to bring suit on behalf of the United States for false claims submitted to federal programs and to share in any recovery. Abbott employees Scott Millard, Kristine Cooper and Loren Cooper will receive $69 million as their share of the federal settlement. Food safety expert and Seattle attorney Bill Marler said Congress can go a step further than the resolution of the False Claims case in the fight for safe infant formula. There is pending legislation that would address safe production of infant formula. “Today the Justice Department found $385 million worth of accountability for how infant formula was made between 2018 and 2022\. Every dollar of it is backward-looking, and not one dollar of it requires anyone to run a single additional test tomorrow. Congress can do that part. It has had a bill since March,” Marler said. On Nov. 13, 2025, the United States filed its [Complaint ](https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1461131/dl?inline&ref=foodsafetynews.com)in Intervention alleging that Abbott caused government programs to purchase powdered infant formula manufactured at the Sturgis facility despite the products’ failure to meet statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements. The Complaint alleged that Abbott knowingly manufactured infant formula purchased with taxpayer dollars in an environment that put the products at unacceptable risk of microorganism contamination and significantly impacted the products’ reliability, quality and safety. “Abbott will pay a substantial sum to resolve serious allegations it violated federal health and safety requirements designed to protect babies. The Justice Department will act decisively against anyone who puts American families at risk and ensure misconduct carries serious consequences,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. said: “No company should be gambling on the health and safety of our nation’s infants by allowing unsanitary conditions to persist at a facility manufacturing baby formula. The department will hold accountable bad actors that knowingly misrepresent compliance with essential health and safety standards designed to protect American families.” In addition to the Department of Justice, the USDA’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation. The USDA’s Inspector General John Walk said Abbott’s behavior was inexcusable. In its complaint against Abbott, the federal government cited roof leaks that allowed water to drip over equipment used to produce infant formula. The complaint states that rather than addressing the leaks in a permanent manner, the company merely placed rain umbrellas to try to divert water. The company also continued to use spray dryers that transformed liquid formula into powdered product even though corporate leadership knew there were cracks and pits in them. “Abbott made its spray dryer conditions worse by lengthening the number of product batches that passed through the dryers between cleaning cycles — enabling Abbott to increase production,” according to a statement from the Department of Justice. In addition to continuing to operate the dryers to increase production and therefore sales, the government contends that the company intentionally did not test for bacterial growth to avoid obtaining positive test results showing contamination, and that in certain instances where testing demonstrated “micro” contamination, Abbott failed to disclose the test results when responding to requests from FDA during 2019 and 2022 inspections at the Sturgis facility. The False Claims action against Abbott states that the USDA funds and regulates the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which provides nutritional support — including infant formula — to eligible participants. More than half of all infant formula purchased in the United States is paid for with USDA funds through WIC. State Medicaid Programs also cover and pay for certain infant formula. The federal court action was a coordinated effort by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, with assistance from USDA’s Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Civil Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Asha Natarajan and Erin Colleran of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney Schnurr and Jacob Carlton for the Western District of Michigan. ### Whole Foods recalls cheese because of undeclared eggs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/whole-foods-recalls-cheese-because-of-undeclared-eggs/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T23:54:12.000Z Whole Foods Market of Austin, TX, is recalling Fromagerie Coop de Mean Cabricharme cheese because the product contains egg lysozyme, an egg white protein, which is not declared on the product label. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The cheese was sold in the specialty cheese department at 18 Whole Foods Market stores in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Recalled product was cut and plastic wrapped by the pound with Whole Foods Market scale labels and would be identified as follows: | **Type of Label** | **Product** **Description** | **PLU** | **States** | **Best By Dates** | | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Whole Foods Market Scale Label | Formagerie Coop de Mean Cabricharme Raw Milk – Aged 60 days | 57953 | California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island | All dates up to And including 10/7/2026 | | Belgian Cabricharme | 54670 | California, Arizona | | | All affected product has been removed from store shelves. The mislabeling issue was discovered by a store team member. No illnesses have been reported to date. Customers who purchased the product are urged to destroy it. ### We must stick to a zero tolerance policy for listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/we-must-stick-to-a-zero-tolerance-policy-for-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T00:26:08.000Z **By Brian Ronholm,** Director of Food Policy for Consumer Reports,and **Michael Hansen,** Senior Scientist for Consumer Reports For decades, the FDA has upheld a strict "zero tolerance" policy for Listeria monocytogenes — a dangerous bacteria that poses a severe health threat primarily to pregnant individuals, newborns, older adults, and immunocompromised people. It can lead to severe invasive infections, hospitalizations, miscarriages, or death. However, at a recent public meeting, the FDA signaled it might consider a shift away from this zero tolerance standard. The agency has been subject to growing pressure from some industry voices and scientists to adopt a "risk-based" approach, similar to what is currently practiced in Canada and the European Union. This approach argues that, because some food products naturally contain low, "low-risk" levels of Listeria, it should eliminate the need for the zero-tolerance policy and allow for a focus on management rather than total prevention. While the concept of "risk-based" management may sound scholarly and refined, applying it to Listeria policy represents a dangerous gamble with public health. The risk is underscored by the evidence, which demonstrates that the zero-tolerance policy protects consumers and abandoning this policy could increase the risk of foodborne illness. **Higher rates abroad** If we look at the actual rates of listeriosis — the infection caused by this bacteria — the numbers show that the U.S. approach is vastly more effective than the international alternatives. In the European Union, the rate of listeriosis is nearly three times higher than it is in the U.S. In Canada, the rate is nearly double. According to [FoodNet data](https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/13/8/ofag436/8747692?ref=foodsafetynews.com) covering 2020 to 2023, the U.S. listeriosis incidence rate stood at 0.25 cases per 100,000 person-years (PY). Earlier figures from the CDC’s Listeria Initiative estimated the 2019 U.S. rate at 0.24 cases per 100,000—representing approximately 792 cases across a population of 328.3 million. In comparison, international surveillance metrics from 2023 reflect markedly higher rates: - **European Union:** Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control indicates a rate of 0.67 cases per 100,000 PY, which is 2.8 times higher than the U.S. rate. - **Canada:** National reported surveillance estimated 0.45 cases per 100,000 PY, making Canada’s rate 1.9 times higher than that of the U.S. **The zero tolerance advantage** Despite arguments that a zero-tolerance policy discourages testing for fear of finding the bacteria, such that Listeria levels would gradually increase over time due to reduced testing, recent trends show the exact opposite. Research suggests that exposure to Listeria in the U.S. actually dropped by 16 percent between 2008 and 2023. We know that certain groups — including pregnant individuals, newborns, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems — are most at risk from Listeria. What’s striking, however, is that despite an aging population and demographic shifts that should have logically led to higher infection rates, the U.S. has maintained a stable, lower rate of listeriosis. A study from the [August 2026 issue](https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/13/8/ofag436/8747692?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of Open Forum Infectious Diseases offers a key insight into why: While demographic changes suggested we should be seeing more cases, we haven't. The researchers concluded that this stability is likely because our exposure to Listeria appears to have actually decreased by roughly 16 percent since 2008\. This suggests that the current safety framework is working effectively to protect even our most vulnerable populations. **Why risk it?** The argument for a "risk-based" approach rests on the idea that companies are afraid to test for Listeria because finding it carries legal and financial burdens. Critics suggest that if we were more lenient, companies would be more transparent. But we shouldn’t be forced to choose between transparent testing and food safety. The fact that Listeria exposure appears to be on the decline in the U.S. suggests that food companies are already effectively managing their safety protocols under the current zero-tolerance framework. If the current FDA zero-tolerance policy is producing lower rates of illness compared to the policies in Canada and the EU, why would we want to move toward their model? The FDA has a responsibility to protect consumers, and that starts with maintaining the zero-tolerance policy. When it comes to the safety of our food supply, we shouldn't settle for "low risk." We should continue to strive for no risk at all. During a summer when the public already feels the food safety regulatory system is broken, the FDA must avoid dismantling an approach that actually doesn’t need fixing. **About the author:* Before joining Consumer Reports, Brian Ronholm was the deputy under secretary for food safety at USDA, where he ran the agency that inspects meat, poultry and processed eggs.* ### Belgium leads horse meat fraud investigation URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/belgium-leads-horse-meat-fraud-investigation/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T04:04:08.000Z Authorities have uncovered a network operating across Europe that is accused of being involved in the slaughter of horses that were unfit for human consumption. The group is suspected of using falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal the animals’ true identities. Nearly 200 officers and representatives of different authorities took part in the operation in Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, with the support of Europol. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns two food importers about failures involving peppers, candy and other foods URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-warns-two-food-importers-about-failures-involving-peppers-candy-and-other-foods/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T04:03:10.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Deadly Listeria outbreak highlights risk from traditional foods URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/deadly-listeria-outbreak-highlights-risk-from-traditional-foods/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T04:02:09.000Z Scientists have warned about the risks posed by small-scale production of traditional foods after studying a fatal Listeria outbreak. From 2020 to 2022, 10 people were sick and three died in an outbreak of listeriosis in Austria. It was traced to a traditional southern European dairy item known as Kajmak, a lightly salted cream product. Customers of Käserei Gloggnitz were mainly local Balkan restaurants, delicatessen counters, and small bakeries. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Sunday Edition: Antibiotics URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/the-sunday-edition-antibiotics/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T20:27:39.000Z **Quick Bites** - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [have confirmed nearly 20,000 cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-reporting-almost-20-000-confirmed-patients-in-cyclospora-outbreak/). That compares to 1,180 confirmed cases in 2025\. This year’s total includes multiple outbreaks of Cyclospora infection, including the largest ever outbreak from the parasite linked to iceberg lettuce imported from a Taylor Farms growing and processing operation in Central Mexico. [The CDC officially declared that outbreak over as of Sept. 11. ](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-says-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-iceberg-lettuce-is-over/) - The CDC also reported [another death in a Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry flocks](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/largest-salmonella-outbreak-this-year-traced-to-backyard-flocks/). The outbreak stretches across 46 states and Puerto Rico. A total of 1,061 cases have been confirmed with two deaths, one in Washington and another in Georgia. About one quarter of the patients are children younger than five years old. - In the UK, [three Salmonella outbreaks that have affected more than 500 people and caused two deaths seems to be easing](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/uk-salmonella-outbreak-appears-to-be-easing/). The rate of people getting sick appears to be slowing down, according to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency, Food Standards Agency and Animal and Plant Health Agency. - Researchers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC [shared information about whole genome sequencing (WGS)](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-fda-share-stage-at-european-wgs-event/) with their counterparts in EU countries at the recent Science Meets Policy conference in Italy. WGS can help public health officials with surveillance of the food supply and incident investigations but cannot be used on its own to identify the source of outbreaks. New European Commission regulations related to sharing WGS pathogens associated with foodborne outbreaks came into force in August. --- **Today’s Topic: Antibiotics** In June of 1942, there was only enough penicillin in the United States to treat ten patients. Then FDR’s War Production Board stepped in with orders for mass production. By D-Day, June 6, 1944, there were 2.3 million penicillin doses loaded on board ships and planes that landed in France. From that day forward, the antibiotics cut the number of Allied troops who died after being injured in action by an estimated 15 to 20 percent. Over 646 billion units of penicillin were produced by Victory in Europe (V-E) Day on May 8, 1945\. Civilian access to penicillin started the following June. Today, the [World Health Organization’s list of medically important antimicrobials](https://www.who.int/news/item/08-02-2024-who-medically-important-antimicrobial-list-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com) identifies more than 20 distinct categories authorized for human use. The precise number requires understanding what these classes do differently and why doctors choose one over another. Antimicrobials include substances such as antibiotics, antifungals, disinfectants and antiseptics. But we’ve come full circle since World War II. Mass production and the development of new miracle antibiotics are being overshadowed by reports that we are running out of antibiotics and have reached a point where there are very few in the pipeline and potentially no treatment alternatives left for some bacterial infections – some caused by foodborne bacteria. Just before the pandemic hit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, under Dr. Robert R. Redfield, issued a 150-page report titled [Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States](https://www.cdc.gov/antimicrobial-resistance/data-research/threats/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). It said we should: - *Stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era — it’s already here*: You and I are living in a time when some miracle drugs no longer perform miracles, and families are being ripped apart by a microscopic enemy. The time for action is now, and we can be part of the solution. - *Stop playing the blame game*: Each person, industry and country can affect the development of antibiotic resistance. We each have a role to play and should be held accountable to make meaningful progress against this threat. - *Stop relying only on new antibiotics that are slow to get to market*: Sadly, germs will one day render those ineffective, too. We need to adopt aggressive strategies to keep germs away and prevent infections from occurring in the first place. Robust food safety measures are part of this strategy. - *Stop believing that antibiotic resistance is a problem “over there:”* It is a mistake to think that this is just a problem in someone else’s hospital, state or country. Antibiotic resistance has been found in every U.S. state and in every country across the globe. No place has been spared from antibiotic resistance, but everyone can take action, from handwashing to improving antibiotic use. Each year in the United States, more than 2.8 million people are infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, according to the 2019 CDC report. These “superbugs” are responsible for 35,000 deaths annually. The ill-timed CDC report did not receive the attention it deserved because of the headline-grabbing pandemic that broke out shortly after the study’s publication. One of its findings was that one-third of antibiotic prescriptions are not needed, but are written to humor the patient In the heady early days of antibiotic use, resistant infections did occur, but a steady flow of new antibiotics provided alternative treatments. Once resistance to a specific antibiotic developed, it was possible to simply switch to other treatments. However, antibiotic development has now slowed to a trickle. The last new antibiotic class reached the market in 1987\. Since then, innovation has stagnated, with only a few novel antibiotic classes currently in the drug pipeline. Consequences are felt worldwide, as an increasing number of bacterial infections are again becoming difficult to treat. Of particular concern is the lack of antibiotics effective against Gram-negative bacteria. Among foodborne illnesses, E. coli is a Gram-negative bacterium that lives in the gastrointestinal tract. Infection with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) can lead to a serious health condition called [hemolytic uremic syndrome](https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/signs-symptoms/hus.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) (HUS), which can cause kidney failure, permanent health problems and even death. Gram-negative bacteria also cause infections such as [pneumonia](https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), bloodstream infections, wound or [surgical site infections](https://www.cdc.gov/surgical-site-infections/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and [meningitis ](https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com)in healthcare settings. These infections can be hard to treat because the bacteria that cause them are becoming resistant to common antibiotics. Resistance to most or all antibiotics has also been reported. Of all antibiotics sold in the United States, approximately 80 percent are used in animal agriculture, with about 70 percent of these deemed “medically important” for their significance to human medicine. Antibiotics are administered to animals in feed to marginally improve growth rates and to prevent infections, a practice projected to increase dramatically worldwide. There is scientific concern that antibiotic resistance in humans is promoted by the widespread use of nontherapeutic antibiotics in animals. Resistant bacteria might be transmitted to humans through direct contact with animals, exposure to animal manure, consumption of undercooked meat, or contact with uncooked meat or surfaces meat has touched. Beginning in 2023, certain medically important antimicrobial drugs for animals that had been available over the counter became available only by prescription. This means that all medically important antimicrobials approved for use in animals now require the authorization of a licensed veterinarian. That requirement is a major step in the FDA’s ongoing effort to promote judicious use of antimicrobials in animals. Sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobial drugs used in US livestock rose 16 percent from 2023 to 2024 but are still 27 percent lower than peak sales in 2015, according to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. **The Pros: Arguments for heightened concern** - Saves modern medicine: Major procedures like chemotherapy, organ transplants and joint replacements rely on effective antibiotics. Public concern drives the funding needed to keep these procedures safe. - Curbs massive financial losses: Global economic damages from antibiotic resistance are projected to hit $412 billion annually by 2035\. Raising awareness of this impact prompts governments to invest in early containment. - Encourages stewardship: Fear of antibiotic resistance forces hospitals to implement stewardship programs, decreasing the 33 percent of prescriptions that are completely unnecessary – such as for viral colds or flu. - Spurs new drug innovation: Public anxiety pressures pharmaceutical companies and governments to fund the discovery of new antimicrobial classes. - Protects the human microbiome: Awareness of growing antibiotic resistance encourages clinicians to prescribe the shortest effective doses, minimizing destruction of healthy gut bacteria. **The Cons: Complexities and criticisms of current narrative formats** - Can cause treatment delays: Over-correcting or hesitation due to "antibiotic fear" can lead physicians or patients to delay taking necessary antibiotics, turning curable bacterial infections into sepsis. - Perpetuates "patient blame" misconceptions: Standard awareness campaigns often hyper-focus on patients "finishing the course," which newer infectious disease science notes can sometimes cause more resistance than stopping early once cured. - Disproportionate burden on developing regions: Strict restriction policies designed for wealthy nations can inadvertently block access to basic, life-saving medications in low-resource settings, where untreated bacterial infections remain the leading cause of death. - Overlooks non-clinical drivers: An overemphasis on medical prescriptions sometimes eclipses the massive role that agricultural runoff, poor sanitation and animal farming play in breeding resistant bacteria. - Public fatigue and anxiety: Constantly messaging an impending "post-antibiotic apocalypse" without providing immediate, actionable tools can induce public apathy or panic regarding basic healthcare. --- **Our take** A “discovery void” might sound like an episode of Star Trek, but its reality here on Earth is that we’ve been in something of a dry spell when it comes to antibiotics. The concern, of course, is that antibiotic resistance is dangerous. The resulting “superbugs” kill. Developing a new antibiotic is extremely difficult. The details are complex. It’s an expensive and lengthy venture. There might be fast money in some drug development, but not in antibiotics. And there’s not a lot of existing know-how to tap. Still, there is hope. --- **By the numbers** **$55,300,000,000** – The value, in U.S. dollars, of the global antibiotic market in 2025. **$57,600,000,000** – The projected value, in U.S. dollars, of the global antibiotic market in 2026. **$74,000,000,000** – The projected value, in U.S. dollars, of the global antibiotic market by 2033\. **3.6** – The percentage of the expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the antibiotic market. **39.3** – The percentage of global antibiotic sales in North America, which dominates the market. **7** – The percentage of the antibiotics segment held by generics. **18.1** – The percentage of antibiotic sales from the Cephalosporin segment. --- **What It Means** Antibacterial agents are in clinical and preclinical development, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This means there is life in the old antibiotic pipeline. According to the WHO, this is the state of the antibiotic pipeline as of 2025: A total of 90 products were identified in clinical development – 50 traditional antibacterial agents and 40 non-traditional agents. Only 15 qualify as innovative, and only five target the most critical priority pathogens. Of the 50 traditional antibacterial agents: - 45 – 90 percent – target WHO bacterial priority pathogens, including 18 – 40 percent – targeting drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. - Four – 8 percent – are being developed for C. difficile, and one – 2 percent – for H. pylori. With a likely success rate of 10 percent to 20 percent from phase I trials to approval, only a few of the substances can be expected to reach the market within 10 years. *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Sauce company refuses to comply with cease-and-desist order issued because of botulism risk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/sauce-company-refuses-to-comply-with-cease-and-desist-order-issued-because-of-botulism-risk/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T23:00:59.000Z The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Food and Standards Division has issued a cease-and-desist order to Phire in the Hole of Monroe, CT, and asked the company to voluntarily remove its hot sauce products from the market, following complaints from several local health departments. The products were manufactured without an approved process or required license. Failure to appropriately process acidified or low-acid canned foods, such as hot sauces, can result in Clostridium botulinum toxin formation, commonly known as Botulism. The business has declined to recall its products and has not responded to the department’s cease-and-desist order. The products were distributed in Connecticut through Beardsley’s Cider Mill & Orchard in Shelton from November 2025 through August 17, 2026\. It is unclear if the product was distributed anywhere else. Products available for sale at Beardsley’s Cider Mill were embargoed by the Food and Standard’s division. Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause weakness, dizziness, double-vision, trouble with speaking or swallowing, difficulty in breathing, abdominal distension, and constipation. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention because muscles used for breathing can be paralyzed. The products are packaged in 5 oz bottles with the following names: - P.I.T.H BBQ - VK Vamps Kryptonite - Lemon Pucker Punch - The Hawaiian Ghost - Boo Bee Q - Reaper Creeper - Box of Phire – containing 4 product varieties: Reaper Creeper, Lemon Pucker Punch, VK Vamps Kryptonite, PH3 There is no UPC number or product code on these products. No illnesses have been reported to date. ### Vermont farm recalls eggs because of link to Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/vermont-farm-recalls-eggs-because-of-link-to-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T01:22:57.000Z Leaping Bear Farm is recalling eggs after Vermont health and agriculture officials detected Salmonella in eggs and environmental samples from the farm. The recall covers cartons dated between June 1 and Sept. 5\. The eggs were sold at local farmers markets and other retailers. Vermont health officials have linked 14 illnesses to the strain, and related cases have been identified in other states. About 1,800 hens are affected. Anyone with recalled eggs should not eat or compost them. The eggs should be thrown away in the trash. Consumers should also wash refrigerators, containers and other surfaces that may have touched the eggs with hot, soapy water. The farm has stopped selling and distributing eggs until the state determines they no longer pose a public health threat. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### California issues public warning about Happy Hens eggs because of link to Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/california-issues-pubic-warning-about-happy-hens-eggs-because-of-link-to-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T22:55:58.000Z The California Department of Health has issued a warning about Happy Hens brand eggs because a Salmonella outbreak has been traced to them. The department is working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate the outbreak of SalmonellaEnteritidis infections. As of Sept. 8, there were reports of 23 California residents who have been identified as part of the outbreak. There have been seven hospitalizations and no deaths reported. Illness onset dates range from June 21 through Aug. 16\. Because this outbreak is considered ongoing, additional recent illnesses linked to this outbreak may still be identified, according to the state health department. Investigation and interviews of ill people conducted by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency identified Happy Hens brand eggs as the [outbreak source](https://24ac4e14c54e4da4af0e09805e16f9b9.107.us.prod.marketingusercontent.com/api/orgs/24ac4e14-c54e-4da4-af0e-09805e16f9b9/r/BNLaBZ6XBkOEehEULeICAAIAAAA?msdynmkt%5Ftarget=%7B%22TargetUrl%22%3A%22https%253A%252F%252Fwww.countynewscenter.com%252Fsalmonella-dna-found-on-farm-tied-to-ramona-outbreak%252F%22%2C%22RedirectOptions%22%3A%7B%225%22%3Anull%2C%221%22%3Anull%7D%7D&msdynmkt%5Fdigest=RcT0tGBkJVMe09sshZeGclZ5XJ37CY3afvUpFbXuEXU%3D&msdynmkt%5FsecretVersion=a3955a744d9049f88dd8bdc1907bf2bf&ref=foodsafetynews.com). From Aug. 17 to 20, the FDA conducted a routine inspection at the Happy Hens farm and collected environmental samples for testing. Two samples from poultry housing sites tested positive for SalmonellaEnteritidis. Whole genome sequencing analysis revealed that the Salmonellain these environmental samples matched the Salmonellastrain found in sick individuals. Initially refusing to issue a recall, on Sept. 8, Happy Hens of Ramona, CA, recalled Happy Hens brand eggs. The CDPH is warning people not to eat, serve, or sell the recalled in-shell eggs distributed by Happy Hens. Happy Hens eggs were distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, and farmer’s markets, in Southern California and the Central Coast, and available for sale directly at the farm. Consumers can identify the recalled eggs by looking for the following information: - Product description: In-shell organic eggs (all grades and sizes) - Egg Handler Code: CA-0677 - Lot/Date codes: - 223 Sell By Sep 10 - 226 Sell By Sep 13 - 237 Sell By Sep 24 - Brand name: Happy Hens - Package sizes: - Consumer: 1-dozen carton, 18-count carton, 20-count flats, 30-count flats - Foodservice: 15-dozen cases containing 6 flats with 30 eggs each **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any Happy Hens eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### CDC says Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce is over URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-says-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-iceberg-lettuce-is-over/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T16:27:52.000Z The CDC has declared that a Cyclospora outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce is over. The outbreak sickened 12,883 patients from 21 states. Since the last update, one additional state has been added: Virginia.The outbreak resulted in 570 hospitalizations and two deaths. Iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms growing and production operation in Central Mexico was named by the Food and Drug Administration as the likely vehicle for the parasite. The FDA’s investigation of the outbreak associated with Taylor Farms de Mexico continues, as well as the investigations into smaller Cyclospora outbreak clusters experienced this summer. The large outbreak includes people who reported exposure to processed iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served or purchased at various locations, including people who previously reported eating at Taco Bell. Most of these illnesses began before the Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce recall on July 17\. The recall affected iceberg lettuce products purchased and distributed by Sysco, which is the largest foodservice provider in the country, selling products to a wide variety of restaurants and other foodservice operations. Iceberg lettuce products sold at Walmart stores were also included in the recall. The FDA’s onsite inspections and sample collection at iceberg lettuce growers and the processing facility in Mexico, in coordination with Mexican officials, have ended. Samples from the onsite inspections are pending analysis. The FDA announced its investigation into the outbreak on July 16\. The agency did not say how long the investigation had been underway. On July 17, the agency reported that traceback had converged on a single supplier of the iceberg lettuce, Taylor Farms de Mexico, who then initiated a voluntary recall on the same day. On August 20, 2026, the FDA announced that it had initiated onsite inspections and sample collection at lettuce growers in Mexico. During the week of Sept. 8, senior FDA and Mexican public health and agricultural officials met to encourage continued engagement on a prevention focused framework to address outbreaks linked to produce grown in Mexico. The FDA is sending a [letter to industry](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/letter-industry-calling-collaboration-prevent-future-cyclospora-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) calling for collaboration to address Cyclospora contamination throughout the supply chain. "FDA reminds the regulated industry that they must apply established, science-based agricultural water management practices, worker health and hygiene controls, and buildings and equipment sanitation practices, consistent with FSMA's Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR Part 112), and, as appropriate, requirements under FSMA’s Preventive Controls for Human Foods Rule (21 CFR Part 117) such as having a strong and effective supplier program," according to the industry letter. "For importers, these requirements include rigorous foreign supplier verification consistent with 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart L (§§ 1.500–1.514.) Strong supplier verification is critical to ensuring that produce entering U.S. commerce meets U.S. food safety standards. We encourage you to review your programs now, assess whether they are functioning as intended, and strengthen them where gaps exist." The FDA is continuing its investigation into the outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico, while also transitioning to post-response, prevention-oriented activities which will be updated on an ongoing basis. The FDA will provide updates on Cyclospora prevention efforts on a new page: [Post-Outbreak Response Activities: Multistate Outbreaks of Cyclospora Illnesses](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/post-outbreak-response-activities-multistate-outbreaks-cyclospora-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **About Cyclospora infections** Food that is contaminated with Cyclospora parasites does not look, smell or taste bad. The parasites are microscopic organisms that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite. Chlorine and other sanitizers do not kill the parasite. ### Idaho company recalls sprouts linked to Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/idaho-company-recalls-sprouts-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T22:56:17.000Z Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Moyie Springs, ID, is recalling 215 cases of Broccoli Sprouts, because they have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella infections. The sprouts were delivered to three distributors in Washington between Aug. 24 and Sept. 2\. They may have been further distributed and sold in retail stores to consumers in Idaho, Montana and Washington. The affected Broccoli Sprouts were packaged in clear plastic 4-ounce. Zip lock bags, UPC code 8 38796 00105 1, and have the Use By dates ranging from Sept. 7 though Sept. 16. The company was notified that its broccoli sprouts have been linked to a related to a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbifican. The outbreak includes 55 patients in Idaho, Montana, Utah and Washington. The recall was also initiated when the broccoli sprouts with the Use By date Sept 16 tested positive for Salmonella by a third-party lab. The company has ceased the production and distribution of broccoli sprouts since Sept. 4 and is currently conducting a root cause investigation. Consumers who have purchased affected Broccoli Sprouts are urged to immediately discard product. This outbreak is separate from a Salmonella outbreak linked to Everything Sprouts LLC. In the outbreak linked to Evergreen Sprouts, illnesses began on July 7 with the most recent person becoming ill on Aug. 26\. Of 19 people with information available, all 19 reported eating sprouts and 17 reported eating broccoli sprouts. Traceback investigations by the FDA and state health officials have identified Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC as the common grower of broccoli sprouts that were eaten by patients before becoming ill. **Previous outbreaks** This is the third outbreak since 2011 linked to Evergreen Sprouts. In 2011, 25 people in five states were infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from alfalfa and spicy sprouts sold under the Evergreen Produce label. The FDA warned consumers directly on June 27 that year, a step the agency generally takes only when a company will not recall, and the co-owner told the trade press that recalling would amount to admitting guilt. The company ultimately recalled sprouts on July 1\. In 2014, 19 people in six states were infected with E. coli O121 traced to raw clover sprouts served at sandwich shops in Washington and Idaho. FDA has inspected this company several times since 2010\. The inspection that followed the 2011 outbreak resulted in a formal warning letter to the company from the FDA. Most of the inspections since then, including the 2014 inspection, were classified Voluntary Action Indicated, meaning the agency found things it wanted fixed but left the fixing to the firm. The most recent inspection was in 2024, also Voluntary Action Indicated. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled sprouts and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### UK Salmonella outbreak appears to be easing URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/uk-salmonella-outbreak-appears-to-be-easing/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T22:36:52.000Z The rate of people getting sick as part of three Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom appears to be slowing down, according to the latest figures. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and others are investigating the Salmonella Enteritidis clusters which have affected more than 500 people. More than 170 sick people have been interviewed. In total, 143 reported eating food prepared outside the home in the week prior to symptom onset. Investigations have linked 47 cases to 11 businesses, with at least 24 infected people eating dishes containing egg. The eggs come from multiple sources, but two large importers have been identified and are being investigated further. Concerns about cross-contamination have also been raised. **Main EU-wide incident** Genetic relatedness of the clusters, along with food information, suggests illnesses are associated with eating imported eggs at small cafés, restaurants, and takeaways. In the first cluster, there have been 322 confirmed cases and one death. Sample dates range from Aug. 11, 2025, to Aug. 21, 2026\. In the past month, 135 infections have been reported in England. Sick people range in age from younger than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30\. Of 176 cases with available information, 44 have been admitted to hospitals. There was a notable increase in infections in April and May and a larger rise in July and August 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is also investigating this Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 cluster. In July, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) restarted an investigation into a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that began in spring 2025\. There are 111 patients with 31 in 2026, including 10 in June and eight in July. Only seven patient interview questionnaires have been received by RIVM, with the agency saying it is too early to draw any conclusions about the outbreak’s source. There are 15 cases in Belgium, two in Austria, one in Denmark, four in France, and six in Germany. At least 34 people have been hospitalized. **Other clusters and countries** In a second cluster, there are 186 cases in England. Sample dates range from May 27, 2025, to Aug. 18, 2026\. Patients are aged between younger than 1 to 92 with a median of 29 years old. Of 48 patients with information available, 22 were admitted to hospitals. In a third cluster, there are 41 cases and one death, with sample dates ranging from Jan. 27 to Aug. 11, 2026\. Cases range in age from under 1 to 87 with a median of 35 years old. Seven people have been hospitalized. In Scotland, there are 13 confirmed cases. A dozen are in the first cluster and one in the third cluster reported by UKHSA. Sample dates are from April 1 to Aug. 10, 2026\. Patients range in age from 2 to 78 with a median of 36 years old and 10 are female. Several people have reported bloody diarrhea but none have been hospitalized because of salmonellosis. There are two Scottish cases from 2025 in the second cluster. Wales has 10 cases in the first cluster and two in the second. One patient in the first cluster lives in Northern Ireland. There are also two illnesses in either Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man. ### FDA quietly closes outbreak investigation naming romaine lettuce as cause URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-outbreak-investigations-continue-4/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T04:03:34.000Z The Food and Drug Administration continues to investigate multiple outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, many with the source of the pathogens unknown. However, for the first time the agency is reporting that romaine lettuce was the vehicle of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7\. The FDA first posted the outbreak on July 1\. As of Sept. 10, there were 14 confirmed patients. The FDA did not report the patients’ ages or where they live. There are likely many more patients who were not included in the count. This is because some patients do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for E. coli infection. According to the CDC, for every patient identified in an E. coli outbreak there are 26 who go undetected. According to the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated the outbreak and determined that romaine lettuce was the cause of the illnesses. The FDA reports that the CDC declared the outbreak over on July 29\. The FDA says that by the time romaine lettuce was identified as the likely source of the outbreak it was beyond its shelf life. Neither the FDA nor the CDC reported the name of the grower of the implicated romaine. Seattle food safety expert and attorney Bill Marler said transparency should be the driver in such situations. “I generally come down on the side of transparency,” Marler said. “If one grower or processor is determined, they should be named. I can understand, though, if there are multiple processors or growers, that is a different situation because all of them may not be responsible.” In other outbreak news, the FDA reports that the patient count for an outbreak of Salmonella Newport has increased to 109, up from 97 a week ago. The agency has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. The source of the pathogen has not yet been identified. The FDA has begun traceback efforts, but is not reporting what food it is tracing. The outbreak was first posted by the FDA on August. 26. An outbreak Salmonella Enteritis infections traced to eggs has been declared over. A total of 134 patients across 18 states were identified. Illnesses started on dates ranging from Nov. 21, 2025, to Aug. 12, 2026\. Of 54 patients with information available, 46 reported eating eggs before becoming ill. There have been 34 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported. The outbreak investigation determined that eggs from Midwest Poultry Services LP in Texas were the vehicle for the pathogen. The FDA collected samples from the farm and three matched the outbreak strain of Salmonella. ### Sprout seed supplier recalled product amid outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/sprout-seed-supplier-recalled-product-amid-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T04:02:29.000Z The seed supplier behind a multi-state outbreak linked to sprouts may have been named quietly in an obscure FDA report. First reported by Phyllis Entis on [eFoodAlert.com](https://efoodalert.com/2026/09/10/alfalfa-seeds-implicated-in-outbreak-of-e-coli-and-salmonella-recalled/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the news about International Sprout Holdings Inc. of Cookeville, TN, came in an entry on the Food and Drug Administration’s Enforcement Report. The report generally includes information about recalls that are usually months, if not years, old. This time, however, the entry about the sprout supplier came out within three weeks of the announcement of an outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella infections traced to alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC of Minneapolis, MN. The FDA and CDC announced the outbreak on Aug. 21\. According to the FDA’s Enforcement Report, International Sprout Holdings Inc. recalled 43,799 pounds of alfalfa seeds on Aug 23\. The company notified its customers by email. However an announcement on Aug. 31 from the FDA said the agency requested a seed supplier to recall its product but the company had declined to do so. “At this time, the common seed supplier has not responded to FDA's recall recommendation, has not sent a recall notice to downstream customers, and has not instructed the customers who received the implicated alfalfa sprout seed lot to initiate recalls,” according to the agency. Alfalfa seeds covered by the Aug. 23 recall were supplied to wholesale customers in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Tahiti, and Venezuela. Neither the wholesale consignees nor the ultimate downstream recipients of the alfalfa seeds were named. With the recall coming two days after the outbreak investigation notices, it can be presumed that the implicated seeds are behind the situation. As of Aug. 21, the FDA and CDC were reporting that 55 people across 15 states had been infected by E. coli and/or Salmonella. Patient interviews showed a connection to Everything Sprouts, but the agencies said at least one other sprout grower was likely involved. Neither the FDA or CDC have named the other implicated grower. Everything Sprouts [initiated a recall](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/sprout-company-recalls-products-linked-to-15-state-outbreak/) of three varieties of their sprouts and added a [fourth product](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/another-sprout-product-under-recall-seed-supplier-refuses-to-issue-recall/) a week later. ### Pesto linked to botulism cases in Poland URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/pesto-linked-to-botulism-cases-in-poland/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T04:01:12.000Z A batch of pesto has been recalled in Poland as officials investigate two cases of botulism. Testing commissioned by the State Sanitary Inspectorate indicated the possible presence of botulinum toxin in one batch of a green basil pesto sauce with peanuts, walnuts and cheeses, based on detection of a relevant gene in a product sample collected during an epidemiological investigation. In early August, symptoms occurred in a 34-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman. The man was diagnosed with botulism, but serological testing is ongoing. He reported swallowing difficulties, double vision, vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty speaking. The woman was also diagnosed with botulism and the presence of botulinum toxin was found in serum. Information from an interview revealed she had double vision, and difficulty swallowing and speaking. The affected product is sold under the Łowicz brand and was recalled in late August. It is called “Pesto alla Genovese. Zielony sos bazyliowy Pesto z orzechami arachidowymi i włoskimi serami.” The 180-gram jar has batch number L605192FEI and a date of August 2027. The manufacturer has initiated a product recall, placed a hold on stock in the warehouse, and is notifying partners, requesting that they halt sales of the implicated batch. The producer has sent samples from the quarantined batch to an external accredited laboratory for testing. **Company in contact with authorities** “We ask consumers who have purchased this product not to consume it and to return it to the point of sale,” read a consumer notice on the Łowicz website. MW Food Sp. z o.o. is part of the Maspex Group and produces the Łowicz brand. A spokesperson from Maspex told **Food Safety News** that after receiving information from the State Sanitary Inspectorate about the possible contamination, it took steps to investigate and verify the product's safety. “These activities included, among other things, a comprehensive review of the production process and related documentation, as well as additional laboratory testing of product samples and raw materials for the presence of mesophilic anaerobic spore-forming bacteria and Clostridium botulinum type D. Initial test results are satisfactory; the presence of these microorganisms was not detected in the tested samples,” the spokesperson said. A full set of test results are pending. Two inspections by the State Sanitary Inspectorate at the facility revealed no irregularities. Officials collected samples from the implicated batch and from the facility, for testing. “The Łowicz-brand Pesto alla Genovese is produced using properly developed and validated technological processes, and its safety and quality are confirmed through systematic testing of both raw materials and finished products. Product monitoring takes place at every stage of the production process, from the receipt of raw materials to the creation of the finished product. The product has been on the market since 2022, and throughout the entire sales period, we have received no reports regarding safety issues,” said the spokesperson. According to a notice on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the pesto was also distributed to the Netherlands. In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, they can occur as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later. Symptoms may include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, paralysis, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. Anyone who experiences these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention. ### Peanuts recalled because of Salmonella contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/peanuts-recalled-because-of-salmonella-contamination/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T02:11:35.000Z PK brand Roasted Lemon N’ Chilli Peanuts are being recalled in Canada because of Salmonella contamination. The peanuts were distributed in Ontario and Quebec, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. As of the posting of the recall notice, no illnesses had been reported in relation to the recalled peanuts. Consumers can identify the recalled peanuts by looking for label information: weight 65 g; UPC number 6 28998 001245; and codes BB: 2027/JN/20 Batch no: CN94\. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled peanutsand developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### CDC reporting almost 20,000 confirmed patients in Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-reporting-almost-20-000-confirmed-patients-in-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T15:58:10.000Z The patient count for the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak is now more than 16 times greater than that of the total for 2025. Since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of 19,595 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States. For the 2025 season there were 1,180 confirmed cases. Also, the CDC is aware of 6,149 additional cases of cyclosporiasis, which include those that are not laboratory confirmed, or are pending patient interview and submission. The official Cyclospora season ended Aug. 31, but additional cases will be added to the total count because it can take up to six weeks for testing, diagnosis and reporting to be completed. The 19,595 cases reported overall include patients in a 20-state outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce traced to a Taylor Farms growing and processing operation in Central Mexico. For that outbreak, the CDC has confirmed 11,458 patients with 990 hospitalizations and two deaths. Therefore, there are 8,137 patients with infections of unknown origin. States are keeping their own tallies, with the total now standing at 33,548 cases this season. State health departments count what their own laboratories and providers report to it, usually in the week they report it. Several states, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Kentucky among them, count on a calendar year rather than on the season, so their totals carry illnesses from January through April. Some include probable cases and cases still pending classification. The CDC excludes both. Michigan was the first state to begin reporting numbers for the outbreak. As of Sept. 3, the state was reporting 14,718 patients with 366 hospitalizations and two deaths. The state has stopped its weekly updates and will instead post new numbers on a monthly basis. Nine states have not published any statistics for this year. | **State** | **2026 cases** | **As of** | **CDC Aug 27** | **All of 2025** | **Lettuce** | **Taylor Farms** | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | -------------- | --------------- | ----------- | ---------------- | | Michigan | [14,718](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Sep 3 | 4,846 | 50 | Yes | Linked | | Ohio | [5,452](https://www.wosu.org/2026-08-13/cyclosporiasis-cases-in-ohio-jump-by-500-in-the-past-week?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 13 | 2,679 | 76 | Yes | Linked | | Missouri | [2,152](https://www.komu.com/news/state/missouri-surpasses-2-000-reported-cases-of-cyclosporiasis/article%5Ff6b25852-0e25-4370-885b-fdced421803b.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 23 | 1,010 | none reported | Yes | Linked | | Indiana | [2,104](https://www.in.gov/health/idepd/diseases-and-conditions-resource-page/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Sep 2 | 823 | 27 | Yes | Linked | | Illinois | [1,437](https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/over-1-400-cases-cyclospora-illinois-outbreak-continues?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 18 | 278 | 301 | Yes | Linked | | North Carolina | [955](https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/programs/epidemiology/communicable-disease/foodborne-illnesses/cyclosporiasis/cases?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Sep 1 | 2 | 300 | Yes | Linked | | New York | [939](https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/cyclosporiasis/fact%5Fsheet.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 17 | 0 | 694 | Yes | Unknown | | Kansas | [829](https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2458/Cyclosporiasis-Surveillance-Data?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 26 | 331 | 29 | Yes | Linked | | Kentucky | 819 | Aug 12 | 329 | 45 | Yes | Linked | | Oklahoma | 556 | Aug 25 | 241 | 41 | Yes | Linked | | Florida | [450](https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2026-08-20/florida-cyclosporiasis-count-continues-downward-trend-in-most-recent-data?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 15 | 0 | 210 | Yes | Unknown | | Iowa | [327](https://hhs.iowa.gov/center-acute-disease-epidemiology/disease-information?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 20 | 130 | 64 | Yes | Linked | | Texas | [315](https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/article/cyclosporiasis-texas-august-update-22384255.php?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 11 | 20 | 512 | Yes | Linked | | West Virginia | [315](https://oeps.wv.gov/cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Sep 4 | 160 | 8 | Yes | Linked | | Arkansas | [287](https://healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/diseases-conditions/communicable-diseases/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 25 | 82 | 13 | Yes | Linked | | Wisconsin | [284](https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 26 | 0 | 65 | Yes | Unknown | | Virginia | [242](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 31 | 0 | 115 | Yes | Unknown | | Nebraska | [218](https://www.wowt.com/2026/08/06/nebraska-health-department-confirms-cyclosporasis-cases-tied-national-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 6 | 199 | 51 | Yes | Linked | | Pennsylvania | [214](https://www.inquirer.com/health/cyclosporiasis-philadephia-case-counts-taylor-farms-20260813.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 11 | 244 | not notifiable | Yes | Linked | | Colorado | [150](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 205 | No | Unknown | | Massachusetts | [147](https://www.boston.com/news/health/2026/08/05/cyclospora-cases-climb-to-147-in-mass-but-officials-say-season-remains-within-historical-range/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 5 | 18 | 74 | Yes | Linked | | New Hampshire | [94](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 25 | 42 | 7 | Yes | Linked | | Alabama | [85](https://www.waff.com/2026/08/03/alabama-cyclospora-cases-grow-north-alabama-hit-hardest/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 3 | 0 | 19 | Yes | Unknown | | Washington | [76](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 28 | 0 | not available | May have | Travel link | | Maryland | [69](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 123 | Yes | No link found | | New Jersey | [46](https://www.nj.gov/health/news/2026/approved/20260716a.shtml?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 11 | 0 | 180 | Yes | Unknown | | Tennessee | 44 | Jul 16 | 5 | 38 | Yes | Linked | | California | [41](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR26-024.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 14 | 0 | not available | May have | Unknown | | Minnesota | [41](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | none reported | No | Unknown | | Connecticut | [35](https://portal.ct.gov/dph/newsroom/press-releases---2026/cyclosporiasis-cases-linked-to-national-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 41 | Yes | Unknown | | Maine | [27](https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/sites/maine.gov.dhhs.mecdc/files/health-professionals/advisories/2026-08-Create%20Health%20Advisories/2026PHADV022CyclosporiasisUpdate.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 7 | 16 | 4 | Yes | Linked | | Oregon | [23](https://www.oregon.gov/oha/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 24 | 0 | not available | No | Travel link | | Arizona | [19](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 49 | No | Unknown | | Georgia | [11](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 3 | 116 | Yes | Linked | | Mississippi | [7](https://www.wjtv.com/living-local/focused-on-health/mississippi-confirms-seven-cyclosporiasis-cases/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 22 | 0 | not notifiable | Yes | Unknown | | Hawaii | [6](https://health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroom/doh-investigates-potential-locally-acquired-case-of-cyclosporiasis-on-o%ca%bbahu/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 26 | 0 | not available | No | No link found | | Alaska | [5](https://health.alaska.gov/media/jqphutwx/akphan%5F20260716-domestically-acquired-cyclosporiasis-cases-in-multiple-us-states-2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 16 | 0 | 6 | No | Unknown | | Rhode Island | [4](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 6 | May have | No link found | | South Dakota | [3](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/07/16/south-dakota-confirms-three-cyclosporiasis-cases-cdc-investigates-growing-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 16 | 0 | 3 | May have | Unknown | | Louisiana | [1](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 99 | Yes | Unknown | | Utah | [1](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 0 | 37 | No | No link found | | Delaware | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 1 | May have | Unknown | | Idaho | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | not notifiable | No | Unknown | | Montana | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 8 | No | Unknown | | Nevada | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | not notifiable | No | Unknown | | New Mexico | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 9 | No | No link found | | North Dakota | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 4 | May have | Unknown | | South Carolina | [no count published](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 45 | Yes | Unknown | | Vermont | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 3 | May have | Unknown | | Wyoming | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | 0 | No | Unknown | | **All fifty states** | **33,548** | | **11,458** | | **31** | **20** | ### CDC, FDA share stage at European WGS event URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cdc-fda-share-stage-at-european-wgs-event/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T04:05:23.000Z Also, insights from EFSA, ECDC, Ireland, Denmark, and France _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### EU notes improvement in U.S. aflatoxin situation URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/eu-notes-improvement-in-u-s-aflatoxin-situation/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T04:03:43.000Z The American peanut industry has made major efforts to improve controls on exports to Europe, but aflatoxin contamination remains a problem, according to the European Commission. An audit by DG Sante in March 2026 was planned because of regular Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications for aflatoxins in peanuts imported into the EU from the United States. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher's Platform: Want to Put Us Out of Business? Come Help Us Try. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/pu-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T03:59:56.000Z Marler Clark has been suing the companies that poison people since 1993 — since a nine-year-old girl named Brianne Kiner nearly died from a hamburger. Sixteen years later it was Stephanie Smith, a children's dance instructor paralyzed by a hamburger, whose case put the grinding of American beef on the front page of *The New York Times* and won Michael Moss a Pulitzer Prize. Thirty-plus years later we are still the only law firm in the country that does nothing but foodborne illness — tens of thousands of clients and over $850 million recovered — and there is more work than there are people to do it. The names on the other side are ones you already know: Jack in the Box, Cargill, Dole, Nestlé, Walmart, Wendy's, McDonald's, Nebraska Beef, Yum Brands, and this year Taylor Farms, Taco Bell and Boar's Head. **What is on the desk right now** As I write this, on September 9, 2026: CDC counts [19,595 laboratory-confirmed cases](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/cases/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of cyclosporiasis acquired in this country since May 1 — 1,043 hospitalized, two dead, 49 states and the District of Columbia — against 1,180 for all of last season. Another 9,355 confirmed cases are still being sorted, and CDC is aware of at least 6,149 more. Our own tally of the state dashboards runs north of 32,000\. We have six cases on file against Taco Bell, four different franchise operators and Taylor Farms, and more than three hundred other people in twenty-six states have retained us to find out how they were poisoned. *Salmonella Javiana* in jalapeños grown in Sinaloa: 431 sick in 32 states, a recall that has spread past 160 grocery products, and a grower still not publicly named. Infant botulism litigation against ByHeart and Nara Organics. *Listeria* out of Boar's Head. *E. coli O157:H7* from beef kofta and from romaine, O145 in frozen blueberries, *Salmonella* from nineteen million recalled eggs, *Vibrio* from raw seafood in Queens and *E. coli* and *Salmonella* in sprouts – again. Every one of those numbers is a person with a chart, a bill, a lien and a phone number. Clients in need find us. That has never been the hard part. Finding the defendant is. Nobody hands you one in a foodborne case. Somebody in this office reads the FDA inspection reports and environmental assessments, the USDA establishment records, the whole genome sequencing and the PulseNet clusters, the epidemic curves built by state epidemiologists and — this summer — the sanitation and rainfall records of a Mexican municipality where lettuce was grown. That work gets done before a complaint is filed, not in discovery. You will also have the [Outbreak Database](https://outbreakdatabase.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which this office built and still maintains: decades of outbreaks, searchable, and no other firm in the country has it. And half of this job is not litigation at all. *E. coli O157:H7* became an adulterant in American beef in 1994; six more strains followed because we petitioned USDA to make them so, and that file had to be built by somebody. We helped pass FSMA in 2011, petitioned in 2019 — so far without success — to have outbreak strains of *Salmonella* declared adulterants, and pushed hepatitis A vaccination for food workers in 2020\. This year alone: an infant formula bill in the House, a food safety bill in the Senate, comment letters on the traceability rule Congress delayed to 2028, and a standing demand that CDC count *Cyclospora* again. I publish this site, and people here get their names on the work and are pushed forward to write and speak about it, not held back. Cases fix one company. The rest fixes the industry. **The associate attorney — five years or more** Personal injury, product liability, med-mal or complex tort, and ready to run cases rather than paper. We are a handful of lawyers, not a floor of them, so you will carry your own docket from the start: file in federal and state courts around the country, write the settlement demand letters that resolve most of our cases before anyone sees a courtroom — medical chronology, liability analysis, damages model, all of it yours — take and defend depositions of plant managers and epidemiologists, work up hemolytic uremic syndrome, *Listeria*meningitis and *Salmonella* reactive arthritis cases with the best experts in the field, sit with families in hospital rooms, and try cases. Many of our clients are children, and there the last step is the hardest: a child's settlement has to be approved by a judge, cleared of Medicaid, Medicare, ERISA and sometimes federal military liens, and structured so the money is still there decades later, when the kidney an outbreak damaged has to be replaced. Licensed and in good standing somewhere, admissible pro hac vice elsewhere; Washington admission is not required. Bring real deposition experience, the writing chops to draft a complaint reporters quote, and the stomach for what an outbreak does to a child. A science background is a bonus, not a requirement. We will teach you the microbiology. **The paralegal — ten years or more** In plaintiffs' personal injury or complex litigation. Ten years, because we need someone who already knows what a lien is, what a hospital billing department will and will not send you, and how to keep sixty clients straight without losing one. Ten years also because nobody here is going to look over your shoulder — you will run your own files. You will take intakes from families who are frightened and exhausted, chase and chronologize medical records, build the damages and lien files that become the settlement demand, assemble the minor's compromise petitions that put a child's settlement in front of a judge, manage e-discovery and document productions, coordinate with experts and state health departments, keep cases moving in courts in a dozen states, reconcile fifty health department dashboards in the morning, file the FOIA and public records requests, and put together exhibits and family declarations for a rulemaking petition or a congressional hearing. Bring mastery of medical records and chronologies, real lien experience — Medicaid, Medicare, ERISA plans and, more often than you would think, the federal government — e-discovery platform experience, absurd organizational instincts, and genuine kindness on the phone. The person calling you may have just buried someone. Both jobs travel; the docket is national and sometimes international. **What you will not do here** No billable hours, no timesheets, and no origination credit to chase. Nobody here bills by the tenth of an hour, and the firm carries the cost of every case out of its own pocket until it resolves. No committee and no layer between you and the person who decides; when you need an answer you walk down the hall and get one. And no volume. We turn down cases every week that we could not do right, because a file nobody has time for is worse than no file at all. **Where the work happens** Our office is on Bainbridge Island, and the honest truth is that we want you here — living on the island, not commuting to it. We are a few minutes' walk up from the ferry terminal, thirty-five minutes across the water from downtown Seattle, in a town you can cross on foot. Most people who make the move do not move back. But the right person matters more to us than the right zip code: if you are elsewhere in Puget Sound, or willing to relocate, and can be here most days, we should talk, and we will help you get here. Competitive salary depending on experience, plus bonus; medical, dental and vision; 401(k) with match; paid vacation and holidays; bar dues and CLE for the lawyer; and work that ends up in *The New York Times*, in front of Congress, and in *Poisoned*, the Netflix documentary about all of this. Watch it before you apply. **One last thing, and it is the whole thing** Nobody here treats this as a practice area. Everyone here can name the child whose case they will never forget, and that is why they stay. A client wrote to us that I came to the hospital while their son was there, and that somebody from this office was in touch every step after. Being that somebody is the job, and it is going to be you as often as it is me. I am not looking for people who want a job. I am looking for the ones who cannot look away from this and want to spend the next thirty years making a difference. Both jobs are open now. Resume and a short note to [bmarler@marlerclark.com](mailto:bmarler@marlerclark.com). Lawyers, send a writing sample and tell me which case or outbreak on [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) you would pick up first and what you would do with it. Paralegals, tell me about the hardest lien you ever cleared or the record you had to fight hardest to get. The rest is public: [marlerclark.com](https://www.marlerclark.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [billmarler.com](https://www.billmarler.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). No recruiters. Equal opportunity employer. ### Pork cracklings products recalled because of production in Colombia URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/pork-cracklings-products-recalled-because-of-production-in-colombia/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T02:34:20.000Z El Eden Import Distributor Corp., a Long Island City, NY, firm, is recalling 264 pounds of potato chip products containing chicharrón (pork cracklings) because they were produced in the Republic of Colombia, a country that is not eligible to export meat products to the United States, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The mixed bags of potato chips containing chicharrón were imported on July 28, 2026\. The following products are subject to recall: - 45-g. foil bags of “De Todito NATURAL” mixed chips with “CHICHARRÓN AMERICANO JACKS,” “Margarita,” and “NATU CHIPS.” - 45-g. foil bags of “De Todito BBQ” mixed chips with “CHICHARRÓN AMERICANO JACKS,” “Margarita,” and “NatuChips.” The products subject to the recall do not bear any import marks on the labels. These items were shipped to a distributor in New Jersey and retail locations in New Jersey and Utah. The problem was discovered when FSIS received a consumer complaint regarding “De Todito” snack products containing dried plantains, potato chips, and chicharrónes, pork cracklings, imported from Colombia, which is ineligible to import any meat or poultry product into the U.S. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### New Salmonella outbreak traced to Evergreen Sprouts URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/new-salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-evergreen-sprouts/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T15:57:18.000Z The CDC is investigating a new Salmonella outbreak linked to fresh sprouts. The multistate outbreak has sickened 55 people across four states, hospitalizing two. The Food and Drug Administration is reporting that the SalmonellaBovismorbificans infections are linked to broccoli sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Moyie Springs, ID. The sick people live in Idaho, Montana, Utah and Washington. The company reports that its sprouts were distributed in Idaho, Montana and Washington but may have been further distributed. This outbreak is separate from a Salmonella outbreak linked to Everything Sprouts LLC. In the outbreak linked to Evergreen Sprouts, illnesses began on July 7 with the most recent person becoming ill on Aug. 26\. Of 19 people with information available, all 19 reported eating sprouts and 17 reported eating broccoli sprouts. Traceback investigations by the FDA and state health officials have identified Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC as the common grower of broccoli sprouts that were eaten by patients before becoming ill. On Sept. 4, Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC initiated a recall of broccoli sprouts based on a positive Salmonella result from a broccoli sprouts sample collected and analyzed by Montana state officials. According to whole genome sequencing analysis conducted by state partners and reviewed by FDA, the positive sample is the same strain of Salmonella that is causing illnesses in this outbreak. Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC with expiration dates of Sept. 7, 9, 11, 14, and 16. **Previous outbreaks** This is the third outbreak since 2011 linked to Evergreen Sprouts. In 2011, 25 people in five states were infected with Salmonella Enteritidis from alfalfa and spicy sprouts sold under the Evergreen Produce label. The FDA warned consumers directly on June 27 that year, a step the agency generally takes only when a company will not recall, and the co-owner told the trade press that recalling would amount to admitting guilt. The company ultimately recalled sprouts on July 1\. In 2014, 19 people in six states were infected with E. coli O121 traced to raw clover sprouts served at sandwich shops in Washington and Idaho. FDA has inspected this company several times since 2010\. The inspection that followed the 2011 outbreak produced a formal warning letter. Most of the inspections since then, including the 2014 inspection, were classified Voluntary Action Indicated, meaning the agency found things it wanted fixed but left the fixing to the firm. The most recent inspection was in 2024, also Voluntary Action Indicated. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any Evergreen sprouts and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Publisher's Platform: The chronic disease groups have been in a different room, and they should not be URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/publishers-platform-the-chronic-disease-groups-have-been-in-a-different-room-and-they-should-not-be/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T15:57:50.000Z Yesterday I named the 30 organizations that work the acute side of food safety: the eleven that asked Congress last month to rescind the traceability rider; the groups that fight over chemicals and antibiotics; and the scientists, state regulators and educators who are not consumer groups but do the work anyway. Today, the other half of the problem, and what all forty could do together. **The chronic-disease groups have been in a different room, and they should not be** For 30 years the people who work on pathogens and the people who work on diet have filed on separate dockets, testified at separate hearings and competed for the same appropriations and the same attention. This year made the split visible: the administration's food agenda is built on chronic disease, and the cuts to outbreak surveillance came in the same year. That is a mistake on both sides. A parent does not sort the harm by mechanism. In October 2025, [32 organizations signed a comment](https://www.cspi.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/UPF%2520sign-on%2520comment%25202025%5FFINAL%5Fupdate.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking FDA to define ultra processed food (UPF) for regulation, and five of them – The Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Reports, the Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch and the Center for Environmental Health – are pathogen groups from yesterday's list. The overlap already exists. These are the rest, plus three newer names that were not on it. [**American Heart Association**](https://heart.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The largest organization in this column by an order of magnitude, with more than a billion dollars a year and Nancy Brown as CEO since 2008\. Its Washington advocacy office works sodium, sugar and now ultra-processed food at every level of government and published a fact sheet in February on regulating UPF; its Health Care by Food initiative is funding the trials that show medically tailored meals keep people out of the hospital. It is the one signature a member of Congress cannot wave off as a consumer group. It has backed sugary drink taxes and sodium limits in chain restaurants, and its annual statistics report is the source for most of what is said about diet-related death in this country. [**Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics**](https://eatrightpro.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The registered dietitians, more than 100,000 of them, founded in 1917 and led by Wylecia Wiggs Harris. It signed the ultra processed food comment. Its authority is professional rather than adversarial, which makes it the right voice on the Dietary Guidelines and school meals and a quieter one in a fight. Its members write the school meal patterns, run the hospital kitchens and staff WIC, which is where any federal nutrition standard actually meets a plate. [**UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health**](https://uconnruddcenter.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The research center, formerly at Yale, that Marlene Schwartz has directed since 2013\. When an advocacy group cites a study on food marketing to children, sugary drink taxes or school nutrition, it is usually Rudd's. It signed the comment. An academic ally, and the evidence base for half of what the others ask for. Its Fast Food FACTS and Sugary Drink FACTS reports are the running record of how much marketing children see, and its work on menu labeling and food bank nutrition shaped both. [**Partnership for a Healthier America**](https://ahealthieramerica.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Founded in 2010 alongside Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, now run by Noreen Springstead, who came from WhyHunger. It works with manufacturers, retailers and food banks to move more produce and less junk through the supply, and it signed the comment. Industry-facing on purpose, which is the same reason the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness is on this list. Its convenience store partners operate more than 2,500 locations in 39 states, three quarters of them in neighborhoods with no grocery store. [**Healthy Food America**](https://healthyfoodamerica.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Seattle nonprofit founded and run by Jim Krieger, the former chief of chronic disease prevention at Public Health Seattle and King County. It is the sugary drink tax group, Seattle's included, and it worked menu labeling before that. It signed the comment, and it is on my side of the water. Krieger also helped write the country's second menu labeling regulation, in King County, before the federal one existed. [**Global Health Advocacy Incubator**](https://advocacyincubator.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The advocacy arm of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which takes the tobacco playbook of taxes, warning labels and marketing limits and applies it to sugary drinks and ultra-processed food, mostly abroad and increasingly here. It signed the comment through Nadia Flexner, its research director. The tobacco analogy is its whole argument, and it is a good one. Its staff worked the Latin American warning label campaigns that put black octagons on the front of packages, which is the model the front-of-package labeling fight here is drawing on. [**Public Health Law Center**](https://publichealthlawcenter.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The lawyers, at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Saint Paul and led by Joelle Lester, who draft and defend the state and local ordinances behind sugary drink taxes, healthy checkout aisles and marketing limits. It signed the comment. The chronic side's version of the Center for Food Safety: a drafting and litigation shop rather than a campaign. It also defended Philadelphia's and Seattle's sugary drink taxes against industry challenge. [**FoodFight USA**](https://foodfightusa.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban's partner in Magnolia Pictures, and the producer Lori McCreary launched it in 2023, before MAHA was a phrase, and it runs as a program of a 501(c)(3) called Cause Reports. Its method is celebrity and legislation: Morgan Freeman, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Helen Mirren as "warriors," and a push behind California's 2023 ban on four food additives and its 2024 ban on synthetic dyes in schools, bills that, by its count, more than half the states have since copied or introduced. Wagner has said he is talking with state attorneys general about suing food companies the way the states sued tobacco, and this spring the group lobbied against the FRESH Act, the Cammack bill that would preempt state food chemical laws, alongside EWG and CSPI. It did not sign the October comment. A billionaire's Rolodex is not a mailing list, and it reaches rooms the mailing lists do not. [**Fed UP!**](https://www.fedupmovement.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The newest name here, launched June 3 alongside a special ultra-processed food section of the American Journal of Public Health. It is less an organization than a roster: 15 scientific contributors, among them Ashley Gearhardt of Michigan, who wrote the Yale Food Addiction Scale, Carlos Monteiro of São Paulo, who invented the Nova classification the whole debate runs on, Kelly Brownell, Marion Nestle, Laura Schmidt of UCSF and Jim Krieger, with EWG, FoodFight USA and Healthy Food America among its partners. It takes no money from ultra-processed food or beverage companies, and its site turns the journal's 17 papers into plain language, including one on how state attorneys general could use the tobacco playbook. It is the evidence base with a public face. [**Eat Real**](https://eatreal.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Founded by the pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig and the physician Jordan Shlain, and run since 2019 by co-founder Nora LaTorre, it certifies K-12 school food programs against 10 standards on added sugar, whole grains, sourcing and ultra-processed ingredients, and by its count now reaches more than a million students. It is a Fed UP! partner, and this spring it lobbied against the FRESH Act alongside EWG, CSPI and FoodFight USA. Public schools serve more meals a year than the largest restaurant chains combined, which makes the cafeteria the biggest lever in this column that nobody in Washington controls. **Ten things all forty – 30 I named**.**yesterday with today's 10 – could work on together** 1\. Get Section 780 rescinded and the traceability rule funded, enforced on its schedule, and with lot codes intact. Eleven have already signed. Nineteen more names on the next letter, including the scientists, the state regulators and the technologists who say the rule is buildable, would be noticed in a way that 11 consumer groups alone are not. 2\. Restore the surveillance that counts the sick. FoodNet and state epidemiology were cut in the middle of an outbreak that no federal number has yet caught up with. Every group on this list depends on the count, whether it argues about chemicals, antibiotics or lettuce, and none of them can make a case with numbers nobody collected. 3\. Name the companies. An outbreak advisory that says "Restaurant Chain A" protects no one, and the practice has never been justified by anything but industry comfort. A coalition of 40 asking CDC and FDA to name names during an active outbreak would be harder to ignore than one lawyer asking, which is what it has mostly been. 4\. Finish the Salmonella rule for poultry and honor the petitions that produced it. In January 2020 my firm [petitioned FSIS](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/petitions/petition-interpretive-rule-related-certain-salmonella-serotypes?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on behalf of three families, Food & Water Watch, CFA and Consumer Reports to declare 31 outbreak serotypes adulterants in meat and poultry; Stop Foodborne Illness, CSPI and the Center for Foodborne Illness endorsed it. A year later [CSPI, CFA, Consumer Reports and STOP filed their own petition](https://www.marlerblog.com/lawyer-oped/usda-urged-to-better-protect-consumers-from-salmonella-campylobacter-in-poultry-petition-filed-by-cspi-cfa-consumer-reports-stop-foodborne-illness/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), asking for enforceable standards reaching back to the farm. The framework FSIS proposed in August 2024 grew out of both, and it was [withdrawn on April 25, 2025](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/25/2025-07187/salmonella-framework-for-raw-poultry-products?ref=foodsafetynews.com). CDC puts Salmonella at 1.35 million illnesses, 26,200 hospitalizations and 420 deaths a year, and FSIS itself attributes more than 167,000 of those illnesses to chicken and turkey. The agency held a public meeting in January to start over. Consumer Reports has the test data, the families have the cases, the union has the plant floor, and the science societies can say whether the standard was sound. Every piece of the argument is already in the room. 5\. Fund FDA's foods program to match the job it was just reorganized to do. This is the one item the Alliance for a Stronger FDA can carry to members who agree on nothing else, and the one item where the produce industry, the technologists and the consumer groups have already signed the same page. 6\. Close the self-affirmed GRAS loophole and set enforceable limits for lead and arsenic in children's food. That is the chemical groups' fight, and the pathogen groups should sign it, because a parent does not care which kind of contamination it was. 7\. Pass H.R. 7867 and put botulism in the infant formula rule. Fifty-two babies have been sickened by C. botulinum in powdered formula across two brands, and the regulation that governs formula testing still names only Salmonella and Cronobacter. FDA has written the industry three letters about it and no rule. [I asked the House committee to move the bill in June](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/support-for-h-r-7867-the-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act-of-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and never heard back; [535 t-shirts go to Congress the second week of this month](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/i-bought-congress-a-t-shirt-to-stop-botulism-in-infant-formula/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), one per member. Seven of the eleven coalition groups, and two more from yesterday's list, are already on the distribution list for those letters. Thirty signatures on the next one would be better than one. 8\. Finish front-of-package nutrition labeling and write a definition of ultra-processed food that reaches the food, not just the dyes. FDA has a proposed labeling rule and an open definition process; both stall without pressure from outside. The pathogen groups should sign these letters the way the chronic groups signed the traceability ones, because a label that tells a parent what is in the box and a record that tells FDA where the box came from are the same idea. 9\. Get marketing to children, sugary drinks and school meals into the same room as Salmonella and Cyclospora. The Rudd Center has the research, the heart association has the reach, the dietitians have the credibility, and the tobacco veterans have the playbook. Nothing about that coalition requires anyone to stop working outbreaks. It requires one letter a year that carries both problems. 10\. Sit down with the people who got sick. Every official and every executive in this system should spend an hour with a family. Stop Foodborne Illness can arrange it. It is not a policy, and it changes what people are willing to accept. I have said for 30 years that the goal of my work is to put myself out of business. The people named above are the ones actually trying to do it. If Food Safety Education Month is for anything, it is for saying so, with their names spelled out. ### Largest Salmonella outbreak this year traced to backyard flocks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/largest-salmonella-outbreak-this-year-traced-to-backyard-flocks/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T04:05:43.000Z Another person has died in a Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry flocks. It is the largest Salmonella outbreak this year. There have been no recalls issued for the live animals and won't be because neither FDA nor USDA have regulations regarding backyard flocks. Although health officials say seven hatcheries are linked to the outbreak, no company has been named by investigators. All of the patients reported contact with backyard flocks of chickens and/or ducks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that there are 1,061 patients, up by 247 since its last update on July 27\. The outbreak stretches across 46 states and Puerto Rico. Two deaths have been reported in Washington and Georgia. A fourth of the patients are children younger than 5 years old. The worst backyard poultry outbreak year CDC has recorded was 2019 when [1,134 cases were reported in 49 states, with 219 hospitalizations and two deaths](https://archive.cdc.gov/www%5Fcdc%5Fgov/salmonella/backyardpoultry-05-19/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), at final count in October. There are likely tens of thousands more patients in this year's outbreak because for every person confirmed in a Salmonella outbreak 29 are undetected. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella, according to the CDC. In this year’s outbreak, of 717 patients with complete information available, 324 report being hospitalized. That’s a hospitalization rate of 33.3 percent, which is higher than usual for Salmonella outbreaks. Illness onset began Jan. 20 and runs through Aug. 6\. Additional patients are expected to be identified because it can take four to six weeks for cases to be confirmed and sent to the CDC to be included in the official count. The outbreak patients have been infected by several strains of Salmonella, including Altona, Enteritidis, Indiana, Infantis, Kedougou, Mbandaka and Saintpaul. Laboratory work in Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Tennessee sampled backyard birds and the insides of the boxes used to ship live poultry from hatcheries to retail stores. Whole genome sequencing matched the Enteritidis, Mbandaka, Kedougou and Saintpaul in those samples to the strains in sick people. The CDC’s [guidance](https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/backyard-poultry.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is that children younger than five should not handle chicks or ducklings at all. The birds can look perfectly healthy but still carry Salmonella. And, the germs spread to everything in the area where the birds live and roam — bedding, feeders, water, boots and hands. **About Salmonella infections** Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has interacted with backyard poultry and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Singapore expands role of WHO collaborating center URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/singapore-expands-role-of-who-collaborating-center/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T04:04:22.000Z A partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and Singapore has been expanded to include risk assessment. Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) has been a WHO collaborating center since 1992 focused on food contamination monitoring. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA steps enforcement on imported food including dried peppers, seafood URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-steps-enforcement-on-imported-food-including-dried-peppers-seafood/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T04:02:36.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. [Click here](http://The%20Food%20and%20Drug%20Administration%20uses%20import%20alerts%20to%20enforce%20U.S.%20food%20safety%20regulations%20for%20food%20from%20foreign%20countries.%20The%20agency%20updates%20and%20modifies%20the%20alerts%20as%20needed.%20Recent%20modifications%20to%20FDA%E2%80%99s%20import%20alerts,%20as%20posted%20by%20the%20agency,%20are%20listed%20below.%20Click%20here%20to%20go%20to%20the%20FDA%20page%20with%20links%20to%20details%20on%20specific%20alerts.%20See%20chart%20below%20for%20a%20list%20of%20the%20most%20recent%20alerts.) to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts. See chart below for a list of the most recent alerts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/09/import-alerts-09-08-26-1.png) Click on chart to enlarge. Use link above to go to FDA page with links to specific alerts.imported foods ### Dozens of varieties of deli style salads recalled because of Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/dozens-of-varieties-of-deli-style-salads-recalled-because-of-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T21:29:08.000Z Made Fresh Salads Inc. of Bay Shore, NY, is recalling all Ready to Eat Deli Style Salads and cream cheese, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The various salads were distributed in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and New York City by direct delivery to retail stores and distributors. Products are distributed in 30-pound and 5-pound white plastic tubs with a Made Fresh Salads label or a Northside Label and half size aluminum pan. Dozens of products are subject to this recall. For a complete list, [click here](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/made-fresh-salads-inc-recalls-ready-eat-deli-style-salads-and-cream-cheese-because-possible-health?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery). The salads include potato salad, cole slaw, black bean salad and several other varieties with expiration dates from Sept. 3 through Sept 18 printed on the bottom left of the label. The products may have been repacked by retail locations in deli-style or other retail packaging. Retail packaging and coding will vary based on location of purchase. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was the result of environmental sampling by the FDA and the company, which revealed that some areas of the facility tested positive for Listeria Monocytogenes. The company has ceased the production and distribution of the products as FDA, and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalledproducts and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Publisher's Platform: September Is National Food Safety Education Month – Here are 30 organizations doing the work on the acute side URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/publishers-platform-september-is-national-food-safety-education-month-here-are-30-organizations-doing-the-work-on-the-acute-side/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T22:57:02.000Z September is National Food Safety Education Month. Most of what gets said about it concerns thermometers and washing your hands, and that is worth saying. What it leaves out is the year-round work of a few dozen organizations on the other end of the problem: the rules, the inspections, the research and the lawsuits that decide whether food is safe before it reaches a kitchen. With the largest Cyclospora outbreak in American history still being counted, this is the month to name them, one at a time. Today, the 30 that work the acute side, the pathogens. Tomorrow, the 10 that work the other half of the problem, the salt, sugar, fat and ultra-processed food that fill the same grocery cart, and 10 things all forty could do together. None has a client in this outbreak. None bills an hour for the work. Most are a handful of people and a mailing list. **Eleven groups asked Congress to fix traceability last month** On Aug. 12 the Safe Food Coalition sent [a letter to the four congressional leaders](https://consumerfed.org/media/ocvbm4dp/safe-food-coalition-letter-to-congressional-leaders-re-traceability-8-12-26-920.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking them to rescind the rider that bars FDA from spending a dollar on its own traceability rule before 2028\. [I wrote about it the next day](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/eleven-consumer-public-health-and-labor-groups-just-asked-congress-to-rescind-the-traceability-rider-they-are-right-and-section-780-is-worse-than-a-delay-because-it-also-tells-fda-to-go-back-to-th/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). These are the eleven that signed. [Consumer Federation of America](https://consumerfed.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Founded in 1968, CFA has convened the Safe Food Coalition since Carol Tucker Foreman created it in 1986, and the coalition's letters go out on its letterhead. It claims a hand in the HACCP-based meat and poultry inspection system of the 1990s, which is the reason my hamburger E. coli practice went to nearly zero. Thomas Gremillion has run the food file for a decade and is the one address that reaches all eleven. It was a co-petitioner on the 2020 Salmonella adulterant petition and the 2021 petition for enforceable poultry standards, and it led the coalition's 2024 fight against the first House traceability rider. [Center for Science in the Public Interest](https://cspi.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). CSPI has worked nutrition and food safety since 1971, publishes Nutrition Action, and by policy takes no corporate money. Its petitions are behind much of the modern rulebook on allergens, additives and labeling, and it litigates as well as lobbies. Sarah Sorscher named the 2024 House bill the Food Traceability Evisceration Act, and she was right. It petitioned FDA to ban artificial trans fat, which the agency finally did in 2015, wrote menu calorie labeling into the Affordable Care Act, and got trans fat onto the Nutrition Facts label. On our side of the house it was a petitioner on the 2021 Salmonella petition and organized last October's ultra-processed food comment. [Consumer Reports](https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). CR is known for testing the food itself, and its lab drives its agenda: arsenic and lead in infant formula this spring, Salmonella in chicken, lead in applesauce pouches. Brian Ronholm, who ran FSIS as deputy undersecretary, co-chairs the FDA Foods Coalition of consumer groups, industry and state regulators that pushed FDA to put one accountable person in charge of food. Its testing found arsenic in rice in 2012 and put heavy metals in baby food on the national agenda before Congress did; it was a co-petitioner on both Salmonella petitions and signed the ultra-processed food comment. [Stop Foodborne Illness](https://stopfoodborneillness.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). STOP is the families. It descends from the parents who organized after Jack in the Box in 1993, and its work is putting a face on every number: supporting victims, testifying, and making officials look at the people behind the statistics. Sandra Eskin came to the CEO job last year straight from overseeing FSIS at USDA. Of the eleven, it is the one with the least to gain. Its founders were the family voice behind the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, it endorsed the 2020 Salmonella petition and signed the 2021 one, and its constituent advocates are the people who show up at hearings when the agencies would rather they did not. [Center for Food Safety](https://centerforfoodsafety.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). CFS is the reason the traceability rule exists. FSMA told FDA to propose high-risk recordkeeping by January 2013; FDA did not, CFS sued, and the consent decree set the deadlines FDA finally met in 2022\. Founded by Andrew Kimbrell in 1997 and now co-directed by George Kimbrell and Sylvia Wu, its tool is the lawsuit, from GE crops to pesticides to this rule. It took Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms to the Supreme Court in 2010, the first case there on genetically engineered crop regulation, and it signed last October's ultra-processed food comment, which makes it one of the five groups already working both sides of the problem. [National Consumers League](https://nclnet.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Chartered in 1899 by Jane Addams and Josephine Lowell, NCL is the oldest consumer organization in the country. Sally Greenberg spent a decade on product and food safety at Consumers Union before taking it over in 2007, and Nancy Glick runs its food and nutrition policy. It is a signer more than a driver, and a signature that has been there for 127 years carries weight. Its first century included the campaign for the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, and it has signed every Safe Food Coalition letter of the modern era. [U.S. PIRG](https://pirg.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). PIRG's Consumer Watchdog office, run by Teresa Murray, a former Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter, publishes the annual Food for Thought report on how long recalls take and how badly they are disclosed. This August it co-authored the report showing which fast-food chains walked away from their antibiotics pledges, and it keeps a public timeline of the country's largest outbreaks. Its state affiliates carry the same fights into the legislatures, and its recall reports are the only annual public accounting of how the recall system actually performs for the people who are supposed to be warned. [Government Accountability Project](https://whistleblower.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). GAP's Food Integrity Campaign, founded by Amanda Hitt and now run by Baylen Linnekin, represents the USDA inspectors, contract poultry growers and plant employees who tell the truth about what happens on the line, including the Beef Products quality manager whose disclosures broke the pink slime story. It is the only member whose contribution is evidence from inside the plants. Its inspector affidavits were the public record against USDA's move to faster poultry lines and fewer government inspectors, and its clients are why anyone outside the plants knows what a 175-bird-a-minute line looks like. [GW Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Securit**y**](https://foodsafety.gwu.edu/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Barbara Kowalcyk directs it. Her son Kevin died at two and a half in 2001 of an E. coli O157:H7 infection; she and her mother founded the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, and she co-authored the National Academies report that became FSMA's blueprint. The institute hosted the July briefing on the outbreak and has been the academic voice on the surveillance cuts. Kevin's Law, the bill written in her son's name, was the first attempt to give USDA authority to close plants that repeatedly fail pathogen standards, and its core ideas were carried into FSMA. [United Food and Commercial Workers](https://ufcw.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). UFCW represents more than 250,000 meatpacking and processing workers, and its legislative office, Rachel Lyons and policy counsel Hillary Caron, carries the food safety file in Washington. It won the lawsuit that blocked faster pork lines and generated more than 42,000 comments this year against faster poultry lines, on the plain argument that the safety of the food depends on the safety of the people who process it. It is the coalition's only member with people on the plant floor. That lawsuit produced the 2021 federal ruling that struck down USDA's removal of the pork line speed cap. [Farm Forward](https://farmforward.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). A Portland animal welfare group run by Andrew deCoriolis, whose campaigns target humanewashed labels and antibiotic use, Farm Forward does not work the outbreak beat. It signed the traceability letter anyway, and the signature counts. Its 2024 testing found antibiotic residues in milk from a certified organic dairy, which is a food safety story whatever the group's mission statement says. **Others work the fights over chemicals, antibiotics and the structure of the system** [Environmental Defense Fund](https://edf.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). EDF sued FDA in 2017 over the loophole that lets companies declare their own additives safe, drove the petitions on BPA and phthalates in packaging, and published the 2017 lead-in-baby-food report that started the heavy metals fight. Its beat is chemicals in food rather than pathogens, and Maria Doa now leads it. It was among the petitioners whose pressure preceded FDA's 2024 announcement that grease-proofing PFAS were out of food packaging, and its ortho-phthalate petition is still working through the courts. [Environmental Working Group](https://ewg.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). EWG is known for its consumer databases and for Scott Faber, who worked on enacting FSMA from inside the Grocery Manufacturers Association and now carries the food chemicals file on the Hill, where he testified in April against the FRESH Act, the industry-backed bill that would preempt state food chemical laws. Additives, dyes and heavy metals are its targets. It is also the Dirty Dozen list, the Food Scores database and a co-sponsor of California's 2023 law banning four food additives, the first of its kind in the country. [Food & Water Watch](https://foodandwaterwatch.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Wenonah Hauter founded it in 2005 out of Public Citizen, and it is known for factory farm, water and consolidation fights fought with organizers and lawsuits; Mitch Jones, who came from UFCW, runs its policy and litigation. It signed the coalition's earlier traceability letters and published on the spread of this outbreak in August. It was a co-petitioner on the 2020 Salmonella adulterant petition and signed last October's ultra-processed food comment. [Nourish Science](https://nourishscience.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). A nutrition group co-founded by Jerold Mande with Bill Frist and Jerome Adams, aimed at children's metabolic health. It is here because Mande ran FSIS from 2009 to 2011 and is one of the few people who has done that job and still speaks in public. It backs David Kessler's citizen petition asking FDA to revisit the generally-recognized-as-safe status of refined carbohydrates, which is the same GRAS loophole the chemical groups are fighting from the other direction. [Food Animal Concerns Trust](https://foodanimalconcernstrust.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). FACT is the staff home of Keep Antibiotics Working, the coalition formed in 2001 to end routine antibiotic use in livestock. Steven Roach has led that work for a quarter century, and this month it documented which chains abandoned their pledges. Its concern is resistant Salmonella and Campylobacter. The coalition's decade of pressure preceded FDA's 2013 guidance ending growth-promotion uses of medically important antibiotics, and it has tracked every retreat from that line since. [Unleaded Kids](https://unleadedkids.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Tom Neltner founded it in 2023 after running EDF's food chemicals program. It led the petition asking FDA to fix its lead action levels for baby food, tracks compliance with California's baby food testing law, and testified this year in Vermont and Maryland to extend testing to infant formula. It is also the group holding companies to California's 2023 baby food testing and disclosure law, the first in the country, and publishing who complies. [Healthy Babies Bright Futures](https://hbbf.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). HBBF's 2019 test found heavy metals in 95 percent of the baby foods it sampled, which is why the House investigated the industry. Jane Houlihan, who ran EWG's research for a decade, is the science behind it. That investigation is why FDA launched its Closer to Zero program in 2021, and its follow-up testing is why the program has not been allowed to quietly stall. [Center for Environmental Health](https://ceh.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Oakland-based, known for Proposition 65 litigation that gets toxic chemicals out of products, food included. It co-filed the 2025 lead petition, and Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, its senior director for toxic exposures, spoke for it. Its settlements have taken lead out of candy, children's products and the supply chains that feed them. [Public Citizen, Union of Concerned Scientists and Friends of the Earth](https://citizen.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). None of the three has anyone assigned to foodborne illness, and I will not pretend otherwise. [Public Citizen](https://citizen.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is known for its Health Research Group, now under Robert Steinbrook, and its half century as an FDA watchdog. The [Union of Concerned Scientists](https://ucs.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is known for science integrity, which is where the surveillance cuts land; Kate Anderson directs its food and environment program. [Friends of the Earth](https://foe.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is known for pesticides and antibiotics in animal agriculture, with Kendra Klein as its science lead. Each is part of safe food. **Some are not consumer groups, and the work is still the work** [Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness](https://stopfoodborneillness.org/alliance?ref=foodsafetynews.com). STOP's industry program, run by Vanessa Coffman, takes the families' stories inside food companies and turns them into training and food safety culture. Its members are the companies the consumer groups write about, which is exactly why it matters. Its members include some of the largest food companies in the country, and its food safety culture work with FDA is the reason that phrase now appears in agency documents. [Partnership for Food Safety Education](https://fightbac.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The Fight BAC people, created in 1997 and run by Britanny Saunier, reach about ten million consumers a year through thirteen thousand educators, and run the national consumer food safety education conference. If this month belongs to anyone, it belongs to them. Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill, the four-step message on every extension office wall, is theirs. [National Association of State Departments of Agriculture](https://nasda.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). NASDA is the state agriculture commissioners, whose agencies do the produce safety inspections FDA contracts out and who want farm bill money for FSMA compliance help. Ted McKinney, a former USDA under secretary for trade, runs it. It is a regulator's voice and a farm lobby at the same time, and both halves are useful. Its members administer the Produce Safety Rule inspections under cooperative agreements with FDA, which means the federal produce rule is, on the ground, a state program. [Center for Produce Safety](https://centerforproducesafety.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). CPS has put more than $46 million dollars of industry money into produce-specific research since 2008, and its symposium is where that science gets argued. Suzanne Devereaux-McKinstrie took over as CEO in June. Its board is chaired by a Taylor Farms executive, which I note because I would want it noted. Useful science, industry-governed. Its funded research is the technical basis for the leafy greens marketing agreements' water and buffer standards, and its symposium is where those standards get argued each June. [Institute of Food Technologists](https://ift.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). IFT ran FDA's product-tracing pilots, and its 2012 report is the first reference cited in the final traceability rule. Its Global Food Traceability Center, run by Blake Harris, just took a three-million-dollar Moore Foundation grant to push interoperable traceability across commodities. When someone says the rule cannot be built, IFT is the authority that says it can. Its Global Food Traceability Center also helped launch the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability and holds observer status at Codex on import and export inspection. [International Association for Food Protection](https://foodprotection.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com).IAFP is the professional society of more than 4,500 food safety scientists, regulators and industry people, and the Journal of Food Protection; Lisa Garcia is its executive director. It takes no positions. It is known for the room, every July, where everyone on this list and everyone they argue with sit together. Its journal is where the produce, water and Cyclospora science that this outbreak turns on has been published for decades. [Association of Food and Drug Officials](https://afdo.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). AFDO speaks for the state and local regulators who do most of the actual inspecting. Its executive director, Steven Mandernach, told PolitiFact last month that the federal cuts had limited effect on the Cyclospora response. I disagree, and I would rather have him in the conversation than not, because his members are the ones who found the cases. It also runs the training and standards work that keeps state food programs roughly aligned with each other and with FDA. [Alliance for a Stronger FDA](https://strengthenfda.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). A coalition of more than 150 industry, patient and consumer groups with one purpose, FDA appropriations, run by Cartier Esham. It is the one place industry and consumer advocates sign the same letter, and this year the letter said the cuts would jeopardize the safety of the food supply. Its appropriations charts are the numbers everyone else on this list cites when they say FDA's foods program is underfunded. That is 30, and not one of them will send a bill for the work. Tomorrow: the 10 groups that have been working the other half of the problem in a different room, why that room should be the same one, and 10 things all 40 could do together. ### Pumpkin seeds linked to French Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/pumpkin-seeds-linked-to-french-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T04:04:01.000Z More than 80 people have fallen sick in a Salmonella outbreak in France connected to pumpkin seeds. Santé Publique France and the National Reference Centre for Salmonella at the Institut Pasteur have identified 81 people infected by Salmonella Enteritidis. Strains were isolated from sick people between May 3 and Aug. 12\. Patients have been recorded in several French regions. Patients are 56 women and 25 men, with an average age of 36\. They live in 10 different regions but Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has the most cases with 27, followed by Île-de-France with 12. Investigations by Santé publique France, the National Reference Centre for Salmonella, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Health point to contamination involving pumpkin seeds from a processor in Lot-et-Garonne. Investigations are ongoing to find the root cause of the contamination. Epidemiological efforts by Santé publique France involved interviewing some of the affected people about products consumed before they became ill as well as the dates and locations of purchase. **Recall and withdrawal of seeds** Six people were hospitalized and two went to the emergency department because of their symptoms. They have all since recovered and returned home. Seeds were distributed mainly through the Grand Frais retail chain. However, other retailers are affected, and the incident involves raw seeds sold individually and mixes containing contaminated pumpkin seeds. Authorities in Lot-et-Garonne conducted an inspection at the implicated processing facility but the source of contamination was not identified. A product withdrawal and recall were issued based on epidemiological and analytical findings. Various weights and lot codes of seeds were sold at Grand Frais stores between March 1 and Aug. 28\. Affected products range in date from June 30, 2026, to July 17, 2027. Products with ready to eat pumpkin seeds sold under the names mélange sportif, mélange Babylone, and mélange spécial salade estivale were also distributed to and have been recalled in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. ### EU opens comments on cereulide limit proposals URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/eu-opens-comments-on-cereulide-limit-proposals/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T04:02:03.000Z The European Commission is consulting on plans to introduce cereulide limits for infant formula. Proposals cover dried infant formula, dried dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants under 6 months, and dried follow-on formula. The goal is to make these foods safer for children, while ensuring fair and consistent rules for European producers, according to the EU Commission. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Indonesia urged to act to stop meal program poisonings URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/indonesia-urged-to-act-to-stop-meal-program-poisonings/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T20:07:16.000Z The Indonesian Government has been urged to stop its case-by-case approach to poisoning incidents connected to the school meals program. The MBG Watch Coalition said the government should declare an official food poisoning outbreak or a food safety emergency. In January 2025, the government launched a Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program to improve nutrition and health for millions of people. However, the plan has been blighted by illness reports among schoolchildren. According to the coalition, more than 43,000 children have been affected in 20 months, meaning it is no longer a series of local incidents but a national cross-sectorial food safety emergency. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ready-to-eat pork jowls recalled because of Listeria contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/ready-to-eat-pork-jowls-recalled-because-of-listeria-contamination/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T01:13:20.000Z Prime Line Distributors Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, FL., and Ferrarini USA Inc. of Hoboken, NJ, are recalling 1,513 pounds of imported ready-to-eat (RTE) pork products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The imported RTE dry-cured pork jowl (“guanciale”) products were produced at Est. 1937L Bome SRL in Italy on May 21, 2026, and imported into the U.S. on various dates within July 2026\. The following products are subject to recall: Prime Line Distributors, Inc.: - Various weight cardboard cases containing two pieces of individually vacuumed packed “PRIME LINE DISTRIBUTORS, INC. GUANCIALE PORK JOWL PRODUCT OF ITALY” with “LOT: 263311US” and “BEST IF USE BY DATE: 05.16.27” printed on the label. - Various weight individually vacuumed packaged “GUANCIALE PORK JOWL PRODUCT OF ITALY” with “LOT: 263311US” and “BEST IF USE BY: 05.16.27” printed on the label. The product has an additional label with “DOK GUANCIALE” on the packaging. Ferrarini USA, Inc.: - Various weight cardboard cases containing two pieces of individually vacuumed packed “GUANCIALE PORK JOWL PRODUCT OF ITALY” with “LOT: 263311US” and “BEST IF USE BY DATE: 05.16.27” printed on the label. - Various weight individually vacuumed packaged “FERRARINI GUANCIALE DRY-CURED PORK JOWL” with “LOT: 263311US” and “BEST IF USE BY DATE: 05.16.27” printed on the label. The products subject to recall bear establishment number “IT 1937 L CE” inside the Italian mark of inspection or printed on the case label. The Prime Line Distributors Inc. items were shipped to food service and retail locations in Florida. The Ferrarini USA Inc. items were shipped to distributors and food service locations in California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas. The problem was discovered during routine import reinspection testing when a product saple confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalledproduct and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### GRAS, beef, trade talks still center stage URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/gras-beef-trade-talks-still-center-stage/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T22:39:06.000Z Sept. 6 Sunday Edition: Looking Back at the Big Stories of the Summer Hello FSN+ members, We are not producing a fresh Sunday Edition newsletter this week due to the Labor Day holiday. As our membership continues to grow, here are some highlights and updates related to the great work the FSN team does each week. We hope both our new and ongoing members enjoy the look back. Thank you for your continued support! Morgan Holm Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief --- **Quick bites** - Two ongoing outbreaks are growing in scope. In the U.S., [the state of Michigan now reports a total of 14,718 patients](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/patient-count-in-cyclospora-outbreak-in-michigan-at-more-than-14-700/) affected by Cyclospora as of Sept. 3, up by more than 200 from a week ago. It is not yet clear what the source (or sources) of those infections may be for all of the cases Michigan is tracking. The death toll stands steady at two. Meanwhile, in the U.K., another 50 people have been identified as being affected by Salmonella. The latest cases are part of [three related outbreaks that now affect more than 500 people](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/50-more-people-sick-in-uk-salmonella-outbreak-total-count-tops-500/). One of these outbreaks may be connected to dozens of cases under investigation in the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, France and Germany. - Eleven Asian countries [rehearsed a coordinated response to a cross-border food safety emergency](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/asian-countries-rehearse-food-incident-response/). All 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participated in the July exercise. Areas that need continued improvement were identified, including the need to establish clearer operational triggers for food contamination events. Foodborne illnesses cause more than 1.5 million deaths and 426 million illnesses each year in the Asia Pacific region. - [Research on campylobacter in New Zealand and France](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/small-new-zealand-study-calls-attention-to-campylobacter-in-chicken/) pointed to chicken as a common vector for contamination that may reach consumers. Analysis of the samples in both studies (which were unrelated) also found that resistance to common antimicrobials, such as ciprofloxacin and fluoroquinolones was comparatively high. - Food Safety Education Month began September 1 in the U.S. [FSN Publisher Bill Marler identifies what Congress, academia and consumers can do to make meaningful progress](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/publishers-platform-food-safety-education-month-starts-tuesday-one-day-after-the-worst-cyclospora-season-on-record-officially-closes-nothing-done-in-a-home-kitchen-would-have-stopped-it/) toward safer food for everyone. --- **GRAS rises to the top of the agenda** In early August, the Trump administration [moved to tighten regulations affecting how food companies tell the government when they have added new ingredients](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/health-department-announces-plans-for-gras-substances-and-ultra-processed-foods/) to their products. A new proposed rule would address a loophole around substances “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). Companies would be required to provide more information about why they believe an ingredient is safe although they would still have the power to decide whether to add a particular substance to its products. Trade groups say the new rules will [slow down innovation and require more paperwork, resulting in a heavier burden on small food producers](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08/10/us/trump-news?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.4VA.gQkn.L33Nxqg2h-nC&smid=url-share&ref=foodsafetynews.com). [Dan Flynn looked at the history of GRAS](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/01/sunday-edition-is-generally-recognized-as-safe-gras-really-safe/) back in January and predicted we would see some kind of regulatory action this year as RFK Jr’s Make America Healthy Again movement was prioritizing it as a way to encourage healthier food choices. --- **Where, exactly, is the beef?** The economics and politics of the cattle industry have suddenly emerged as a significant story just weeks before the midterm elections. President Trump announced last month that he would allow some 300,000 metric tons of beef to enter the U.S. under a reduced tariff rate. Trump went on to promise that the imported beef would be sold at a 25 percent discount to help reduce prices at the grocery counter. Cattle ranchers were largely caught off guard by the announcement and have raised a number of concerns. Specific details about the imports are not yet available, but [the Trump administration has been issuing new directives and launching new initiatives to try to address concerns from beef industry players and Congress](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/business/trump-ranchers-beef-prices-cattle-supply.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.-FA.r%5FtS.mWeoa3dMLIAF&smid=url-share&ref=foodsafetynews.com). For some useful context about these developments, check out our Sunday Editions that explored [consolidation in the beef industry](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/04/sunday-edition-consolidation/) from April and the debate over [mandatory country-of-origin labeling](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/sunday-edition-mcool/) from early June. And don’t forget the screwworm outbreak that arrived in the U.S. earlier this year. Although that parasitic fly is unlikely to enter Americans’ food supply, its [appearance led the U.S. government to reopen the border to imported Mexican beef](https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-08-22/mexico-resumes-livestock-sales-to-us-under-tight-controls-over-screwworm-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in late August. This story is likely to continue to play out in a very public way as the fall election season unfolds. --- **U.S., Canada trade talks collapse** Talks between the U.S. and Canada that were aimed at heading off higher tariffs on Canadian goods fell apart two weeks ago. In the aftermath, [Canadians are assessing where the worst effects will be felt](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canadian-businesses-brace-for-50-per-cent-u-s-tariffs-9.7317591?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The dairy industry on both sides of the border is likely to experience some of that impact. In the spring, we looked at the [increase in the movement of food products across borders](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/03/sunday-edition-food-imports/) and the role of food safety regulations in that trade. Increasingly, disruptions in the flow of those goods will affect the choices available to consumers. As this year’s Cyclospora outbreak demonstrated, [foodborne illnesses can cross borders](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-begins-inspection-of-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation-in-mexico/), too. That means governments will face increasing pressure to [improve inspection regimes and coordinate implementation of safety standards](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/todays-topic-foreign-inspections/). We’ll be back next week with more insights and perspective about food safety. *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Foods Alive moringa powder recalled because of Salmonella contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/foods-alive-moringa-powder-recalled-because-of-salmonella-contamination/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T02:04:11.000Z Foods Alive Inc of Angola, IN, is recalling its 8-ounce packages of organic moringa leaf powder because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled organic moringa leaf powder was distributed nationwide in retail stores and through online sellers including but not limited to www.foodsalive.com. The product comes in an 8-ounce stand up pouch with a freshest by date of 110127 and the number 02726 below the date, and was shipped between Jan. 27 and Aug. 7. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The potential for contamination was found after the supplier notified the company that a sample of their super green powder mix, collected at retail, tested positive for Salmonella. The source of the problem has not been determined. The company has suspended production and distribution of these products while FDA and the company continue their investigation. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Patient count in Cyclospora outbreak in Michigan at more than 14,700 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/patient-count-in-cyclospora-outbreak-in-michigan-at-more-than-14-700/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T04:05:42.000Z Michigan’s count of patients in a huge outbreak of Cyclospora infections continues to rise, with the total surpassing 14,700. As of Sept. 3, the state was reporting 14,718, up by 208 a week ago. Of the patients interviewed so far, 366 report having been hospitalized. The death count is standing steady at two. Michigan public health officials have not said whether all of the illnesses in their state can be attributed to iceberg lettuce products sold by Taylor Farms. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking several outbreaks, including a 20-state outbreak associated with the Taylor Farms products. As of Sept. 1, the CDC was reporting 11,458 patients in that outbreak with 495 hospitalizations. Overall, the CDC’s count of all of the outbreaks attributed to the Cyclospora parasite is 18,445\. For comparison, 1,180 cases were reported in the United States between May 1 and Aug. 31, 2025. The unofficial state-by-state total count is more than 30,000. The federal agency considers the Cyclorspora “season” to run from May 1 through Aug. 31. Neither the CDC nor state officials have speculated as to why the outbreak numbers are so much higher this year. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite. It is not killed by chlorine or other treatments. ### 50 more people sick in UK Salmonella outbreak; total count tops 500 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/50-more-people-sick-in-uk-salmonella-outbreak-total-count-tops-500/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T20:07:25.000Z Another 50 people have fallen sick as part of three related Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Food Standards Agency (FSA), and other public health bodies are investigating the Salmonella Enteritidis clusters which have affected more than 500 people. Genetic relatedness of the clusters, along with food information, suggests they are associated with eating imported eggs at small cafés, restaurants, and takeaways. In the first cluster, there have been 305 confirmed cases and one death. Sample dates range from Aug. 11, 2025, to Aug. 21, 2026\. In the past month, 168 infections have been reported in England. Sick people range in age from younger than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30\. Of 160 cases with available information, 42 have been admitted to hospitals. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is also investigating this Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 cluster. In July, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) restarted an investigation into a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that began in spring 2025\. There are 111 patients with 31 in 2026, including 10 in June and eight in July. Only seven patient interview questionnaires have been received by RIVM, with the agency saying it is too early to draw any conclusions about the outbreak’s source. There are also 15 cases in Belgium, two in Austria, one in Denmark, four in France, and six in Germany. At least 34 people have been hospitalized. **Other clusters and Scotland situation** In a second cluster, there are 182 cases in England. Sample dates range from May 27, 2025, to Aug. 15, 2026\. Patients are aged between younger than 1 to 92 with a median of 29 years old. Of 39 patients with information available, 20 were admitted to hospitals. In a third cluster, there are 41 cases and one death, with sample dates ranging from Jan. 27 to Aug. 11, 2026\. Cases range in age from under 1 to 87 with a median of 35 years old. Five people have been hospitalized. In Scotland, dates of illness are from April 1 to Aug. 10, 2026, for 13 patients. Cases range in age from 2 to 78 with a median of 36 years old and 10 are female. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Salmonella outbreak traced to eggs declared over with more than 130 patients URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-eggs-declared-over-with-more-than-130-patients/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T04:04:56.000Z The CDC has declared over a Salmonella outbreak traced to eggs with 134 patients having been identified across 18 states. Officials with the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the outbreak has been long running with the first patient having become ill on Nov. 21, 2025\. The most recent patient became ill on Aug. 12 this year. Of 54 ill persons with information available, 46 reported eating eggs before becoming ill. There have been 34 hospitalizations, and no deaths have been reported. The most recent outbreak update posted by FDA was posted on July 24 when 98 people from 17 states were reported sick. At that time, 40 of 44 ill people with information available reported eating eggs before becoming ill. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/09/outbreak-map-eggs-Salmonella-09-03-26.png) Outbreak patients lived from coast to coast. As part of the outbreak investigation, the FDA conducted an inspection at Midwest Poultry Services L.P. in Texas and collected environmental samples. Three samples collected during FDA’s inspection were positive for Salmonella and matched the strain of Salmonella Enteritidis causing illnesses in the outbreak. Epidemiological, laboratory, and traceback evidence from this investigation, have determined that shell eggs produced by Midwest Poultry Services L.P. in Texas were the likely source of illnesses for this outbreak. On July 22, 2026, Midwest Poultry Services L.P. [recalled](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/midwest-poultry-services-lp-recalls-shell-eggs-due-possible-salmonella-enteritidis-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com) all white shell eggs and brown cage free shell eggs produced at their facilities in Texas. At this time, all shell eggs from this recall should no longer be available for sale for consumers. More than 30 brands and configurations of eggs were subject to recall. For a list of those products, [click here](http://www.apple.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The eggs have a use by date of Aug. 17, but consumers often keep eggs past such dates and are therefore urged to check any eggs they have in their homes. There were likely many more outbreak patients than were reported in the official count. This is because many people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella infection. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Young girl dies after contracting HUS URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/young-girl-dies-after-contracting-hus/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T04:03:21.000Z A young girl has died in Australia from a serious condition that develops after an E. coli infection. The 3-year-old girl fell ill after visiting a farm in Victoria where she held, rode and petted animals. The news was announced on a GoFundMe page for the family, which has raised almost AUD $55,000 (U.S. $40,000). According to the fundraiser, the girl had been in the intensive care unit at hospital for six weeks being treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She suffered kidney failure and a brain injury. The likely cause was a bacterial infection, possibly contracted from a farm. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a severe complication associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections that causes kidney failure and sometimes brain damage. “The torture as a parent of not being able to console your own child, not through lack of trying anything and everything you possibly can but because they are truly inconsolable. The not knowing if your child will ever talk, smile, walk, run, play, or recognize you again,” read the post on fundraising page. The family urged people to donate blood if they could do so to help other critically ill people. Clare Looker, Victorian deputy chief health officer, told local media that the state had recorded 179 STEC cases so far this year, compared to 158 in the same period in 2025. Official advice includes not kissing animals or allowing children to put their faces close to them. It is important to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact with animals, especially before eating and drinking. E. coli is most ofter contracted through foodborne sources, but petting zoos are frequently a source for the pathogen. **About E. coli infections** Anyone who has developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications. About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Labor Day may end summer, but food safety never takes a holiday URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/labor-day-may-end-summer-but-food-safety-never-takes-a-holiday/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T04:01:26.000Z Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer for many Americans, bringing one last round of backyard barbecues, picnics and gatherings with family and friends. But as summer winds down, food safety should not. Improper food handling can allow harmful bacteria to multiply and turn a holiday celebration into a case of food poisoning. Public health officials recommend keeping a few basic food safety practices in mind. **Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold** One of the biggest risks at outdoor gatherings is allowing perishable foods to remain in the “danger zone,” between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F, where bacteria can multiply rapidly. Cold foods should be kept at 40 degrees F or below. Pack coolers with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs and keep the lid closed as much as possible. If possible, place coolers in the shade. Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees F or above until they are served. Perishable foods should not be left out for more than two hours. If the outdoor temperature is above 90 degrees F, that time drops to one hour. **Don’t forget the thermometer** Labor Day cookouts often mean firing up the grill, but appearance alone is not a reliable way to determine whether meat and poultry are safely cooked. A food thermometer should be used to check the internal temperature of food at its thickest part. Safe minimum internal temperatures include: - Beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops and roasts: 145 degrees F, followed by a three-minute rest time; - Ground meats: 160 degrees F; - Whole poultry, poultry pieces and ground poultry: 165 degrees F. When cooking thinner foods, such as hamburger patties, insert the thermometer from the side so the probe reaches the center. Once food is cooked, place it on a clean platter. Never put cooked meat or poultry back onto the same plate that previously held it raw. **Avoid cross-contamination** The more hands, utensils and surfaces involved in preparing food, the more opportunities there are for contamination. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water before and after handling food, particularly raw meat and poultry. If running water is unavailable, hand sanitizer can be useful, but it is not a replacement for proper handwashing when hands are visibly dirty. Use separate plates, cutting boards and utensils for raw meat and foods that are ready to eat. Wash utensils and surfaces thoroughly between uses. **Cool food before you hit the road** Food prepared ahead of time should be cooled promptly and stored in shallow containers before being placed in the refrigerator or packed for transportation. When traveling, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends packing perishable food directly from the refrigerator or freezer into a cooler. Keep raw meat and poultry separated from foods that will be eaten without further cooking. Coolers should be transported in the passenger area of a vehicle when possible, rather than in a hot trunk. **Wash produce before cutting** Fruits and vegetables should be washed under running water before they are cut or prepared, including produce with peels or rinds that will not be eaten. Cutting through an unwashed melon, apple or other piece of produce can transfer bacteria from the outside to the edible portion. After cutting, refrigerate produce and keep it cold until it is served. **Handle leftovers safely** When the cookout is over, don’t let leftovers become an afterthought. Refrigerate perishable foods within two hours, or within one hour if temperatures are above 90 degrees F. Divide leftovers into small, shallow containers so they cool more quickly. Refrigerated leftovers should generally be eaten within four days or frozen for later use. When reheating leftovers, heat them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Soups, sauces and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil. Labor Day may signal the end of summer, but foodborne bacteria do not take a holiday. A few simple precautions — washing hands, avoiding cross-contamination, using a food thermometer and keeping food at safe temperatures — can help ensure the final cookout of the season is remembered for the food and company, not food poisoning. As September is also Food Safety Education Month, the holiday provides an opportunity to remember that safe food handling is just as important at the season’s final barbecue as it was at the first. ### Salmonella outbreak linked to Evergreen Sprouts URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-evergreen-sprouts/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T03:05:06.000Z Another outbreak of Salmonella infections related to fresh sprouts is under investigation, this time in Washington and Montana. The implicated broccoli sprouts are produced by Evergreen Sprouts LLC of Idaho. As of Sept. 2, there were 13 confirmed patients infected with Salmonella Bovismorbificans. Their illness onset dates run from July 7 through Aug. 18\. Of the 12 people interviewed, eight reported eating sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC. Seven ate broccoli sprouts. The sprouts were purchased from grocery stores, food co-ops and restaurants. There are three additional people infected with the same strain of Salmonella, two from Montana and one from Idaho. Sprouts samples from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts and other suppliers are currently undergoing testing at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory. As of Sept. 3 there was no recall reported. Evergreen Fresh Sprouts was the grower behind a 2011 Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that sickened 25 people in five states and a 2014 E. coli O121 outbreak that sickened 19 in six. Over three outbreaks and fifteen years, 60 people have been made sick, and the company has recalled product once, in 2011, after first refusing to and after FDA took the unusual step of warning the public directly. This Salmonella outbreak appears unrelated to the recent multistate Salmonella and E. coli outbreak traced to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts LLC in Minnesota. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### More people sick in outbreak traced to frozen imported berries URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/more-people-sick-in-outbreak-traced-to-frozen-imported-berries/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T23:28:17.000Z An outbreak of E. coli O145:H28 infections traced to imported organic, frozen blueberries is growing, according to the Food and Drug Administration. As of Sept. 3, there are 17 people infected in Florida and Georgia. Six of the patients have required hospitalization. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 11 to Aug. 2\. Eleven of 13 patients interviewed reported eating frozen blueberries before becoming sick. It was originally reported that the suspect berries were only distributed to Publix stores under the Greenwise brand, but now frozen berries sold at Walmart stores under the Great Value brand are also suspected to be responsible for some of the illnesses in the outbreak. The frozen blueberries are also sold in mixed berry bags. An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration has linked the outbreak to organic frozen blueberries from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., of San Carlos, Chile. The company has recalled its frozen blueberries and berry mix products in the United States. The products under recall are: - GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06453 - GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12053 - GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06753 - GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12153 - Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10 oz, Lot Code 6040 01-6 There is concern that consumers may have some of the recalled berries in their homes because the Best by Date is Feb. 9, 2028\. They were sold at Walmart stores in 16 states plus Publix stores in eight states. Consumers should check their freezers for recalled product and should not eat it. There are likely many more sick people that those reflected in the official count. This is because some people do not seek medical attention and others are not tested specifically for E. coli. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed patient with an E. coli infection there are 26 who go undetected. **About E. coli infections** Food that is contaminated with E. coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled berries and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Publisher's Platform: Harvard read the FRESH Act line by line URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/publishers-platform-harvard-read-the-fresh-act-line-by-line/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T01:29:55.000Z The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic [released a report on August 25, 2026](https://chlpi.org/news-and-events/news-and-commentary/food-law-and-policy/new-flpc-report-warns-fresh-act-could-gut-state-food-safety-laws-and-leave-regulatory-gaps-nationwide/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) taking the first comprehensive look at the preemption clause inside the [draft FRESH Act](https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/h.r-fda-review-and-evaluation-for-safe-healthy-and-affordable-foods-act-of-2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Margaret Lynn and Emily Broad Leib conclude that a provision superseding any and all State requirements or prohibitions relating to the use, labeling, sale, or marketing of food would displace state additive bans, allergen and menu disclosures, heavy metal limits, PFAS rules for packaging, retail and restaurant inspection, cottage food laws, and state manufacturing licensure, in most of those areas with no federal rule required to take their place. They are right. The reach is worse than the headline suggests, and the record of who asked for this language is a matter of public filing. **The clause preempts whether or not a federal rule exists to replace it.** Congress has preempted state food law before, and it has done so with a scalpel. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 lists the specific categories of state labeling requirements it displaces, and a state law falls only if it is of the type covered by a federal requirement named in the statute. That structure exists for a reason. It means preemption arrives with a federal rule attached, and nothing drops into a hole. The FRESH Act carries no such limit. As [the Harvard report](https://chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FRESH-Act-and-Preemption-Provision-August-2026%5FFINAL.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) reads it, the draft supersedes state requirements across the board without conditioning that on the existence of any corresponding federal standard. Where a federal rule exists, the state rule yields to it. Where no federal rule exists, the state rule yields to nothing at all. That is not uniformity. That is subtraction. **The phrase added or naturally occurring substance in food reaches pathogens, not just dyes.** Nearly all of the public argument about this bill has been about food chemicals: dyes, PFAS, the GRAS loophole. That is where the fight started, and it is where the coalition backing the bill would prefer the fight to stay. [CSPI](https://www.cspi.org/statement/fresh-act-shiny-apple-full-worms?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [EWG](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2026/04/fresh-and-affordable-foods-act-rotten-core?ref=foodsafetynews.com) both came out against the draft on those grounds within days, and both were right to. But the draft does not stop at intentionally added ingredients. It also sweeps in any substance that may be expected to become a component of food, and any added or naturally occurring substance in food. Read that as a lawyer reads it. The Harvard report points to *United States v. Anderson Seafoods*, which litigated whether mercury in swordfish was added or naturally occurring, and to *Continental Seafoods v. Schweiker*, which litigated the same question about *Salmonella* in shrimp. Courts have been construing that phrase for more than forty years, and they have construed it to reach microbiological contamination. Which means a state limit on *Listeria* in ready-to-eat food, a state testing requirement, a state action level for a pathogen in a product sold inside its own borders, all of it sits in the preempted zone as drafted. Nobody at the April 29 hearing described the bill that way. That is what the words say. **The FDA does not inspect restaurants, and the three thousand agencies that do would be preempted.** By the FDA’s own account, more than 3,000 [state, local, and tribal agencies](https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/retail-food-protection?ref=foodsafetynews.com) hold primary responsibility for regulating food service and retail food in this country. The agency publishes a model Food Code, but the Food Code has no force anywhere until a state adopts it, and the FDA has no direct authority over a grocery store or a diner. That division is not an accident of history. It is the architecture. Preempt state requirements relating to the sale of food and you have preempted state food codes, state permitting, and state inspection, with no federal inspector standing behind them and no federal appropriation to hire one. The bill does not give the FDA that authority, does not fund it, and could not compel the states to keep doing the work for free, because the federal government cannot commandeer a state into administering a federal program. I have spent thirty years reading health department inspection reports in outbreak cases. Those documents exist because a local sanitarian walked into a kitchen under state law. Take away the state law and the sanitarian has no reason to be standing there. **Any and all State requirements is the phrase that has ended tort claims before.** Here is the part that lands closest to what I do. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act creates no private right of action. A person injured by contaminated or misbranded food recovers, if at all, under state law: negligence, strict products liability, breach of the implied warranty of merchantability, state consumer protection statutes. Every one of those is a state requirement. The Supreme Court held in *Riegel v. Medtronic* that New York common law duties count as requirements within the meaning of a federal preemption clause and preempted them. It reached a comparable result under ERISA in *Pilot Life v. Dedeaux*. Whether the FRESH Act clause would be read that way is not certain, and I will not pretend it is. But the phrase any and all State requirements or prohibitions is broader than the language that did the work in *Riegel*, and a defense lawyer would be committing malpractice not to raise it. If it works, the family of a child with hemolytic uremic syndrome is left with a federal statute that contains no remedy and a state remedy that Congress erased. That is not a technical consequence. That is the consequence. **The coalition that wanted this published its specification a year before the bill appeared.** Representative Kat Cammack of Florida, who sits on both Energy and Commerce and Agriculture, released the discussion draft on April 22, 2026 and presented it at the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee [hearing on April 29](https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chairmen-guthrie-and-griffith-announce-legislative-hearing-to-strengthen-fda-food?ref=foodsafetynews.com), where it was one of twenty-eight food bills on the agenda. Her stated case is a patchwork argument: differing state requirements create real costs for manufacturers, for retailers, and ultimately for families. I am not interested in guessing at a member’s motives, and I would not print a guess if I had one. I am interested in the paper trail, and the paper trail here is not hard to follow. In October 2025, six months before the draft appeared, a group called Americans for Ingredient Transparency launched. [Its website states the ask in a single sentence](https://americansforingredienttransparency.com/policy-priorities/?ref=foodsafetynews.com): the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act should be amended to establish the FDA as the sole entity setting the floor and the ceiling for regulations on the marketing and sale of foods and beverages, including safety assessments, ingredient approvals, registrations, reporting requirements, and labeling requirements. Read the two nouns again. Floor and ceiling. A floor is a minimum that states may exceed, and that is what federal food law has been since 1906\. A ceiling is a maximum, and it means a state may not do more to protect its own residents than Washington has gotten around to doing. The group asked for both. The FRESH Act delivers both. There is no mystery about the drafting influence, because the customer published the specification. The group’s own [partner page](https://americansforingredienttransparency.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) names the backers: the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé USA, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra, Tyson Foods, Hormel, McCormick, Mondelez, Ferrero, Keurig Dr Pepper, Ocean Spray, Sargento, Sysco and Ken’s Foods, alongside the Consumer Brands Association, FMI, the National Restaurant Association, the National Retail Federation, the Meat Institute, the American Bakers Association, American Beverage, the Corn Refiners Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation and a dozen more. [Its two senior advisors](https://americansforingredienttransparency.com/about/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) are Julie Gunlock, who directs the Independent Women’s Network and wrote a book arguing that alarm about food chemicals is itself the problem, and Andy Koenig, a founding partner of Kwinn Consulting who served as a special assistant to President Trump in the Office of Legislative Affairs and was previously vice president of policy at the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce. The footer of the site reads, paid for by Americans for Ingredient Transparency. Whatever else that is, it is not a consumer group. **One member company disclosed lobbying on state additive bans three months before the coalition existed.** Conagra Brands [filed a lobbying report for the second quarter of 2025](https://lda.gov/filings/public/filing/c8c75dc0-2169-4f19-a20d-413b0ef5bd32/print/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), signed by Megan Garcia on July 21, 2025, listing under its food issue area: issues related to FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe regulations, and issues related to state food additive bans and labeling laws. Two in-house lobbyists are named on the page. That filing predates the launch of Americans for Ingredient Transparency by three months and the FRESH Act draft by nine. I have made the point before that the useful move is to stop arguing about intent and go read the disclosures. When the Guardian [did exactly that on the Food Traceability Rule](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-guardian-went-and-read-the-lobbying-disclosures-now-we-know-who-asked-congress-to-push-the-traceability-rule-to-2028/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the filings named the organizations that had asked Congress to push compliance to 2028, in their own words, on their own forms. The same method works here, and it will keep working, because the law requires these people to write down what they are lobbying for. **This is the same play, run twice, eighteen months apart.** In 2024 and 2025, industry asked Congress to delay the traceability rule and then to defund its enforcement, and Congress obliged through the appropriations process. In 2026, industry is asking Congress to erase the authority of every state to regulate food inside its own borders. The delay argument was that one rule was too hard to comply with. The preemption argument is that fifty standards are too many to comply with. Both arguments end in the same place, which is fewer obligations and less traceable accountability, and both were made by many of the same trade associations. I will grant industry its strongest point, because it is a real one. A different warning label statute in every state, each with its own list and its own threshold, is a bad way to run a national food supply, and a manufacturer cannot print a different box for every state line. Uniformity has value. The Association of Food and Drug Officials made the right observation [at the April hearing](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11389-federal-preemption-of-state-food-safety-laws-debated-during-congressional-hearing?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which is that preemption should be applied carefully and deliberately, so that it strengthens rather than strains the federal and state partnership. Careful and deliberate describes the NLEA. It does not describe this draft. **A federal floor is worth building. A federal ceiling is not.** The states did not wander into food chemical regulation out of boredom. They moved because the FDA did not. California banned ephedra before the FDA acted. New York City and California banned trans fats years before the federal ban. California acted on four additives in 2023, West Virginia acted on dyes, and more than thirty states introduced legislation of that kind in 2025 alone. The FDA’s own mandatory GRAS proposal, published this month, still does not require premarket approval and would not bind anyone until roughly 2029\. I represented 339 of the people sickened by the Daily Harvest crumbles, and [the ingredient in that product](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/we-can-urge-government-to-do-the-right-thing-victims-of-tara-protein-flour-get-a-voice/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) was never reviewed by anybody before it was sold. State legislatures noticed. That is what a laboratory of democracy looks like when the laboratory upstairs has the lights off. The FRESH Act is still a discussion draft. It has no bill number, it has not been marked up, and there is time to fix the clause without abandoning the parts of the bill worth keeping. Take the preemption provision out or narrow it the way the 1990 Congress narrowed its own, and the GRAS registry and the post-market review program can be argued on their merits. Leave it in and Congress will have voted to take away nearly every tool the states have, replace almost none of them, and close the courthouse door on the way out. Read [the report](https://chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FRESH-Act-and-Preemption-Provision-August-2026%5FFINAL.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). It is footnoted to the statutes and the cases, and it is the most careful thing written about this bill so far. ### FDA outbreak table is showing 17 active investigations URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fda-outbreak-table-is-showing-17-investigations/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T01:17:27.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has 17 active outbreak investigations according to its Coordinated Outbreak Response & Evaluation status table as of Sept. 3. The agency is investigating seven outbreaks from the Cycpospora parasite, with a total of 11,739\. That count includes 11,458 patients in an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce products from the Taylor Farms growing and processing facility in Central Mexico. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Taylor Farms outbreak has sickened people in 20 states. The Cyclospora outbreaks on the FDA’s table started from dates ranging from June 3 to Aug. 8\. The FDA has begun traceback on all of the outbreaks, but has not reported what foods are being traced, except for the Taylor Farms lettuce. As is its practice, the FDA has not reported where patients live or their ages. **Other outbreak news** The FDA is reporting a new outbreak of Salmonella Newport linked to a not yet identified product. The agency is reporting that 97 people have been sickened in the outbreak. The agency has initiated traceback but is not reporting what food is being traced. The outbreak was first posted on Aug. 26. For an ongoing outbreak of Salmonella I 4,\[5\],12:i:-, the patient count has increased from 41 to 43 in the past week. The FDA has initiated traceback, onsite inspections and sample testing, but is not reporting what food is being traced or sampled or what location is being inspected. The outbreak was first posted on Aug. 12. ### Fatal Bacillus cereus outbreak tied to restaurant URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/fatal-bacillus-cereus-outbreak-tied-to-restaurant/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T04:03:13.000Z An investigation into a fatal Bacillus cereus outbreak linked to a restaurant in Germany has highlighted temperature and storage issues. Eleven cases were reported with five hospitalizations, and one death. The outbreak was likely caused by contaminated pre-cooked tortellini with a meat filling. There is no reporting obligation for Bacillus cereus under the German Infection Protection Act (IfSG) but food poisoning and infectious gastroenteritis must be reported if the affected person works in food processing or if there is a link between two or more human cases. In September 2024, two people fell ill after eating at a restaurant. One person suffered severe vomiting, sweating and diarrhea, about 190 minutes after eating meat-filled tortellini with ground (minced) meat and cheese cream sauce. They were hospitalized and, after receiving treatment, were symptom-free 48 hours later. The second person fell ill with nausea and vomiting, the same time after eating meat-filled tortellini with ham and cheese cream sauce, and diarrhea two hours later. After a brief improvement, fever occurred 20 hours after eating and hospitalization followed. This patient died the following day, about 50 hours after visiting the restaurant. Testing proved that Bacillus cereus was present in the restaurant environment six days before these two patients consumed the tortellini. **Severe illnesses** In the next few days, several more patients who had eaten at this restaurant between the end of August and beginning of September were reported. Out of nine other patients, three were hospitalized with severe symptoms. These included gastrointestinal issues including vomiting, circulatory problems, and in some cases diarrhea, as well as complications such as liver failure and kidney dysfunction, according to a study published in the [International Journal of Food Microbiology](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160526002965?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Pre-cooked meat-filled tortellini had a musty, sour odor. Scientists said this calls into question hygiene and temperature management onsite. A high bacterial count of Bacillus cereus was detected in food and environmental samples from the restaurant as well as in the stool of one hospitalized person. Seventy isolates from food, food packaging, kitchen utensils and the environment and a stool sample were analyzed. This revealed 56 outbreak-associated isolates. **Outbreak strain in the environment** Bacillus cereus with emetic toxin-forming capacity was found in swab samples from the production environment and on cleaning utensils with a very close genetic relationship to isolates from foods associated with the outbreak and the stool sample. Pre-cooked meat-filled tortellini was heavily contaminated with Bacillus cereus, which had produced a high level of the emetic toxin cereulide. Analyzed tortellini was prepared after the deceased person had eaten in the restaurant but evidence from the patient's stool shows that the pathogen was ingested in large quantities with food. It is thought that the pathogen was introduced from the production environment. There were also possible errors in temperature management or storage duration of tortellini, with indications that it was not consistently stored at low temperatures. The business was shut by the operator voluntarily. After investigation results were sent to authorities, the outlet was closed and deregistered. Before a new restaurant was allowed to open on the premises, cleaning and disinfection by a specialist company was ordered and official swab samples were taken from the environment. Following negative results for Bacillus cereus, the new owners were permitted to open. ### Asian countries rehearse food incident response URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/asian-countries-rehearse-food-incident-response/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T04:01:53.000Z Eleven Asian countries have rehearsed preparation for a cross-border food contamination event. All 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July for a food safety emergency response simulation exercise. ASEAN includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Foodborne illnesses cause more than 1.5 million deaths and 426 million illnesses each year in Asia Pacific. Rapid information-sharing between countries can help identify unsafe products sooner, remove them from the market and reduce the number of people exposed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Confusion has been the constant in the Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/confusion-has-been-the-constant-in-the-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T22:06:51.000Z **By Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink** I've been watching this summer's Cyclospora outbreak the way I watch every recall, which is closely and with a fair amount of frustration. Consumers have been asking reasonable questions for weeks. Why did so many people have to get sick before anyone decided to recall anything? Once the recall was issued, why did it seem to do so little to stop people from getting sick? If this is a predictable food safety event, one that arrives every summer, why wasn't the supply chain ready to move faster? Why wasn’t it prevented in the first place, and why has this year been worse instead of better? This is more than I can unpack in a short op-ed, but there are a few things I can offer from the recall side that may help address the confusion that has been so rampant. Let’s start with what was hard about this recall, because some of it was justifiably complicated. Cyclospora is difficult to detect in food, which is why a sample read positive on July 18 and was called a false positive a day later. Symptoms take about a week to appear, sometimes two, so investigators were asking sick people across multiple states to reconstruct meals from ten days back and find the overlap. Lab results take time, and early information often gets revised. Supply chains cross international borders, which means different compliance requirements, and more complicated traceback pathways. Some of this is unavoidable, some of it could be improved drastically. Still, we’ll never get away from complicated recalls. That said, this outbreak hasn’t been handled well at any point. There were many missteps in the early stages, and there continue to be. Other people have thoroughly commented on the systemic, political and regulatory factors that need improvement. I’m going to focus on the recall part, and particularly how consumers were impacted by poor communication surrounding the decision to recall and the needed corrective action once that decision was made. People have spent weeks avoiding bagged salad, berries, fresh herbs, and more because the messaging hasn’t been specific enough to help them make better-informed decisions. The public needs actionable information as it’s available, and that includes clear updates as the situation evolves. Transparency doesn’t require finality. Minimizing risk to public health should be every company’s first priority, whether or not the lab results have been confirmed. Clear communication should be driven by decisive action based on the risk, not on what’s provable. Here's what I'd want a consumer to take from this: When you're watching a recall unfold, understand that it will change. It’s normal for scope to expand and findings to get revised. The question is whether anybody told you when it changed, how fast, and in language specific enough to act on. A company that communicates clearly through an evolving situation is usually a company that did the preparation work beforehand. More fundamentally, build food safety habits into your routine today. [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/prevention/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [FDA](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com) both publish practical guidance on safe produce handling, and the [Partnership for Food Safety Education](https://fightbac.org/food-safety-education/safe-produce/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has helpful, plain-language material. Buy local as much as possible, know where your produce comes from, and know how to properly clean and prepare the food you bring into your home. Sign up for loyalty programs at grocery stores and restaurants you frequent to make it easier to get recall notices. Consumer confusion shouldn't be part of a recall, no matter how complicated the recall is. Companies owe it to the public to do better than what we've seen this summer. When recall decisions are delayed, notices too vague to act on, and misinformation at a premium, it is up to consumers to figure out how to keep themselves safe. I often say that confusion is the enemy of an effective recall. It's also the enemy of public health, of brand reputation, and this summer, of the entire produce industry. This has been an unfortunate example of how much burden consumers still carry to protect themselves. We know how to do this better, and people got sick this summer waiting for us to prove it. **About the author:* Roger Hancock is CEO of*[ *Recall InfoLink*](https://www.recallinfolink.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*, with experience that spans the retail, tech, data, regulatory and supply chain arenas. Hancock is also a steering committee member of the*[ *Alliance for Recall Ready Communities*](http://recallreadycommunities.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*.* ### Berry company CEO steps down amid pesticide whirlwind URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/berry-company-ceo-steps-down-amid-pesticide-whirlwind/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T04:05:27.000Z The CEO of the largest berry company in the world has stepped down amid controversy and lawsuits about the firm’s use of pesticides. Soren Bjorn, who has served as CEO of Watsonville, CA, based Driscoll’s Inc. will be replaced by Brie Reiter Smith, effective immediately. Smith is the great-granddaughter of one of Driscoll’s co-founders and the daughter of former CEO J. Miles Reiter. The switch in leadership comes amid a growing legal storm over allegations that Driscoll’s berries contain toxic “forever chemicals.” Driscoll’s is facing a consumer fraud class-action lawsuit accusing the company of deceptive marketing over alleged pesticide and PFAS contamination in its strawberries. The lawsuit, filed by six consumers from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois, claims laboratory testing of Driscoll’s strawberries found residues from 12 pesticides at levels prohibited in the European Union and several other countries. Eight of the chemicals identified in the testing were described in the report as PFAS, a class of highly persistent chemicals commonly dubbed “forever chemicals.” In addition to the class action suit, the company has long faced complaints from local activists who oppose the use of pesticides near schools, and are calling for more fields to be converted to organic. State law limits pesticide use within a quarter-mile of schools, but gaseous fumigants can drift on the wind for miles if there is a leak from the tarps in open fields that are meant to trap the fumes. Decades of [research have shown links](https://cerch.berkeley.edu/research-programs/chamacos-studies?ref=foodsafetynews.com) between certain pesticides and cancer, as well as learning disabilities, lowered IQ and other neurological effects. In recent months Driscoll’s, and Smith published a full-page opinion letter in the print versions of the Santa Cruz Sentinel on June 16 and June 17, asking activists to stop targeting Driscoll’s and its leaders and owners. “The story being told about Driscoll’s, my family, and the farming community feels so disconnected from the reality I have experienced my entire life,” she wrote. “We continue to expand organic production, (and) are actively investing in ways to reduce our reliance on traditional pesticides.” The class action lawsuit is not the only court action that has been filed against the berry giant. A whistleblower complaint was filed in July by David Harada, Driscoll’s former manager of food safety and regulatory compliance for the United States and Canada. Harada claims he was wrongfully fired after raising concerns that some growers were allegedly violating state, federal and international pesticide limits. According to court documents reviewed by the California Post, Harada alleges that after warning executives about produce allegedly being sold or exported in violation of food-safety and pesticide laws, he was told to prioritize profits and create “plausible deniability” rather than address the alleged violations. **Company leadership** Smith assumed the role of vice chair of the company’s board of directors in January, and has worked in various roles across the company for more than a decade. She previously grew blueberries in Chile, oversaw quality and product leadership across the Americas, and served as a director and vice chair of the board. Driscoll's is a privately held family business owned by the descendants of its founding families, the Reiters and the Driscolls. J. Miles Reiter serves as the Executive Chairman of the board, Rather than owning all of its farms directly, Driscoll's licenses its proprietary berry breeds to a global network of independent family growers. ### New Zealand and French studies call attention to Campylobacter URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/small-new-zealand-study-calls-attention-to-campylobacter-in-chicken/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T06:24:07.000Z A study in New Zealand has provided an insight into Campylobacter contamination and antimicrobial resistance in fresh chicken. Campylobacter was detected in 50 percent of 24 samples. Among confirmed isolates, there were high levels of resistance to tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, while the majority were susceptible to erythromycin. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### German survey finds limited mycotoxin awareness URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/german-survey-finds-limited-mycotoxin-awareness/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T04:02:41.000Z Many consumers are unaware that mycotoxins are not destroyed by heat, according to a German survey. A poll conducted by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) found fewer than half of respondents, 47 percent, knew that mycotoxins are not rendered harmless by high-heat treatment. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cheese recalled in Canada because of Listeria contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/cheese-recalled-in-canada-because-of-listeria-contamination-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T02:13:48.000Z Coaticook brand Aged Cheddar Cheese is being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall was initiated by the company. As of the posting of the recall, there were no confirmed patients. Consumers can use the following information to determine whether they have the recalled cheese in their homes: | Brand | Product | Size | UPC | Code | | --------- | -------------------------- | ------- | -------------- | -------------------- | | Coaticook | Aged Cheddar Cheese "1 an" | 1.15 kg | 00059263642519 | Best Before : 03AU27 | | Coaticook | Aged Cheddar Cheese "1 an" | 2.27 kg | 00059263645015 | Best Before : 03AU27 | **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalledproduct and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Public health officials investigating Salmonella outbreak in Utah URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/public-health-officials-investigating-salmonella-outbreak-in-utah/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T02:01:11.000Z [The Bear River Health Department announced today](https://brhdut.gov/media-release-salmonella/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that it is investigating a Salmonella outbreak after identifying 21 confirmed cases in Cache and Box Elder Counties in northern Utah. The department says it is actively investigating the source of the illness and taking steps to limit further spread. It has not named a food, a restaurant, an event, a water source or an animal exposure. The release does not give the serotype, the dates people became ill, how many were hospitalized, the ages of the sick, or where in the two counties they live. It does not say whether the 21 isolates share a genetic fingerprint, which is what turns 21 cases into one outbreak, or whether the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are involved. Twenty-one confirmed cases is more than half of a normal year for this district. The state’s public health data system [reports](https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/complete%5Fprofile/FooPoiSalm.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the Bear River Local Health District — Cache, Box Elder and Rich Counties — recorded confirmed and probable Salmonella infections at a rate of 17.2 per 100,000 residents in 2022, the most recent year posted, against a statewide rate of 11.6\. On a district population of about 203,000 ([the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s 2022 estimates](https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SC-Pop-Census-Mar2024.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) put Cache County at 140,289 and Box Elder at 60,607, and Rich County adds roughly 2,500), 17.2 per 100,000 works out to about 35 reported cases for the entire year. The real number is larger than twenty-one. [CDC estimates](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that only about one in every 29 Salmonella infections is ever diagnosed, because most people who get sick never see a doctor and never give a sample. If that ratio holds in Cache Valley, 21 confirmed cases stands in for something like 600 people who have actually been ill. CDC also notes that [it usually takes three to four weeks](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/shell-eggs-07-26/timeline.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak, which means the illnesses behind today’s number mostly happened in August, and the count will move. People in Cache and Box Elder Counties who are sick should get tested. Anyone with diarrhea, fever and cramps — especially diarrhea that is bloody, lasts more than three days, or comes with a high fever or signs of dehydration — should see a health care provider and ask to be tested. ### Publisher’s Platform: Food Safety Education Month starts Today – Here is what I want from government, industry academia and you URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/publishers-platform-food-safety-education-month-starts-tuesday-one-day-after-the-worst-cyclospora-season-on-record-officially-closes-nothing-done-in-a-home-kitchen-would-have-stopped-it/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T16:14:40.000Z National [Food Safety Education Month](https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-safety-education-month?ref=foodsafetynews.com) begins today. It arrives one day after CDC’s cyclosporiasis season formally closed on Aug. 31, and the closing numbers are these: [11,458 people](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in the multi-state outbreak tied to Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce, across twenty states, at least 495 hospitalized with two dead in Michigan, and illness onsets running from June 14 through August 15\. Nationally, CDC counts [17,180 laboratory-confirmed cases](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/cases/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis since May 1, with 922 hospitalizations, and at least 11,844 more cases that still require further investigation. The comparable figure for the same stretch of 2025 was 1,180\. Not one of those illnesses would have been prevented by better handwashing. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which reaches people through food or water contaminated with human feces. And, washing produce does not remove the parasite. Also, chlorine does not kill the parasite. The National Restaurant Association [created National Food Safety Month in 1994](https://restaurant.org/education-and-resources/learning-center/food-nutrition/food-safety/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) through its Educational Foundation, to heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education, and ServSafe still builds an annual theme and a set of free training materials around it every September. The federal government counts differently. CDC’s notice in the [September 1998 MMWR](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00054682.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) describes that year as the fourth annual National Food Safety Education Month, with CDC, USDA and FDA all taking part and a theme of Keep It Clean, which would put the first one in 1995\. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed a proclamation in 2017\. FDA and [FSIS run consumer campaigns](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/events-meetings/food-safety-education-month-preventing-cross-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com) every year. Whichever year you start from, this is somewhere past the 30th September, and the stated purpose has never moved: 30 days to teach people to buy, store, prepare and serve food as safely as they can. **The month was designed to teach the last person who touches the food, and that is not where this summer failed** I have no quarrel with Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill. Those four steps are real and they work on the problems they can reach. A thermometer in ground beef, a second cutting board, a refrigerator at the right temperature, hands washed before and after. Those prevent illness every day in millions of kitchens, and I would not cut a dollar from teaching them. This month puts the whole teaching burden on the last pair of hands in the chain, and the last pair of hands has the least ability to do anything about a parasite that got onto the lettuce in a field in Guanajuato, Mexico. **What I want from government is the traceability rule Congress just delayed, and the number said out loud** The [Food Traceability Rule under Section 204 of FSMA](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) was supposed to take effect on Jan. 20, 2026\. The FDA proposed pushing it back thirty months, and Congress then directed the agency not to enforce it before July 20, 2028\. Lot-level records moving through the chain and retrievable in twenty-four hours are the difference between a traceback that takes days and one that takes weeks while people keep eating the contaminated food. Do not delay it a second time, and fund the agency that has to run it. Say the number. CDC publishes 17,180 confirmed and 11,844 pending on its own Cyclospora case page and updates it weekly. Say it from a podium, in plain English, with the pending figure attached, so that nobody has to reconstruct the size of an outbreak from fifty state dashboards. Publish where recalled food went, and leave it published. On Aug. 20 CDC removed from its consumer page the paragraph listing the states where the recalled lettuce had been distributed, on the same day it added 1,449 people to the count. The FDA still carries the distribution lists. A worried person lands on CDC. Name the company. I have been making this argument for a very long time and I am not going to stop. Referring to entities as "Restaurant Chain A" or "Company B" protects nobody except the businesses. Pay for the people who actually found this outbreak. It was not found in Washington. It was found by state and local epidemiologists, in [Michigan](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and Minnesota and elsewhere, and by the public health laboratories behind them, and those programs are thin and getting thinner. One more thing, which is not a policy item and costs nothing. If you run an agency, spend an hour with somebody this happened to. Not a listening session, not a press availability, not a photograph. An hour. I have been asking for thirty years, and I have never once seen it fail to change what the next case count means to the person reading it. **What I want from industry is to stop waiting for 2028** Nothing in that congressional directive stops a single company from having lot-level traceability tomorrow morning. The best operators already do, and they did not do it because a rule told them to. If you buy produce, you can know the ranch, the lot and the harvest date this season instead of the summer after next, and the reason to want that is entirely selfish: it is how you prove which lettuce was not yours. Know your water. Cyclospora is a human parasite. It reaches a field through human waste in irrigation or wash water. Somebody in your chain should be able to tell you what sits upstream of the water on that ranch, what the sanitation is in the communities above it, and when any of it was last tested. If nobody can answer, that is the answer. Recall early, recall wide, and publish your own distribution list before anyone asks you for it. Every hour of delay is more product eaten and one more step toward an outbreak nobody can attribute to anybody. Put the food safety person in the room where the money decisions get made and give them the authority to stop the line. Dave Theno carried a photograph of Lauren Beth Rudolph, who was six years old when she died in the Jack in the Box outbreak of 1993, in his wallet for the rest of his life, and he told rooms full of executives that she was who he reported to. He changed a company and then he changed an industry. He did not do it because of a regulation or a verdict. As I have said too often over the last thirty years, and [wrote in this space during Food Safety Month in 2023](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/september-is-food-safety-education-month/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), there is a business reason and a moral reason not to poison your customers. Pick either one. **What I want from academia is the test that does not exist yet** There is still no validated, field-deployable method for finding Cyclospora in irrigation water at a sensitivity that would let a grower act on the result. The FDA has laboratory methods for produce, but the parasite cannot be cultured, detection depends on molecular targets in small sample volumes, and a negative on a field’s water tells you very little. That is a research problem and it is a solvable one, and until it is solved every grower in the Salinas Valley is testing for indicator organisms that have nothing to do with the thing that made 11,458 people sick. Genotyping is the proof that research pays. On Aug. 20, for the first time in this outbreak, the CDC said it had grouped parasites from sick people genetically and found them related, which was the first laboratory evidence of any kind in an investigation built until then entirely on interviews and traceback. That capability did not appear on its own. It came out of somebody’s laboratory. Fund more of it, make it faster, and get it into the hands of state public health labs, because a tool that only runs at Atlanta’s bench will always be six weeks behind the food. Count the cost honestly. I hold a degree in economics and I still cannot find a defensible public number for what this summer cost growers, restaurant operators, insurers, employers and the public health system. Somebody should build it. Prevention wins the argument whenever it is compared against a real number instead of a shrug. And train the people who will do this work. There are more open food safety jobs in this country than there are qualified people to fill them. Extension services reach growers that no rulemaking notice ever will. The Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship puts young scientists in a room with affected families, which is its own kind of education. I teach food safety at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and I take students every year. More schools should. **What I want from consumers is the two things almost nobody does** Do the four steps – Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill. They are worth doing and they are free. Then do the two that mattered more this year. First, if you have watery diarrhea that will not quit after several days, ask your doctor for a stool test and ask specifically about parasites, because the CDC says outright that routine stool tests do not always screen for Cyclospora. Thousands of people were sick for weeks this summer and never appeared in any count because nobody ordered the right test. Second, call your local health department. Every outbreak named in this piece was found because a sick person answered a phone and a public health nurse wrote it down. Michigan interviewed more than 2,900 people to get where it got. Keep the package, keep the receipt, and keep the leftovers in the freezer if you still have them. You are not being a nuisance when you report. You are the surveillance system. While you are at it, the federal dockets are open to anybody. Comments on a proposed rule from people who actually eat the food carry more weight than most people assume, and they cost nothing to file. **The best stretch this practice ever had was the one where the beef calls stopped coming** Hamburger E. coli was most of my practice from the Jack in the Box outbreak in 1993 through the ConAgra recall in 2002\. Federal action after those outbreaks, declaring O157:H7 and later six more strains adulterants, and building an inspection regime around them, took that business away from me. It is the best thing that has happened in American food safety in my lifetime, and I [wrote about it again yesterday](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/hamburger-e-coli-was-95-percent-of-my-practice-until-federal-inspection-ended-it-on-farm-slaughter-would-bring-it-back/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) because there are proposals in front of us now that would bring it back. That is what a month like this one is actually for, and it is the only thing I have ever asked for. Put me out of business. The season closes Monday. The month opens today. The people counted in the first are still sick in the second. ### Another sprout product under recall; seed supplier refuses to issue recall URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/another-sprout-product-under-recall-seed-supplier-refuses-to-issue-recall/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T04:03:02.000Z An unnamed seed company is now under investigation in an outbreak traced to fresh sprouts. And, another product has been added to the recall of implicated sprouts. The outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella infections has previously been linked to alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts of Minneapolis, MN. The company recalled its Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix and Zesty Garlic Mix sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. Now, the company is also recalling its Robust Radish Sprout Mix because it has the potential for cross-contamination with E. coli and/or Salmonella. The recalled Robust Radish Sprout Mix was sold in 5-oz cups with LOT numbers 223, 226, 230 and 233. The Everything Sprouts and Calco sprouts have been linked to the outbreak of E. coli and Salmonella infections through epidemiologic and traceback evidence. FDA’s traceback investigation has identified at least one additional sprout grower who received and used the same lot of alfalfa sprout seeds under investigation in this outbreak from a common seed supplier. “While alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts LLC are a source of illnesses in this outbreak, these sprouts do not explain all the illnesses,” according to an FDA update. The FDA recommended that the unnamed seed supplier voluntarily recall the implicated lot of alfalfa seeds and contact its downstream customers to initiate recalls of sprouts grown from the implicated seed lot. “At this time, the common seed supplier has not responded to FDA's recall recommendation, has not sent a recall notice to downstream customers, and has not instructed the customers who received the implicated alfalfa sprout seed lot to initiate recalls,” according to the agency. The FDA is continuing to investigate contamination of the implicated alfalfa sprout seed, as well as additional contributing factors or practices of sprout growers related to this outbreak. **Outbreak details** A total of 55 people across 15 states are infected with multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and one strain of Salmonella. Some people were infected with more than one outbreak strain. Forty-six people were infected with E. coli , seven people were infected with Salmonella, and two people were infected with both Salmonella and E. coli. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 31 through Aug. 8\. State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 34 people interviewed so far, 26 reported eating alfalfa sprouts. There have been 4 hospitalizations but no deaths have been reported. The states with patients are: Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. Consumers who believe they may have received affected lots of the alfalfa sprouts should immediately dispose of them and should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the product may have touched. **About E. coli infections** Food contaminated with E. coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Unions renew call for UK to ban meat from Brazil URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/unions-renew-call-for-uk-to-ban-meat-from-brazil/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T04:02:14.000Z Four farming unions in the United Kingdom have renewed calls for a ban on imports of Brazilian meat to align with European restrictions. In a letter to Angela Eagle, Defra Secretary of State, the National Farmers Union (NFU), NFU Scotland, Ulster Farmers’ Union and NFU Cymru asked for a UK-wide ban on Brazilian Products of Animal Origin (POAO) from Sept. 3, which is when revised European rules come into force. The groups said that failing to act could put public health, farm businesses and public confidence in UK food at risk. It has been a month since Tom Bradshaw, NFU president, urged the government to introduce a ban during a meeting with Eagle. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Alert issued by officials in Hong Kong about formaldehyde in rice noodles URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/alert-issued-by-officials-in-hong-kong-about-formaldehyde-in-rice-noodles/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T04:01:31.000Z Authorities in Hong Kong have issued a warning about a brand of imported rice noodles because of formaldehyde. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said a pre-packaged rice vermicelli sample from Taiwan contained trace amounts of formaldehyde. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pet food recalled because of contamination with Listeria and Salmonella URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/pet-food-recalled-because-of-contamination-with-listeria-and-salmonella/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T02:14:49.000Z Northwest Naturals of Portland, OR, is voluntarily recalling 53 cases of Northwest Naturals Frozen Chicken Recipe cat food and 19 cases of Northwest Naturals Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe because of Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating contaminated pet products, and there is risk to people from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with contaminated pet products or any surfaces exposed to contaminated pet products and infected animals. People infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection in people include confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to headache, fever, muscle aches, lethargy, anorexia, nausea, and diarrhea. Anyone experiencing these symptoms after handling contaminated pet products should contact their healthcare provider. Pets infected with Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or people. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. The recalled products were distributed to retail stores nationwide. The affected products can be identified as follows: - Northwest Naturals Frozen Chicken Recipe (cat food and protein topper for dogs), 2 lbs. bag (12 bags per case) — Lot B-5 — Best By 01/26/2028 — UPC 087316384956; and - Northwest Naturals Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe, 6 lbs. bag (6 bags per case) — Lot B-19 — Best By 01/25/2028 — UPC 087316380392. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this voluntary recall. The contamination was identified after product samples were collected and tested by the Food and Drug Administration. The Northwest Naturals Frozen Chicken Recipe tested positive for Salmonella and the Northwest Naturals Frozen Raw Diet for Dogs Chicken Recipe tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. Consumers who have purchased the products in these lots should stop feeding them to their pets. As with all raw pet food, safe handling is essential to protecting both pets and the people in the household. Anyone handling raw pet food should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after contact; clean and sanitize any surfaces, bowls, utensils, and storage areas the product touches; keep raw pet food separate from human food; and store it frozen or refrigerated until use. ### Catfish skin products recalled because of ineligible import status URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/catfish-skin-products-recalled-because-of-ineligible-import-status/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T01:52:52.000Z Asian America Trading Inc. of Hayward, CA, is recalling 996 pounds of ready-to-eat fish skin products prepared from Pangasius fish because they were produced in The People’s Republic of China, a country that is not eligible to export ready-to-eat catfish products to the United States. The following products are subject to recall: - 50-g plastic bag packages containing “CRISPY FISH SKIN CRACKERS, SALTED EGG.” - 50-g plastic bag packages containing “FISH SKIN CRACKERS, SPICY FLAVOUR” - 50-g plastic bag packages containing “UN CHI CRISP FISH SKIN, Wasabi Flavour” - 50-g plastic bag packages containing “UN CHI CRISP FISH SKIN, Laver Flavour.” These items were shipped to retail locations in California. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities of imported products in commerce. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a health care provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Chocolate eyeballs recalled because of undeclared milk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/09/chocolate-eyeballs-recalled-because-of-undeclared-milk/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T00:02:53.000Z Crystal Temptations of North Arlington, NJ, is recalling Halloween Chocolatey Eyeballs because they contain undeclared milk allergens. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The recalled product, sold under the Crystal Temptations brand, was distributed in Arizona, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Indiana, Nevada, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio, and Wyoming, through the following Retail stores; Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Sierra Trading post. The recalled Crystal Temptations Chocolatey Eyeballs can be identified by the style number and packaging shown on the product label, as listed below: | **Style #** | **Packaging (as labeled)** | | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 54040-CHEY | “Crystal Temptations” plastic bag with designed header card – Chocolatey Eyeballs, 10 oz. | | 54077-CHEY | “Crystal Temptations” acrylic box with designed paper wrap – Chocolatey Eyeballs, 7 oz. | | 58008-CHEY | “Crystal Temptations” round plastic jar – Chocolatey Eyeballs, 10.5 oz. | | 58089-CHEY | “Crystal Temptations” designer plastic pouch bag – Chocolatey Eyeballs, 16 oz. | | 54083-CHEY | “Crystal Temptations” plastic bag tied with a tag – Chocolatey Eyeballs, 11 oz. | No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated after it was discovered by a TJX analyst that the chocolatey eyeballs containing whey (milk) were distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of milk. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging processes. ### Olive oil recalled because it contains garlic not approved for cooking URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/olive-oil-recalled-because-it-contains-garlic-not-approved-for-cooking/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T23:53:33.000Z LMSI LLC/Kofinas Olive Oil is issuing a recall of its Garlic Mediterranean infused extra virgin olive oil for using a garlic essential oil not approved for culinary use. The flavored oil was bottled in glass bottles in 500 ml, 250 ml, and 100 ml sizes. The recalled products were available for sale from Aug. 31, 2025, through Aug. 27, 2026, at the following locations: Montgomery Store & Infusion Kitchen: 8210 Market Place Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45242 Findlay Market: 1801 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 Online sales directly from www.kofinasoliveoil.com. There have been no reports of illnesses involving the products addressed in this recall. Individuals exhibiting signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction or foodborne illness should contact a physician immediately. ### Polish analysis finds outbreaks increasing URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/polish-analysis-finds-outbreaks-increasing/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T21:58:32.000Z An analysis of outbreaks in Poland has revealed an increasing trend and a high Salmonella burden. Routine surveillance data collected by the District Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations (PSSE) and from infectious disease bulletins were analyzed. Between 2021 and 2023, 2,722 foodborne outbreaks caused 20,102 cases. In total, 5,609 people were hospitalized. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns three importers about missing foreign supplier documents URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-warns-three-importers-about-missing-foreign-supplier-documents/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T04:06:10.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to three food importers in Texas and New Jersey after inspections found that they had failed to develop, maintain or follow required Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs) for imported foods. The companies imported products including cookies, soft drinks, potato chips, sunflower seeds, cheese and mushrooms. In each case, FDA said the firms had not provided adequate documentation demonstrating compliance or corrective actions. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA import alerts target seafood, dates, produce and more URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-import-alerts-target-seafood-dates-produce-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T04:04:37.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK pesticide advisory group winds down URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/uk-pesticide-advisory-group-winds-down/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T04:03:38.000Z The chair of a group that gave advice related to surveillance of pesticides in food in the United Kingdom has hailed the “positive contribution” it made following its final meeting. The Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) was a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) scientific advisory committee. The government decided to close the group in 2025\. The last meeting in May 2026 considered findings from the final quarter of the 2025 monitoring program. The main role of PRiF was to advise on the UK national surveillance program for pesticide residues in food, which is managed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Guide released to help firms deal with food incidents URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/guide-released-to-help-firms-deal-with-food-incidents/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T04:03:08.000Z A group representing the food and drink sector in Ireland has unveiled guidance covering the prevention and management of food safety incidents. Food Drink Ireland (FDI) said the manufacturer-focused Food Safety Incident Management guide provides companies with a toolkit to navigate planning, perform structured risk assessments, and make swift decisions with confidence. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Proposed new reg raises fear of increased radioactive contamination of U.S food and water URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/proposed-new-reg-raises-fear-of-increased-radioactive-contamination-of-u-s-food-and-water/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T02:04:05.000Z Food safety advocates and public health watchdogs are warning of a “quiet but sweeping overhaul” in a decades-long radiation regulation that could increase radioactive isotopes in domestic agriculture soils, rivers, aquifers and the food chain. At the heart of their concerns is the difference between the current regulation on radioactivity and the proposed change put forth by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As it is now, and has been for decades, the current standard is "As Low As Reasonably Achievable,” often referred to as ALARA. Under this safety standard, nuclear facility operators must reduce radiation releases to the absolute lowest levels possible. In contrast, under the "Reforming and Modernizing the NRC Protection Framework," the commission is proposing what it refers to as a “graded approach” that establishes “fixed-dose limits.” The trouble with that approach, warn opponents, is that those limits may actually be determined solely by industry or exempted, and largely remove federal oversight for decommissioning plants, waste storage sites, and other radioactive facilities. Some say this is a case of having the fox guard the henhouse. On the other side of the fence, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Ho Nieh said in a statement that the agency is “raising the standard for regulatory clarity, not lowering the standard for safety.” “Our radiation dose limits remain unchanged — what we’re eliminating is unnecessary ambiguity,” he said. Outraged by this turn of events, Kimberly Roberson, director the the Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network, says that “the NRC is treating radiation exposure like a sunburn,” while completely ignoring how radioactive particles behave when ingested.” And she pointed out that according to NRC's own analysis, the proposed rollback is projected to nearly double the fatal cancer risk for individuals living near these facilities over a 70-year lifespan. "Existing nuclear radiation standards are not protective enough as it is,” she said. “By removing the ALARA rule, the government is allowing nuclear facilities to arbitrarily release even more low-level radioactive waste into our air and water. These radionuclides are harmful and don't disappear; they bioaccumulate in local pastures, crops, livestock, milk supplies, and people.” She pointed out that relaxing NRC federal oversight is in direct conflict with the function of a regulatory agency to protect the public and the environment. “That function should not be compromised or eliminated by executive orders designed to save the nuclear industry time and money at the expense of public health and safety,” she said. She warns that if the NRC stops enforcing minimized environmental releases, it would fall to the Food and Drug Administration to “police radioactive contamination in our food.” ‘"It's unacceptable that NRC is abandoning the ALARA principle in favor of the caveat emptor principle," Roberson said. "Advocacy groups are demanding not only that the NRC maintain ALARA, but that it strengthen existing protections and do its job, which is to safeguard public health, not industry profits. We urge concerned citizens to file formal comments to the NRC proposed rule this month." The comment period ends Aug. 31\. Members of the public can read the NRC proposed rule and officially file their comments by visiting [Regulations.gov](http://regulations.gov/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and inputting Docket ID: NRC-2025-1140\. Comments on the proposed NRC rule can also be submitted to the Federal Register by Aug. 31. Go here ([www.protectbetter.org](http://www.protectbetter.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)) for more information and some videos about this issue. Go here ([https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NRC-2025-1140/comments](https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NRC-2025-1140/comments?ref=foodsafetynews.com)) to see the comments posted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as of Aug. 30, 2026. ### Mangoes sold at Walmart recalled because of Salmonella risk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/mangoes-sold-at-walmart-recalled-because-of-salmonella-risk/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T01:54:17.000Z Panorama Produce is recalling 302 boxes of mangoes because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled fruit was distributed in the following states from Aug. 10 through Aug. 21: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and sold in Walmart stores. The recalled mangoes are packaged in a Martina-branded case. The individual mangoes can be identified by a light blue sticker with the label Agrofepac, Produce of Mexico, and a PLU number of 4584 and UPC # 07503061948050. The recall was initiated after FDA sampling found Salmonella in mangoes grown on the same farm but were not distributed into U.S commerce. The recalled mangoes and the sampled mangoes share the same source, therefore Panorama Produce has initiated a recall. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the recalled product. Consumers should use the product identifiers above to determine whether product is included in the recall. Consumers who have the recalled mangoes should dispose of them or return to the place of purchase. Anyone who believes they may have become ill should contact a healthcare provider. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled mangoes and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Sunday Edition: Taylor Farms URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/sunday-edition-taylor-farms/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T16:30:26.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena** - Two people have died and almost 500 have been infected across [three Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom since 2025](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/hundreds-sick-and-two-dead-in-uk-salmonella-outbreaks/). In one of the three clusters under investigation, there have been 259 confirmed cases and one death. Genetic markers indicate outbreaks could be related to consumption of imported eggs. - In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating [an outbreak of Salmonella Newport with 84 patients identified](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/more-than-80-patients-reported-in-new-salmonella-outbreak/) so far. The FDA is not reporting any information about the patients, the location of the outbreak or the traceback efforts under way. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [has confirmed 11,485 patients in the current iceberg lettuce-linked Cyclospora outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cyclospora-patients-in-outbreak-linked-to-lettuce-top-11-000/) as of Aug. 27\. Patients have been confirmed in three more states: Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. The number of deaths related to the outbreak still stands at two. The CDC continues to investigate [additional Cyclospora outbreaks](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/patient-count-in-cyclospora-outbreaks-tops-17-000/) across the country. - A Welsh university has received a grant to explore [how artificial intelligence could improve food safety in workplaces and at home](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/project-to-focus-on-ai-and-food-safety-behavior/). The Smart Hygiene Intelligence Project at Cardiff Metropolitan University will use behavioral science and AI to develop ways of improving food hygiene habits and food safety compliance. --- **Today’s Topic: Taylor Farms** July 15 was a bad day for Bruce Taylor, the CEO of Taylor Farms. It was when he first learned that certain lots of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Fresh Foods in central Mexico were likely responsible for a Cyclospora cluster in five states. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher's Platform: Hamburger E. coli was 95 percent of my practice until federal inspection ended it. On-farm slaughter would bring it back. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-28/ Last updated: 2026-08-29T03:10:58.000Z On Aug. 28, 2026, President Trump said he would give farmers and ranchers the right to process their own food, in a [Truth Social post](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117173109426335170?ref=foodsafetynews.com) calling the four largest meat processors a monopoly. Here it is in full: ***“Ranchers and Farmers have always been a number one priority for me. They work very hard, are smart, efficient, and immaculately CLEAN, but for years I have heard that they have had a tremendous problem with the Big Processors, who many say are a nasty Monopoly. There are, essentially, 4 of them, a very non competitive number, and they make life miserable for our wonderful Farmers and Ranchers, and I can’t let that happen, can I? So, in order to break this powerful monopoly, with much of its ownership based outside of the U.S., I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD. This should move quickly. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”*** CNN [reported where the idea came from](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/28/politics/trump-beef-tariffs-farmers?ref=foodsafetynews.com): on Wednesday’s Glenn Beck program, Beck told the President that “the inspections are insane,” and Trump asked whether ranchers and farmers would do a good job of processing beef with less regulation, then said he would look at it that day. Whatever those legal documents turn out to say, they run straight at the reason I no longer make a living suing beef companies. **From 1993 to 2002, at least 95 percent of my firm’s revenue came from hamburger cases.** I started this work in January 1993, representing children sickened in the Jack in the Box outbreak. Hundreds were sick. Four children died. From that outbreak until the ConAgra recall in the summer of 2002, at least 95 percent of Marler Clark’s revenue came from *E. coli* cases linked to hamburger. I could count on a significant ground beef outbreak and recall arriving like clockwork every spring or summer. In 2002 I wrote an op-ed for the Denver Post asking the beef industry and USDA to put me out of business. They largely did it. Ground beef *E. coli* is now close to zero as a share of what this firm does, and I have [said so in print more than once](https://www.marlerblog.com/lawyer-oped/beef-industry-seriously-i-thought-you-were-putting-me-out-of-business/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The millions the industry spent on interventions and the work of a generation of food safety professionals made the difference. It is the single best thing that has happened in food safety in my lifetime, and I do not say that grudgingly. **One sentence in a September 1994 speech did most of the work.** On September 28, 1994, FSIS Administrator Michael Taylor told the American Meat Institute that the agency considered raw ground beef contaminated with *E. coli* O157:H7 to be adulterated under the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The [exact language is preserved in the Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/09/20/2011-24043/shiga-toxin-producing-escherichia-coli-in-certain-raw-beef-products?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The industry sued and lost. On October 17, 1994, FSIS [began sampling raw ground beef](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/science-data/data-sets-visualizations/microbiology/microbiological-testing-program-escherichia-coli?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for the organism, and in 1998 it raised the sample size from 25 grams to 325 grams because the smaller sample was missing low-level contamination. After the 2002 ConAgra recall in Greeley, the agency ordered every ground beef plant to reassess its controls. On June 4, 2012, six more Shiga toxin-producing strains — O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 — became adulterants in raw non-intact beef, a change Marler Clark had petitioned for in 2009\. In June 2020 FSIS [extended that testing](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/news-press-releases/constituent-update-june-5-2020?ref=foodsafetynews.com) from beef manufacturing trimmings to ground beef, bench trim and other components. None of that happened on a farm. Every piece of it happened inside a federally inspected establishment, with federal personnel standing there to take the sample, hold the lot and stop the shipment. Take the inspector out and the entire apparatus has nothing to attach to. **A President cannot write a new exemption into the Federal Meat Inspection Act.** The inspection requirement is statutory, and so are the exemptions. For livestock there is one meaningful exemption, custom slaughter under 21 U.S.C. § 623, and the product goes back to the animal’s owner marked not for sale. FSIS says plainly in its [own guideline](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Compliance-Guideline-LIvestock-Exemptions.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that inspection is required, unless exempted, for meat from cattle, sheep, swine and goats, and it lists every exemption there is: personal use, custom slaughter, retail stores, restaurants, and slaughter in an unrecognized Territory. Selling uninspected beef to the public is not among them. Changing that takes Congress. **FSIS says absorbing 2,000 more plants would compromise its food safety mission.** Set aside the law for a moment and look at the arithmetic, starting with what thinning this system already did. Juan Vassallo reported for Investigate Midwest in May that [complaints about the safety of meat, poultry and egg products rose nearly 40 percent in a single year](https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/05/13/after-usda-cuts-complaints-over-food-safety-spike/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), from 1,443 to 2,016, in a year when USDA cut its workforce by 18 percent and FSIS lost about 9 percent of its staff. That is this system with an inspector still in every plant, only fewer of them. FSIS spends about [$1.24 billion a year](https://usafacts.org/explainers/what-does-the-us-government-do/subagency/food-safety-and-inspection-service/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to cover [roughly 7,100 federally inspected establishments](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The agency’s own [fiscal 2027 budget justification](https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FY-2027-Chapter-24-FSIS.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) warns that state reimbursement rates are falling toward 38 percent, that states may pull out of their inspection programs, and that taking on an estimated 2,000 additional establishments could severely strain its resources and compromise its food safety mission. Two thousand plants is described by the agency as an existential problem. There are roughly 1.9 million farms in this country. Nobody is sending an inspector to the ranch, and nobody is proposing to. The only way to give a farmer the right to process his own beef for sale is to delete the requirement that anyone inspect it. **An immaculately clean steer carries *E. coli* O157:H7 in its intestines.** The President’s post says ranchers are immaculately clean, and I have no doubt most of them are. That has never been the point, and the confusion between the two is the oldest one in this field. *E. coli* O157:H7, *Salmonella* and *Campylobacter* live in the intestinal tracts of healthy cattle on clean farms. The organism reaches the carcass off the hide and the gut during dressing, and grinding then takes what was on the surface and distributes it through the interior where cooking may not reach it. As few as ten organisms can make a child sick. None of it is visible. Everything the industry built — hide-on interventions, carcass washes, trim testing, test and hold — exists because what you can see on an animal has almost nothing to do with the pathogen load you cannot. A rancher’s good character has never been a kill step. **Meat with no establishment number cannot be traced or recalled.** This is the part that worries me most, and it gets almost no attention. A grant of inspection carries an establishment number, production records and lot identity. That is what makes a traceback possible, and a traceback is what makes a recall possible. Product slaughtered on a farm and sold down the road has none of it. Illnesses from that product would be sporadic and scattered, arriving one at a time in counties that never compare notes, the kind of cluster that never crosses the threshold to be recognized as an outbreak in the first place. Most of them would never be counted. When somebody’s child ends up on dialysis, the first thing the family loses is any ability to find out why — and the second is any way to keep it from happening to the next family. **The consolidation complaint is real, and custom slaughter is not the fix.** I want to be fair about what sits underneath the President’s post, because it is not made up. The administration’s own figures, [which an independent fact-check confirmed](https://investigatemidwest.org/2025/11/18/fact-checking-trumps-call-for-an-investigation-into-meatpacking-companies/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), put the four largest packers at about 85 percent of beef processing, up from 36 percent in 1980, and independent producers really do wait months for a kill date. That is a genuine problem with genuine remedies. The Cooperative Interstate Shipment program lets state-inspected plants under twenty-five employees ship across state lines with an inspector still on the floor. USDA’s [Small Processors Action Plan](https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/06/03/usda-announces-improved-support-reduced-burdens-and-60-million-investments-support-small-meat-and?ref=foodsafetynews.com) put $60 million into processing expansion grants and cut overtime inspection fees. Those tools exist and are underfunded. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday that a slate of beef processing announcements begins Monday, and [Noah Wicks and Olivia M. Bridges of Agri-Pulse](https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25160-trump-goes-after-big-four-meatpackers-says-producers-should-be-allowed-to-do-own-processing?ref=foodsafetynews.com) published the full list she posted: waiving red tape in processing, rescinding outdated guidance, growing support for small processors, and expanding ranchers’ ability to sell across state lines. That last one is the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program, and it is the right direction to move in. What binds a small plant is capital, labor and scale. It is not the inspector. Removing the inspector does not build a plant, does not add a kill line and does not move the price of ground beef. It only removes the one person in the building whose job is the public’s. I am not alone in this. The Meat Institute, the trade association for the very packers the President’s post calls a monopoly, [came out against the idea](https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-08-28/trump-vows-legal-order-to-break-up-food-processing-nasty-monopoly?ref=foodsafetynews.com) the same afternoon, saying that allowing “uninspected meat to be sold to unwitting consumers” is the wrong approach and risks this country’s reputation for producing the safest meat in the world. It answered the price rationale in the same breath: if the goal is lower beef prices for American families, lowering food safety standards is the wrong response. Its fuller answer, reported by [Noah Wicks and Olivia M. Bridges at Agri-Pulse](https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25160-trump-goes-after-big-four-meatpackers-says-producers-should-be-allowed-to-do-own-processing?ref=foodsafetynews.com), goes to the premise rather than the risk: farmers and ranchers already have several routes to process and market the livestock they raise, through the custom exemption or by opening a state or federally inspected plant of their own. The post assumes the door is closed. It is not. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was blunter in the same story. Weakening federal meat inspection and food safety standards, it said, “is not the answer,” and beef sold to American consumers should go on meeting rigorous, science-based standards no matter the size of the processor. Asked what would actually help, the cattlemen named lower fuel and fertilizer costs, protection of the herd against foreign animal disease, and expanded opportunities for mid-size and regional processors. That is the same place I arrived from the other direction. It is not often that the packers, the cattlemen and the plaintiffs’ lawyer land together on a question, and it is worth noticing when we do. I spent nine years making a living on hamburger, and I have spent the 24 years since telling anyone who would listen that the beef industry met the challenge and that losing the work was the best outcome I could have asked for. I meant it then and I mean it now. I would rather not get it back. ### Hundreds sick and two dead in UK Salmonella outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/hundreds-sick-and-two-dead-in-uk-salmonella-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T04:06:37.000Z Two people have died and almost 500 have been infected in a trio of Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom since 2025. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Food Standards Agency (FSA) and other public health authorities are investigating three Salmonella Enteritidis clusters. Genetic relatedness of the clusters, along with food information, suggests the outbreaks could be associated with eating imported eggs at small cafés, restaurants, and takeaways. In the first cluster, there have been 259 confirmed cases and one death. Sample dates range from Aug. 11, 2025, to Aug. 8, 2026\. Since late July, 189 infections have been reported in England. Sick people range in age from younger than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30\. Of the 149 cases with available information, 41 have been admitted to hospitals. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported more than 100 related Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type 11 infections in the Netherlands. There are also 15 cases in Belgium, two in Austria, one in Denmark, four in France, and six in Germany. At least 34 people have been hospitalized. In July, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) restarted an investigation into a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that began in spring 2025\. There are 111 patients in this cluster with 31 in 2026, including 10 in June and eight in July. Only seven patient interview questionnaires have been received by RIVM, with the agency saying it is too early to draw any conclusions about the outbreak’s source. **Imported eggs link** In a second cluster, there are 177 cases in England. Sample dates range from May 27, 2025, to Aug. 5, 2026\. Patients are aged between younger than 1 to 92 with a median of 29 years old. Of 27 patients with information available, 12 were admitted to hospitals. In a third cluster, there are 38 cases and one death, with sample dates ranging from Jan. 27 to July 29, 2026\. Cases range in age from 2 to 87 with a median of 32 years old. Five people have been hospitalized. In Scotland, dates of illness are from April 1 to Aug. 10, 2026, for 13 patients. Cases range in age from 2 to 78 with a median of 36 years old and 10 are female. Professor Ian Young, chief scientific adviser for the FSA, said investigations have identified links to imported eggs. “There is no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected. Our food safety advice remains the same: eggs that are thoroughly cooked and handled hygienically should not present a food safety risk. Infants, young children, pregnant people and older adults should only eat raw or lightly cooked eggs if they carry the British Lion mark or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme,” he said. “If you’re eating out or buying food that contains eggs, you may not know if these carry the British Lion mark or are Laid in Britain assured. If this is the case, when eating out the safest approach for vulnerable people is to ensure they’re thoroughly cooked and to avoid dishes containing raw or lightly cooked egg, such as mousses, fresh mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce.” ### Source unknown as Salmonella sickens 13 in Denmark URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/source-unknown-as-salmonella-sickens-13-in-denmark/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T04:04:29.000Z More than a dozen people have fallen ill as part of a Salmonella outbreak in Denmark. The Statens Serum Institut (SSI) has recorded 13 cases of Salmonella Typhimurium between Aug. 4 and 13\. The source is not yet known. Eight women and five men are sick. Patients are between 14 and 83 years old with a median age of 31. Four cases live in Syddanmark, two in Sjælland, and one in Hovedstaden. Nordjylland and Midtjylland have three cases each. SSI, the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency, and the National Food Institute are trying to find the source of the outbreak. SSI is responsible for whole genome sequencing isolates from patients and interviews with sick people to help identify the vehicle of infection. Whole genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from patients shows they all belong to sequence type 19 and that they are closely genetically related. This means there is likely to be a common source of infection. In May and June, the State Serum Institut registered 26 cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium with a different sequence type. Patients were 12 males and 14 females. They were between 8 and 81 years old with a median age of 45. Despite the use of whole genome sequencing and patient interviews, officials were unable to find what caused the monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 34 outbreak. Denmark recorded 1,051 Salmonella infections in 2025 and 13 outbreaks. ### Federal officials close investigation into outbreak of infant botulism traced to formula URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/federal-officials-close-investigation-into-outbreak-of-infant-botulism-traced-to-formula/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T04:03:51.000Z The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared the outbreak of botulism traced to Nara Organics powdered infant formula to be over. In total, the outbreak between April and May this year sickened a confirmed four babies in three states. All four babies required hospitalization but none of them died. All four of the babies had been fed Nara Organics infant formula. The sick babies lived in California, Washington and Pennsylvania, indicating nationwide problems with the formula. The Food and Drug Administration found the source of the spores that cause botulism poisoning from the Nara Organics product to be milk supplied by Organic West Milk and spray dried by Dairy Farms of America. Those two companies were also found to be the source of botulism in a variety of infant formula products from ByHeart Inc. that sickened 48 babies across 19 states, mostly in 2025\. All of those babies required hospitalization but none of them died. The CDC determined that some of the illnesses dated back to December 2023. The specific cause of the contamination at Organic West Milk and Dairy Farms of America has not been reported by the FDA or CDC. Both companies issued recalls of their products. As part of the outbreak investigations the FDA and state health departments collected samples of finished products as well as from the sick babies. The contaminate in the infant formula matched samples from the a sick baby. The contaminate from the Nara Organics product also matched that found in the ByHeart product, showing a common link to Organic West Milk and Dairy Farms of America. However, there is currently not enough evidence to determine if milk was contaminated before drying or during the drying process, and FDA’s root cause investigation is ongoing. Prior to reports of the sick babies associated with the Nara Organics formula, the Food and Drug Administration inspected two foreign companies that pack the implicated formula. Both companies were cited for food safety deficiencies and both have submitted corrective plans, which are under review. During the investigation into the 2025 outbreak, Organic West Milk provided FDA with an incomplete customer list. The list did not indicate that they supplied milk to manufacturers of Nara Organics infant formula. ### Project to focus on AI and food safety behavior URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/project-to-focus-on-ai-and-food-safety-behavior/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T04:02:04.000Z A Welsh university has secured funding to look at how artificial intelligence (AI) could improve food safety in workplaces and at home. The Smart Hygiene Intelligence project, led by Dr. Issam Damaj from Cardiff Metropolitan University, has received £176,000 ($240,000) from Behavioural Research UK. The award is part of a wider £1.3 million ($1.7 million) Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) initiative to strengthen behavioral research across the United Kingdom. The project will use behavioral science and AI to develop ways of improving food hygiene habits and food safety compliance. Researchers will investigate how AI-powered systems could encourage safer food handling and help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cyclospora patients in outbreak linked to lettuce top 11,000; three more states added URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cyclospora-patients-in-outbreak-linked-to-lettuce-top-11-000/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T23:07:58.000Z The rate of new illnesses in the multi-state outbreak from the Cyclospora parasite outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce may be slowing, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting an additional three states are involved. As of today, the CDC is reporting 11,485 patients in the outbreak. That is 528 more than a week ago. For the week between Aug. 13 and Aug, 21, there were 1,449 more illnesses reported week over week. As of Aug. 27, the CDC is reporting 495 hospitalizations, up by 41 a week ago. The death count is standing steady with two patients in Michigan having died. While the increase in the patient count is lower, the CDC has added three states to the outbreak map: Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. In addition to those three states and Michigan, the outbreak has sickened people in Maine, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/fig-cases-map-2048x1365.jpg) Michigan was the first state to report the Cyclospora outbreak. Its numbers have consistently been running much above the national count. As of Aug. 27, Michigan is reporting 14,510 patients with 356 reported cases indicating they have been hospitalized. In connection with the outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration is inspecting the Taylor Farms growing and processing facility in Central Mexico. On July 17 the company recalled its iceberg lettuce products, but those products had either been consumed or were past their due dates by the time of the recall. Taylor Farms sells processed iceberg lettuce products to a wide variety of customers, including restaurants, hospitals, schools, hotels, Sysco and at Walmart stores. Sysco is the country’s largest supplier to food service operators. Some of the sick people reported eating products that contained iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants early in the outbreak. Also, 17 patients in New Hampshire reported eating iceberg lettuce at the same hospital salad bar. The FDA’s onsite inspections and sampling at iceberg lettuce growers and the processing facility in Mexico in coordination with Mexican officials are ongoing. FDA remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific Cyclosporaoutbreak is off the market. The FDA has not reported any specific details about its investigation, but it is known that a public swimming complex is near the Taylor Farms operation. Also, heavy rains earlier in the season in the area caused flooding of sewers and heavy runoff. **About Cyclospora** Food and beverages contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, explosive watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite and cannot be seen by the human eye. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### Publisher’s Platform: The Secretary Is Right About Real Food. Forty Percent of Americans Say They Are Eating Less of It Because of Cyclospora. Here Are Six Things HHS Could Do About That, and One Thing the Secretary Should Stop Doing. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-the-secretary-is-right-about-real-food-forty-percent-of-americans-say-they-are-eating-less-of-it-because-of-cyclospora-here-are-six-things-hhs-could-do-about-that-an/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T10:53:39.000Z I agree with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the thing he cares most about. The American diet is making people sick, ultra-processed food is a real driver of chronic disease, and whole food is better food. I have been arguing versions of that for years and I am not going to stop because it became somebody else’s slogan. Where the Secretary and I part company is on what is standing between his agenda and the grocery cart. This summer the answer is a parasite, and the measurable result is that Americans are eating less fresh produce than they were in May. The credit for this one belongs up front. Marcia Brown and Sophie Gardner wrote the piece that prompted it, in Politico on August 8\. It is careful, it is sourced, and they did the hard part, which was getting people on the record who do not ordinarily line up on the same side of anything. Go read theirs first. What follows is me riffing on their reporting and adding the part I would want the Secretary to read. Twelve days later one of the people they quoted stopped talking through a reporter and wrote it out himself, and I have folded that in below. **Give him the additives half of his agenda, because he has actually moved it.** On August 10 he announced a proposed rule ending self-affirmed GRAS and requiring companies to notify FDA whenever they conclude an ingredient is safe. It published in the Federal Register the next day at 91 FR 51834, docket FDA-2025-N-3262, with comments open through December 9\. I have argued for mandatory GRAS notification for a long time, and I will say plainly that no administration before this one proposed it. The same day, HHS and USDA sent the government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods for final review. Neither of those is small. His line that parents should not need a chemistry degree to understand what their children are eating is correct, and I would put it on a slide. That is the chemistry half of food safety. The other half is biology, and biology has been running the news since May. **Forty percent of Americans say they are buying less produce, and that is a chronic disease outcome.** CBS News and YouGov asked in late July, in the middle of this outbreak, and 40 percent of Americans said they were buying and eating less fresh produce because of it. Four percent said more. A Quinnipiac poll fielded the same week found 55 percent of registered voters with not much confidence or none at all in government oversight of food safety. I put the whole set of them side by side earlier this month, along with the European, British and Canadian numbers, which are flat or rising while ours fall. Read that 40 percent the way the Secretary should read it. Nobody who quits salad quits eating. They move to the shelf-stable aisle, to the things engineered not to spoil, and they get sick more slowly from something that will never make the news. Susan Mayne, who ran FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for eight years, put it as plainly as it can be put in an essay in STAT: consumers should not be faced with a trade-off between nutrition and food safety. That is not an attack on the real food agenda. It is the precondition for it. Every week this outbreak goes unexplained, his own program loses ground on his own metric. The industry sees it coming before the government does. Joelle Mosso of the Western Growers Association told Politico that retailers have already cut orders in anticipation of falling demand, and that consumers are being handed a message telling them to eat more of the thing they are simultaneously being warned off. I wrote to Western Growers about this in July and I will say the same thing here. The fear outlasts the hazard every time. Onion purchases fell far past anything the recall covered. Chipotle sales sagged for months after an *E. coli*outbreak that ended long before the customers came back. The recalled lettuce is gone from the shelves, and the produce aisle is still down. **The people making this point are not his opponents.** Jerome Adams, Surgeon General in the President’s first term, told Brown and Gardner the department is urging Americans to eat more fresh produce while warning that the wrong fresh produce will make them badly ill, and cannot say which is which, and that the mixed message is pushing people off salad right now, which is the opposite of what eat real food is supposed to accomplish. Marion Nestle, who has spent a career on this and who has said she supports parts of the MAHA agenda, told them it is hard to tell people to eat real food when the food has pathogens in it. She is right and going after her for saying so was a mistake made by people who ought to be counting her as an ally. Their piece also notes that HHS has held one press call on this outbreak season, and that the Secretary launched a cooking show during it. The sharpest version came from Frank Yiannas, who was FDA’s top food safety official in the President’s first term and who I have known since his Disney and Walmart days. He told Politico there had been no clear, timely communication about which products were implicated and which were not, or what consumers could actually do, and that the vacuum filled with fear and misinformation. What it cost, he said, was consumer confidence in exactly the foods we want people eating more of. That is a Trump appointee describing the Secretary’s own agenda being damaged by a communications failure rather than by a parasite. Adams did not leave it at a quote in somebody else’s story. On August 20 he put his name on [a column in USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/08/20/kennedy-salmonella-outbreak-measles-vaccine-public-health/91259296007/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) headlined that he is a former Surgeon General and the Secretary has the wrong priorities, and he made the argument himself. The sentence at the center of it is the one I have been circling all summer, which is that you cannot effectively focus on chronic disease while acute infectious outbreaks keep overwhelming you. He gets there by way of something the Secretary said before he had this job, which is that we should give infectious disease a break for eight years. Adams calls that a fundamental misunderstanding of public health. It is also the cleanest explanation I have seen of why the produce aisle is down. He then asked for five specific things. One of them is on my list below in nearly the words I would have used. Three of them should have been and were not. One of them is his, and I am leaving it to him. **It is not only the lettuce, and the next one resets the clock.** Set *Cyclospora* aside for a paragraph. In the same two months, roughly 19 million eggs were recalled over *Salmonella* that sickened close to a hundred people. A separate *Salmonella* outbreak traced to jalapenos, which Politico put at more than three hundred people in twenty-seven states in early August, now stands at 431 in thirty-two states with 57 hospitalizations. A dozen people were sickened by *E. coli* in frozen blueberries. Another dozen got *Listeria* from soft cheese and one of them died. Add the alfalfa sprouts Minnesota named in the same stretch and that is four live outbreaks at once. Sandra Eskin, who ran food safety at USDA and now leads Stop Foodborne Illness, put the structural problem to Politico in one sentence: an outbreak like this one, followed a few months later by another, undoes the message entirely. She is right, and it is worse than she says, because the clock does not reset at zero. It resets lower. Each one takes another slice out of the same confidence and none of it comes back on its own. **The numbers behind the fear are not small, and they are still moving.** As of August 24, CDC [counts 17,180](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/cases/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases acquired in this country since May 1, with 922 hospitalizations and two deaths, across 48 states and the District of Columbia. Another 11,844 are unconfirmed or need further work. The comparable figure for the same stretch of 2025 was 1,180\. A separate 1,805 people caught it while traveling outside the country, 63 of them badly enough to be hospitalized. The [outbreak tied to recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) accounts for 10,930 of the domestic cases in seventeen states, with at least 454 hospitalizations, as of August 20\. [My own fifty-state chart](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-fifty-state-cyclospora-count-is-32506-hawaii-is-investigating-a-case-with-no-travel-and-no-recalled-lettuce/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), built from what the state health departments publish themselves, stood at 32,506 last night. The season closes on Sunday and the counting will run well past it. **Six things the Secretary could start this week.** Before the list, the fair part. HHS says CDC and FDA have communicated throughout, through social media, continuously updated outbreak pages and ongoing work with reporters, and that consumers have been told to avoid implicated product and see a doctor if they get symptoms. CDC did ask states in early July to report cyclosporiasis weekly rather than monthly, which is a real improvement, and nobody made him do it. And some of what went wrong is structural rather than anybody’s decision about this outbreak. Daniel Jernigan, who ran CDC’s emerging and zoonotic diseases center, describes the parasitic disease program losing capacity as a knock-on effect of the malaria money disappearing, not as a choice anyone made about *Cyclospora*. The career communications staff who would ordinarily have handled a foodborne outbreak were cut in last year’s reorganization. I am not interested in blaming the people still at their desks in Atlanta and College Park. I am interested in what the man who runs both agencies does next. These are drawn from a longer list I published on August 7\. I have narrowed it to what sits inside his own department, and four of the six need no rulemaking, no appropriation and no act of Congress. 1\. Publish one national number and say what it counts. His department currently publishes 10,930, and 17,180, and 29,024 if you add the pending cases, for the same summer, and a reader has no way to know which one answers the question. Pick one, define it, date it, and stand behind it. An agency that will not say how big a problem is cannot expect to be believed when it says the problem is handled. 2\. Talk about the outbreak as often as he talks about dinner. One press call, in a season that has now put more than 900 people in the hospital. CDC has posted about it on its X account twice. A commenter under one of his own department’s real food posts asked, in about that many words, whether anybody was ever going to say how to navigate this thing. I have no objection to the cooking show. I object to the ratio. And if the answer is that the people who used to do this work were let go, then hire them back, because a Secretary who briefed the country on this outbreak every week in plain language, naming what is known and what is not, would do more for produce consumption than any recipe. 3\. Finish what CDC started on August 20\. That day CDC [said for the first time](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that it is genotyping samples from sick people and that the parasites causing these illnesses are genetically related. Read it precisely, because it ties the patients to each other rather than to any product. It is still the first laboratory evidence of any kind in this outbreak, and a day later San Francisco used the same tool to connect one of its own residents to it. Publish the genotype data and fund the capacity to run it everywhere. New York has 939 cases since May and no named source at all, and nobody has asked Albany whether its isolates have been typed. Hawaii, which never received a case of the recalled lettuce, [spent yesterday investigating](https://health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroom/doh-investigates-potential-locally-acquired-case-of-cyclosporiasis-on-o%ca%bbahu/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) an Oʻahu resident who got sick in July without leaving the islands. Both of those questions are answerable in a laboratory and neither is being answered. 4\. Put *Cyclospora* back in FoodNet. On July 1, 2025, CDC cut the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network from eight pathogens to two, and this one was among the six dropped. I will be honest about what this ask is and is not. FoodNet measures trends rather than detecting outbreaks and restoring it would not have found this one. It is also the cheapest reversal available to him, it is the single cut he has personally defended, and it is the reason nobody can say with authority how far outside the normal range this summer actually sits. And I am not the only one asking. Last week the former Surgeon General [asked for the same restoration in USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/08/20/kennedy-salmonella-outbreak-measles-vaccine-public-health/91259296007/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), all eight pathogens and not one of them optional, and he made the same point about the price of it that I would have made, which is that putting the other six back is a question of prioritization rather than a massive new budget request. 5\. Grant the naming petition. Stop Foodborne Illness asked FDA in February to name the companies whose product is implicated in an outbreak. It has been pending since February 5, 2026\. That is the same organization whose chief executive Politico quoted on how a second outbreak undoes the message, and the same organization a senior adviser in his department spent a week calling a front group. Consumers cannot avoid what nobody will identify, and in produce, where there is frequently no brand on the item at all, the disclosure has to reach the processor and the grower to be worth anything. 6\. Stop delaying traceability. Section 204 is already law. FDA’s own analysis of pushing compliance to July 2028 put the forgone public health benefit above the industry savings, and Congress then wrote the non-enforcement date into an appropriations rider on top of it. He can ask for the rider to come out. I went through the arithmetic and the industry positions on August 25. **Adams asked for three things I did not, and all three of them belong on the list.** He asked the administration to fill the vacancies. FDA has no confirmed commissioner and CDC has a director who was sworn in last month. I had that in my closing paragraph as a reason to go easy on the Secretary. Adams is right that it belongs on the list instead. An acting commissioner can go on CNBC and say the food supply is the safest in the world; a confirmed one can be made to answer for that sentence in a hearing room, under oath, with a transcript. Send the nominations up. He also asked that the inspectors and epidemiologists who are left be aimed at high-risk foods and at imports, and he named the two foods this summer has actually been about, jalapenos and leafy greens. That is the item on his list I most wish I had written myself. The lettuce came from central Mexico. The jalapenos came from Sinaloa. Import inspection is where the biology of this summer entered the country, and FDA moved its own inspection upstream from the processing plant to the growers in Mexico on August 20, the same day his column ran. And he asked that whatever international health security money survived the USAID cuts go to targeted partnerships and rapid data sharing in high-risk regions, on the ground that detection abroad protects Americans at home. I would not have thought to put that on a domestic list, and he is right that it belongs there. Every contaminated field in this story was in another country. Our surveillance system met this outbreak at the point where Americans were already in the hospital. There is a fifth item on his list, on vaccines, and I am not taking it up. Not because I think he is wrong about it. Because it is not what I do, and because the minute food safety gets folded into that argument it stops being something a room of people can agree to fix and starts being a side to be on. I will say only this much. His fourth item and my second are the same instrument. We both want the Secretary to stand at a podium and say a plain sentence out loud. Read his column and take the rest of it up with him. One more, and it is not on the list because it is not a policy. Spend an hour with a family from this outbreak. One of the 454 people hospitalized, or the family of one of the two who died in Michigan. Not a briefing, not a photograph, not a roundtable with the trade associations in the other chairs. I have been asking people in these jobs to do that since 1993, and I have never watched anyone come out of that hour still able to say a thing is under control. **None of this is partisan, and none of it would have prevented this outbreak.** I want to say both of those plainly, because I would rather say them myself than have them said back to me. The contamination happened in a field in central Mexico in the spring, and no American surveillance program was going to stop it from happening. What these six would have done is make the outbreak shorter, smaller and legible, sooner named and faster traced and honestly counted. And not one of them belongs to a party. The Microbiological Data Program was created under a Republican president and killed under a Democratic one. The traceability rule was written under one administration and delayed under two. The two people who have made this case most plainly in public this month both served in this President’s first term, and one of them made it a week ago on the opinion page of the largest newspaper in the country. **There is one place where I am not asking him to do more. I am asking him to stop.** He campaigned against what he called the government’s aggressive suppression of raw milk. As Secretary he has said he is advocating for it, and he toasted the release of the MAHA report with raw milk in the White House. This is where he and I are not close. Raw milk has no proven nutritional advantage over pasteurized milk and carries something on the order of a hundred times the risk of foodborne illness, a risk that falls hardest on small children. Pasteurization is the most successful food safety intervention in American history. I have kept RealRawMilkFacts.com running for years so that anyone who wants the evidence rather than my opinion can go get it. Annie Waldman spent months at the country’s largest raw dairy for ProPublica. Federal and state regulators have tied at least 233 illnesses and 40 hospitalizations to that one farm across eight outbreaks since 2006\. Its owner told her he had put a couple of kids in the hospital and then called himself a pioneer. I represented one of those kids. He was seven years old in 2006, spent nine days on a ventilator and eighteen days on dialysis after an *E. coli* O157:H7 infection took his kidneys, and he is twenty-seven now and still under a nephrologist’s care. His mother has spent the twenty years since testifying against raw milk bills in state after state. Here is the part that belongs in this piece rather than in an old argument. In March, that farm’s raw cheddar was linked to another O157:H7 outbreak, nine people in three states, more than half of them under five, one child with the same kidney complication. CDC told the public to consider not eating it. FDA gave no consumption advice at all. Three federal health employees told ProPublica that political appointees had watered the language down. The company refused to recall for eighteen days and then did it under protest. In January the government had quietly dropped its enforcement effort. Asked in April whether he had a moral responsibility to tell people not to drink raw milk, the Secretary said every product can contain contaminants, and that his department informs the public and lets people make the choice. Informing the public is the whole job, and it is precisely what his department did not do. You cannot say you are letting people choose and then let your own agencies tell a parent to consider not feeding their toddler the cheese. That is not information. It is a hedge with a child on the other end of it. Every one of the six things above is the same request in a different aisle, which is to say the number, name the product, say the sentence plainly. Raw milk is the aisle where the sentence is easiest to write and where he has been least willing to write it. The Secretary has the harder job of the two of us. I get to write about this. He has to fix it, and he has to fix it with agencies he has not finished staffing, in the middle of three simultaneous outbreaks. That is an argument for sending the nominations up, not an argument for waiting. He is asking Americans to build their health around fresh, whole, minimally processed food, and this summer a great many of them looked at the lettuce and quietly decided against it. Nobody gets talked back into the produce aisle. You make the produce safe, and then you show your work. ### More than 80 patients reported in new Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/more-than-80-patients-reported-in-new-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T23:14:37.000Z The FDA is reporting a new outbreak from Salmonella Newport with 84 patients identified. The source of the pathogen has not yet been determined. The agency has not reported how old the patients are, where they live, whether any have required hospitalization, or whether any have died. The FDA has begun traceback efforts but is not reporting what food is being traced. As of Aug. 26, the Food and Drug Administration’s outbreak table has 19 entries totaling 12,201 people sick. Among the outbreak news, is that the FDA has closed its investigation into a fatal outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes traced to Requeson/Soft Ricotta Cheese from Clover Hill Dairy. The outbreak sickened 15 people from four states. The FDA first reported the outbreak on June 3, 2026. Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 6, 2023, to July 8, 2026\. Of 13 people interviewed, five reported eating requeson made by Clover Hill Dairy. There have been 14 hospitalizations and one death reported. It is particularly difficult to investigate Listeria outbreaks because it can take up to 70 days for symptoms to develop. For six outbreaks from the Cyclospora parasite from unknown sources that have sickened people in 48 states and the District of Columbia, the FDA is reporting 281 patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA are also tracking an outbreak of Cyclospora infections associated with iceberg lettuce that had sickened 10,930 from 17 states as of Aug. 20. All in all, the CDC is reporting at least 11,488 Cyclospora patients who have not yet been confirmed but who have been reported. This is because some sick people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for the parasite. The CDC reports that for every Cyclospora patient identified there are as many as 83 who go undetected. ### Salmonella sickens 29 people in Spain URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/salmonella-sickens-29-people-in-spain/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T04:03:43.000Z Almost 30 people have fallen sick in Spain after eating an egg-based dish. Public health officials in Eibar helped to identify cases, analyze the outbreak's potential source, withdraw potentially affected products, and ensure measures were taken to prevent further risks. Inspections and sample analysis were undertaken in response to a salmonellosis outbreak at an establishment following the consumption of tortillas on Aug. 9\. Spanish tortillas contain egg and potatoes. Of the 29 cases, 21 were confirmed through microbiological testing, and eight were probable cases. In total, 25 patients required medical attention and nine were hospitalized but all have since been discharged. Samples from some affected individuals were positive for Salmonella Enteritidis. Factors that contributed to the incident include insufficient heat treatment, storage of food without refrigeration, and potential cross-contamination during preparation. **Inspection and traceback results** The Gipuzkoa Epidemiological Surveillance Unit was notified of the outbreak on Aug. 11\. Sick people were interviewed and inspections were conducted at the establishment and in the egg supply chain. Tortillas and eggs available at the site were sampled. Tortillas were destroyed, while the eggs were placed under precautionary holding pending testing results. Conditions regarding food preparation, storage, and handling were checked. This found deficiencies related to egg traceability, cleaning and disinfection, storage of tortillas at room temperature, and the prevention of cross-contamination. The outlet was told to improve hygiene practices during egg handling and the cleaning and disinfection of utensils during preparation. It was also instructed to prevent contact between raw egg and ready-to-eat foods, improve the identification and control of egg batches, and implement proper rotation of raw materials. Eggs came from a farm in the Aragon region. An order was issued to block and withdraw eggs sent to other establishments. The distributor was stopped from sending food and marketing activities until it demonstrated that it had an effective traceability and product recall plan. In 2024, Spain recorded 250 Salmonella outbreaks and 1,894 outbreak-related cases. A total of 216 people were hospitalized. Eggs and egg products were linked to 131 incidents. ### Supplements dominate cross-border alerts in Europe URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/supplements-dominate-cross-border-alerts-in-europe/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T04:01:04.000Z Food supplements dominated non-compliance discussions between European member states in July. There were 207 reports in July, 215 in June, 150 in May, 188 in April, 204 in March, 159 in February, and 189 in January 2026\. Earlier data for 2025 shows 196 in December, 194 in November, 223 in October, 164 in September, 166 in August, 136 in July, 164 in June and 129 in May. Twenty alerts mentioned the United States in July. The majority were related to supplements but one was the unpermitted additive calcium disodium EDTA in a carbonated soft drink**.** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Jalapeno ranch dip recalled because of undeclared eggs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/jalapeno-ranch-dip-recalled-because-of-undeclared-eggs/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T01:17:04.000Z Jaime’s Foods ATX of Austin, TX, is recalling Jaime’s Spanish Village Jalapeno Ranch because it contains undeclared eggs. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The product was sold at Central Market retail stores in Texas and local independent retailers in Austin, beginning on April 3, 2026. The recalled Jaime’s Spanish Village Jalapeno Ranch dressing is packed in 16 oz (45.5g) glass jars with UPC #199284564923\. Recalled lot numbers include the following: 69, 86, 108, 113, 116, and 121\. The lot code can be found stamped on the bottom of the jar. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the allergen eggs was left off the ingredient list and allergen warning for the recalled cases of product. This omission was discovered during an FDA inspection of the facility where the product is bottled. ### Boston company recalls more than 12 tons of buffalo chicken products because of lack of inspection URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/boston-company-recalls-more-than-12-tons-of-buffalo-chicken-products-because-of-lack-of-inspection/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T00:54:24.000Z Shanghai Ravioli Corporation of Boston, MA, is recalling 24,900 pounds of frozen, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) buffalo chicken products that were produced without the benefit of inspection, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The frozen NRTE Buffalo chicken products were produced on various dates from July 8, 2025, to June 29, 2026\. The following products are subject to recall: - Cardboard boxes containing 100 pieces of “BUFFALO CHICKEN RANGOON” and “Sell By” dates from July 8, 2026, to June 29, 2027, represented on the label. - Cardboard boxes containing 120 pieces of “BENEDETTO’S BUFFALO CHICKEN MOZZARELLA STICK” and “Sell By” dates from July 8, 2026, to June 29, 2027, represented on the label. The products subject to recall bear false marks of inspection with establishment number “EST. 18004”, which does not have a federal grant of inspection. These items were shipped to foodservice locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The problem was discovered during FSIS surveillance activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk. FSIS is concerned that some products may be in foodservice refrigerators or freezers. Foodservice locations that have purchased these products are urged not to serve them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### EU evaluates French and German meat checks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/eu-evaluates-french-and-german-meat-checks/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T04:03:57.000Z Audits in France and Germany have found meat controls are generally effective but there is room to improve approval procedures and follow-up of non-compliances, according to recently released audit information. An audit by DG Sante in September 2025 in France evaluated controls on the production of meat preparations and meat products. It found the system is well-structured and supported by guidelines, instructions and scientific advice. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Scientists flag Listeria as an emerging threat in Pakistan URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/scientists-flag-listeria-as-an-emerging-threat-in-pakistan/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T04:01:25.000Z Researchers have warned about a rise of Listeria infections in Pakistan and called for public health measures to control and prevent cases. Human listeriosis is not a notifiable disease and there is no active surveillance system or targeted research for the pathogen in the country. Listeria monocytogenes contaminated foods sold in local markets have been reported in past studies. Despite this, listeriosis cases have rarely been recorded. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pickled goat and chicken recalled because of lack of USDA inspection URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/pickled-goat-and-chicken-recalled-because-of-lack-of-usda-inspection/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T01:44:52.000Z Indus Foods LLC, doing business as Gangothri Foods, an Austin, TX, firm, is recalling 1,626 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pickled goat and chicken products that were produced without the benefit of inspection, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The RTE pickled goat and chicken products were produced between Jan. 28, 2025, and May 6, 2026, and have a two-year shelf life. The following products are subject to recall: - 8-oz. glass jars containing “Gangothri Goat Pickle” - 8-oz. glass jars containing “Gangothri Gongura Goat Pickle” - 8-oz. glass jars containing “Gangothri Chicken Pickle” - 8-oz. glass jars containing “Gangothri Gongura Chicken Pickle” The products subject to recall do not bear a USDA mark of inspection. The affected products were sold to restaurants, retail locations, and distributors nationwide and direct to consumers online. The problem was discovered during FSIS surveillance activities There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries or on restaurant and distributor shelves. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them, and restaurants and distributors are urged not to serve or sell them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Patient count in Cyclospora outbreaks tops 17,000 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/patient-count-in-cyclospora-outbreaks-tops-17-000/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T22:00:09.000Z The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting almost 1,500 more patients in multiple Cyclospora outbreaks than it was a week ago. As of Aug. 24, the CDC had a patient count of 17,180, up by 1,464 on Aug. 18\. The agency for the first time definitively said the number includes patients from the outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in addition to those from at least six smaller multistate outbreaks. The number of patients for the outbreak linked to the iceberg lettuce has not been updated yet this week. The CDC reports a total of 922 hospitalized patients with two deaths having been reported in Michigan. The agency is also reporting that there are at least 11,844 additional patients in the seven outbreaks who have not yet been confirmed. This is because some patients do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for the Cyclospora parasite. The CDC estimates for every confirmed patient in a Cyclospora outbreak there are 83 who go undetected. There are 48 states and the District of Columbia reporting patients. They have a median age of 46, with a range of 1 to 99 years old. The median date symptoms started for cases is July 7 with a range of range May 1 to Aug. 19. For comparison, 1,180 cases of infection from the Cyclospora parasite were reported in the United States between May 1 and Aug. 31, 2025. **About Cyclospora** Food contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a microscopic. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and Salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### Doughnuts recalled after consumer has reaction to undeclared allergen URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/doughnuts-recalled-after-consumer-has-reaction-to-undeclared-allergen/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T23:43:57.000Z The Better Bakehouse Snack Company is recalling certain lots of Donutful Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Cake Donuts because the product may contain undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The problem was discovered after one allergic reaction was reported in connection with the recalled product. The individual has fully recovered. The contract manufacturer has identified the cause of the mislabeling issue and has taken corrective measures. Recalled products can be identified as follows: Donutful Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Cake Donuts, 10 Mini Donuts, packaged in a 7.05 oz Carton Containing 5, 1.41 oz (40g) Pouches, with UPC 3 50041 39210 3; and Best If Used By Dates / Lot Codes: 9/15/2026 – Lot 26078. The recall is limited to specific lots of product manufactured and distributed in March 2026\. The product was distributed to retailers nationwide and through Amazon.com. Consumers can dispose of the affected product and obtain a refund from their point of purchase with a receipt or return the product to their point of purchase for a refund. ### Canadian company recalls veggie chips in U.S. because of undeclared wheat URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/canadian-company-recalls-veggie-chips-in-u-s-because-of-undeclared-wheat/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T23:34:58.000Z Exotique Foods Inc. of Ontario, Canada, is recalling Momchipz Veggie Chips Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower because they may contain undeclared wheat. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The Momchipz Veggie Chips Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower was sold to U.S. customers through Amazon.com between March 2026 and June 2026. Product information is as follows: Brand: Momchipz Product: Veggie Chips – Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower Size: 3oz (85 g) UPC: 6 28634 44216 6 Best Before: 2026 AUGUST 31 No illnesses have been reported to date. This recall was initiated based on a retail sample result provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Consumers who have purchased this product and have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat are urged to not consume the product and should discard or return product to the place of purchase for a full refund. ### Publisher's Platform: Thirteen letters to FDA, CDC, HHS and Taylor Farms, and not one published answer URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-thirteen-letters-to-fda-cdc-hhs-and-taylor-farms-and-not-one-published-answer/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T01:14:09.000Z Between July 14 and Aug. 13, members of the House and Senate sent 13 separate letters about the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak. Five came out of the House and eight out of the Senate. They went to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the acting heads of FDA and CDC, and twice to the chief executive of Taylor Farms. Seven of them set a deadline that has now passed. One deadline is still live, and it falls this Thursday. As of Aug. 23 I could not find a published answer to a single one of the 13. What has changed since I last wrote about this is not that anybody answered. It is that the answers started showing up somewhere else. **Start with the credit, because it is owed** A letter from a member of Congress is not a subpoena and it is not a rule. I have spent 33 years watching letters like these go into a drawer. But a letter puts a specific question in writing with a name underneath it, and it creates a date on which somebody either answered or did not. Every one of these members chose to spend staff time and political attention on a parasite most of the country had never heard of in May. The questions in them are the most specific anyone has asked about this outbreak, and several of them surfaced facts that would otherwise still be buried — the parasitology bench at CDC cut from 11 people to three, the food safety laboratory network down from 41 active labs to 15, the USDA research center that does much of the country’s Cyclospora genotyping being closed and relocated. **Here is the whole list. The column on the right is the one to read.** | **Date** | **Who wrote, and to whom** | **What was asked for** | **Deadline and status** | | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Jul 14 | [Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN) to CDC and FDA](https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2026/7/klobuchar-urges-administration-to-reinstate-food-safety-staff-and-program-funding-to-address-cyclospora-parasite-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Restore FoodNet, FERN, inspection staffing and public health grants | None set. No answer found | | Jul 15 | [Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ) to Sec. Kennedy](https://stanton.house.gov/2026/7/stanton-demands-answers-on-cyclospora-outbreak-raises-concerns-over-food-safety-surveillance-cuts?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Six questions: who ordered the surveillance change, what funding was cut, how many staff lost | Aug 3\. Passed, no answer found | | Jul 16 | [Sen. Jon Ossoff (GA) to Sec. Kennedy](https://ossoff.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/July-16-2026-Cyclosporiasis-Outbreak-Response.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Three questions on restoring *Cyclospora* tracking and the state of the investigation | 72 hours, Jul 19\. Passed, no answer found | | Jul 17 | [Reps. Dingell, McDonald Rivet, Scholten and Tlaib (MI) to CDC and FDA](https://debbiedingell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7116&ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Ten questions from inside the outbreak, including whether the agencies agree with Michigan on the source | Jul 24\. Passed, no answer found | | Jul 20 | [Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ) to CDC](https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-new-federal-actions-to-combat-cyclospora-other-foodborne-parasites-to-promote-food-safety?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Restore FoodNet to mandatory active surveillance, plus two bills | None set. No answer found | | Jul 20 | [Sens. Blumenthal (CT) and Booker (NJ) to CDC](https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/blumenthal-demands-answers-from-cdc-over-cyclospora-outbreak-response/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | A briefing on how the outbreak was tracked and whether staffing cuts caused delay | Undated. No answer found | | Jul 24 | [Sen. Ossoff, second letter, to Sec. Kennedy](https://ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-again-presses-hhs-secretary-kennedy-for-failing-to-address-cancelation-of-cdcs-cyclosporiasis-parasite-monitoring/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | The same three questions, plus the fact that the first letter went unanswered | None set. No answer found | | Jul 27 | [Rep. Robert Garcia (CA), Oversight Ranking Member, to Bruce Taylor](https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-07-27garciatotaylorfarmsrecyclosporacontaminatedlettuce.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Five categories of documents and five written questions, including facility records back to 2013 | Aug 10\. Passed, no production found | | Jul 28 | [Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) to CDC and FDA](https://gillibrand.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/26.07.28-Letter-to-CDC-FDA-re-Cyclosporiasis-Outbreak-final.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Six questions on the collapse of the federal laboratory network | Jul 31\. Passed, no answer found | | Jul 30 | [Sen. Blumenthal, PSI Ranking Member, to FDA](https://hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026-07-30-Letter-from-Sen-Blumenthal-to-Acting-Commissioner-Diamantas.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | All records, including every communication with the White House and with the company | Aug 13\. Passed, no answer found | | Jul 30 | [Sen. Blumenthal, PSI Ranking Member, to Bruce Taylor](https://hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026-07-30-Letter-from-Sen-Blumenthal-to-Taylor-Farms-2.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | All records, including every communication with the White House and with FDA | Aug 13\. Passed, no production found | | Jul 30 | [Reps. Veasey, Dingell and Sewell with about fifty colleagues, to CDC and FDA](https://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-veasey-congresswoman-dingell-and-congresswoman-sewell-lead?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Transparency and immediate action to identify the source | None set. No answer found | | Aug 13 | [Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) to Sec. Kennedy](https://www.warren.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Final-Letter-to-RFK-on-Cyclospora-Outbreak-Response.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Nine questions on the retracted test, the White House call, what the outbreak has cost, and which states still report | Aug 27\. Pending | I believe that is every letter, but I am not certain it is. I built the list from press releases, from posted PDFs, and from reporting where offices posted nothing. A letter sent quietly without a release is one I would not have seen — I have had to add one four separate times already. The status column says no answer found, which means exactly that and nothing more. An agency can answer a member privately and often does, and neither side has to publish it. If you have an answer to any of these, send it to me and I will correct this post and say plainly that I had it wrong. That is the list I would like to see grow. **The answers exist. They are being given to reporters instead.** On the day Senator Warren’s letter went out, HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard [told The Hill](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/6028916-trump-administration-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the agencies’ response has been guided by scientific and public health evidence, that the FDA investigators responsible for outbreak investigations were not affected by staffing changes or reductions in force, and that political contributions or relationships have no bearing on FDA or CDC outbreak investigations. That is a direct answer to the central allegation in at least four of the 13 letters. It was given to a media outlet. Taylor Farms did the same thing. The company [told Scripps News](https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/sen-warren-alleges-political-influence-in-fda-handling-of-cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that it acts in the interest of science and consumer health rather than politics, and that it categorically rejects any suggestion that it sought or received favorable regulatory treatment through political contributions or improper influence. That is a direct answer to Rep. Garcia and to Sen. Blumenthal. It was given to a television network. **And then there is the FAQ page, which is the part that should decide this** Go to the company’s own Cyclospora [information hub](https://www.taylorfarms.com/cyclospora-information-hub/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and scroll to the questions. One of them asks whether Taylor Farms used political connections or contributions to influence the FDA investigation, and answers no. Another lays out a day-by-day account of July 15 through July 19 — the date FDA and CDC first shared traceback data, the call on which the company says it raised scientific questions about the government’s assumptions and methodology, and then July 16, when those questions were discussed further with government counsel and officials including career staff, lawyers, and officials from FDA, HHS and the White House. The company states that it decided to recall that same day. Read that against the letters. Rep. Garcia asked for every communication with the White House since January 2025\. Sen.Blumenthal asked FDA and the company, separately, for all communications with the Executive Office of the President and the Domestic Policy Council, in a records definition that named Signal and WhatsApp. Sen. Warren asked for a transcript of the reported call. None of them has received anything. And a version of the answer — the company’s version, unsworn, undated as to who said what, and written by the party with the most at stake — has been sitting on a corporate FAQ page, revised at least five times, overwritten in place, with no version history and no correction notes. I am not saying the company did anything improper by putting it there. I would rather have it than not have it. I am saying that this is what the record looks like when nobody with subpoena power has asked for it: the regulated party gets to write the first draft of history on its own website, and Congress reads it there like everybody else. **A statement to a reporter is not an answer to a letter, and the difference is the whole point** A press statement is not made under oath. It is not a document production. It can be revised or deleted without anyone being told, which has already happened repeatedly on this outbreak, on both the government’s pages and the company’s. It does not tell Sen. Warren how many states stopped reporting cyclosporiasis after the surveillance change in July 2025, state by state, which is the single most useful question in all 13 letters. It does not tell Rep. Garcia what the facility records at the Taylor Farms facility in Doctor Mora, Mexico, show going back to 2013\. It does not produce the call. Those things exist. They are in federal file cabinets and on company servers right now. Nothing in a letter can make anybody walk to one. **What would actually work, and every bit of it belongs to the majority** The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations can issue a subpoena. Sen. Blumenthal wrote as its ranking member and copied Chairman Ron Johnson on both July 30 letters; a ranking member cannot subpoena alone and a chairman can. The House Oversight majority could adopt Rep. Garcia’s document request tomorrow and it would carry the committee’s weight instead of the minority’s. The Senate HELP Committee has jurisdiction over both agencies, and so does the Appropriations subcommittee that funds FDA, where Sen. Ossoff already sits and where the Senate wrote language, in its own report, directing that enforcement of the traceability rule is not delayed past 2028 — language that did not survive. And there is precedent that is almost eerie. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations [held a hearing on Cyclospora in imported raspberries in July 1998](https://hsgac.senate.gov/?p=109365&ref=foodsafetynews.com). Same subcommittee, same parasite, imported produce, twenty-eight years ago. Rep. Rosa DeLauro wrote FDA and CDC during the 2013 outbreak traced to this same Guanajuato facility, and again in 2018 about Fresh Express. The questions do not change. What changes is whether anyone is ever made to answer them out loud. A hearing does three things a letter cannot. It puts a human being in a chair on a certain date. It puts them under oath, so the answer costs something if it is wrong. And it creates a public transcript that cannot be revised in place at two in the morning the way a webpage can. That last one matters more in this outbreak than in any I have worked on, because nearly every primary document in it — FDA’s advisory, CDC’s outbreak pages, the company’s statement — has been rewritten on the same URL with no record of what it used to say. **Thursday is the last date on the board** [Sen. Warren’s nine questions](https://www.warren.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Final-Letter-to-RFK-on-Cyclospora-Outbreak-Response.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) are due Aug. 27\. After that there is no outstanding deadline in front of any agency or any company on this outbreak, and the Cyclospora season closes on Aug. 31\. [FDA](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) counts 10,930 illnesses, 454 hospitalizations and two deaths in the outbreak it attributes to Taylor Farms. [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) counts 15,716 laboratory-confirmed illnesses nationally since May 1 and at least 828 hospitalizations, against 1,180 cases in the same stretch of 2025\. Adding up what the fifty states publish about themselves, [my own count](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/it-is-sunday-night-and-here-is-where-the-three-outbreaks-that-have-taken-up-my-summer-stand-cyclospora-at-30523-by-my-count-345-sick-from-salmonella-jalapenos-and-the-last-recalled-egg/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is 32,135 people this morning, and it is a floor rather than an estimate. Thirteen letters produced a great deal of good work and no answers. I wrote in [an earlier version of this list](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/twelve-letters-from-congress-in-seventeen-days-i-had-missed-one-and-it-is-one-of-the-best-of-them-five-deadlines-have-now-passed-two-more-come-due-today-and-i-still-cannot-find-a-published-answer/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the questions were good questions and the problem was that nobody had reached for the one thing that would make anybody answer them. A month later that is still true, and the calendar has nearly run out. Hold a hearing. Put the acting commissioner, the acting director and Bruce Taylor at the same table, under oath, and ask them the questions that are already written down. Thirteen members have done the drafting. Somebody with a gavel has to do the rest — the same somebody who could also strike the provision that [pushed the traceability rule to 2028](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/mr-means-insults-are-not-a-food-safety-plan-the-recall-count-is-not-an-argument-either-here-is-what-would-actually-help-while-the-cyclospora-numbers-keep-climbing/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and made this outbreak so much harder to trace in the first place. ### Contractor sentenced for faking food hygiene checks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/contractor-sentenced-for-faking-food-hygiene-checks/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T04:03:48.000Z A former contractor has admitted offenses relating to faking food safety inspections in England. Lily Yirenkyi was appointed as a temporary Environmental Health Officer (EHO) by Thurrock Council in 2020\. Within weeks of her employment, concerns about her work were identified by the environmental health team. These were referred to the council's counter fraud team for investigation. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Audit costs, time, and resources among key concerns in survey URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/audit-costs-time-and-resources-among-key-concerns-in-survey/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T04:01:03.000Z A survey on audits has revealed they are valued but there is a need to shift perceptions from them being seen as a costly obligation. Recurring themes were concerns about compliance-driven approaches, auditor shortages, audit fatigue, digital readiness, and the potential of internal checks, according to a report from World of Auditing. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK most affected in multi-country Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/uk-most-affected-in-multi-country-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T15:10:30.000Z A Salmonella outbreak is affecting seven countries with the United Kingdom reporting the highest number of people sick. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there are 207 confirmed Salmonella Enteritidis cases between August 2025 and August 2026\. A total of 199 patients live in England, six are from Scotland, while Wales and Northern Ireland both have one case each. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported 106 infections in the Netherlands. There are also 15 cases in Belgium, two in Austria, one in Denmark, four in France, and six in Germany. There were 341 confirmed infections between May 2025 and August 2026\. In total, 152 cases were reported since May 2026, mostly by Netherlands and the UK. Patients range in age from under 1 to 90 with a median of 31 years old. At least 34 people have been hospitalized and one person in the UK has died. **Link to eggs and poultry products** Epidemiological investigations in the UK point to imported eggs as the suspected vehicle of infection. The Netherlands observed a peak in cases in August to September 2025\. A small number of patient interviews linked illnesses to chicken meat. ECDC said the multi-country Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak is ongoing. Epidemiological investigations indicate eggs and chicken products as potential sources of infection. More cases are expected until proper control measures are implemented. The outbreak strain was involved in a previous outbreak reported by the Netherlands. Eggs or poultry were the suspected cause. In 2025, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) investigated a major outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis with 80 patients. Possible sources were chicken products and eggs, but no clear cause was found. After a period without patients, new infections appeared again in 2026, so the outbreak investigation was restarted in July. **UK view** Jacquelyn McCormick, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency (FSA), said: “The exact cause has not yet been identified, however investigations so far have identified links to eggs imported from outside the UK, mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants or cafes, as a potential source. There is no evidence that UK-produced eggs are affected.” Several organizations have [joined the British Egg Industry Council](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/uk-reports-salmonella-outbreak-with-200-sick-and-one-dead/) in raising concerns about the risks associated with imported eggs and egg products. Will Raw, NFU Poultry Board chair, said it was hugely concerning that eggs from abroad are being linked to a serious outbreak of Salmonella in the UK. “Food produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK is still being allowed into our market. This simply cannot be allowed to continue. Government must ensure at a minimum that adequate checks are being conducted on imports to ensure all food coming into the country is safe and introduce a robust system of core production standards that applies equally to domestic and imported food.” Clement Lynch, deputy president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, said: “This is a serious food safety issue and it is important that the source is established quickly. There is currently no evidence linking UK-produced eggs or poultry to the outbreak, and consumers should remain confident in locally produced eggs.” ### A revolution is on the way in how apples are harvested URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/a-revolution-is-on-the-way-in-how-apples-are-harvested/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T04:05:36.000Z Gentle suction mixed with the dependable pull of gravity. That’s the basic principle behind a new way of harvesting apples. In what some would call a transformative system, it was designed to ensure fruit quality, harvest efficiency, better worker conditions, and even food safety. Besides apples, it can also be used to harvest other fruit such as citrus and peaches. We’re talking about the Bandit Cyclone, a vacuum-based harvesting system. While still in its trial stage, it’s been proving its worth out in the field. An example of that is when Superfresh Growers, based in Yakima, WA, partnered with Automated Ag, based in Moses Lake, WA, to showcase Automated Ag’s Bandit Cyclone harvest-aid technology. While out in the field watching the Cyclone in action, J J Dagorret, owner of Automated Ag, quickly said he was "extremely excited to see it in operation at work in an orchard.” [Go here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9xeQZPKEn4&t=6s&ref=foodsafetynews.com) to see the Bandit Cyclone in operation. It’s nothing like the usual way of harvesting apples, which involves workers on ladders picking the fruit into heavy pickers’ bags. When the bags are full enough, the workers drop the apples into a wooden bins. This requires them to go up and down ladders and reposition the ladders when necessary. “Physically, it’s very strenuous work,” said Dagorret, adding that falls from ladders account for a lot of worker injuries. With the Bandit Cyclone, the pickers are up on a platform, which has 4 large suction hoses. They pluck the apples from the trees and then put them into the hoses, where the fruit travels downward until coming to a padded decellerator, which slows the fruit down before it is gently deposited into a wooden bin. From there, the apples are taken into a storage facility. The air suction pulls fruit through the individual hoses at roughly 15 feet per second for only half a second per apple. “Gentle” is the name of the game. Compared to handpicking, this new system’s platform, which moves from row to row, is 35 percent more efficient and reduces bruising by half, which gives consumers more consistent fruit. Considering the challenge of dealing with an aging workforce and finding enough physically able workers to harvest the fruit, Dagorret said this system opens up the labor pool. “Just about anyone can do it’” he said in an interview with [News.com](http://news.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). “It ’s an important advancement. It transforms the way fruit is picked.” It took 6 years to get it to this point, and Dagorret readily admits to waking up some nights and wondering if he was crazy to stick with it. “But I’m really happy I did,” he said. “It’s definitely been worth it.” **What about food safety?** Dagorret said he hasn’t run into any food-safety problems with the Bandit Cyclone. To begin with, there’s less handling of the fruit, and the fruit spends less time getting from the tree to the bin than would be the case when it’s picked into a bag where it stays until there are enough apples to put them into a bin.. And the machinery is cleaned on a regular basis. “We don’t take any shortcuts,” he said. **What about cost?** Dagorret said the entire unit would cost about $125,000 dollars. But the platform can be used year round, for example when workers need to prune the trees. He said that whereas in the past growers planted about 133 trees to an acre, they now plant 1,300 to 1,400 to an acre. That adds up to the need for advances when it comes to harvesting the fruit. With the Bandit Cyclone, a crew of 4 pickers can fill large orchard bins in just 10 to 15 minutes. “This will transform the way apples are picked,” Dagorret said. “This will be the future.” **Apple facts** The largest apple-producing state is Washington, whose fertile soil, abundant water resources, and ideal climate makes it the perfect location for apple cultivation. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the state produces more than 60 percent of the country’s total apple crop. Other significant apple-producing states include New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California. These states, along with Washington, account for the majority of apple production in the United States. But when looking at who’s on top when it comes to global production, China is the world’s largest apple producer. ### FDA warns California raw pet food maker after Listeria found in products URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-warns-california-raw-pet-food-maker-after-listeria-found-in-products/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T04:04:32.000Z As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view. --- **Waves and Wine Inc.** **Mendota, CA** The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to a California pet food manufacturer after inspectors found significant food safety violations, including failures involving preventive controls, supplier verification, product testing and sanitation. FDA also found Listeria monocytogenes in two raw pet food products, posing a potential illness risk to people who handle the products or come into contact with contaminated surfaces, particularly those at higher risk for severe listeriosis. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### High-risk food linked to fatal Belgian E. coli outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/high-risk-food-linked-to-fatal-belgian-e-coli-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T04:03:16.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Home-delivered meals linked to UK Listeria death URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/home-delivered-meals-linked-to-uk-listeria-death/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T04:02:55.000Z An outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections, which resulted in one death, was caused by contaminated home-delivered meals, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). In mid-April 2025, the Gastrointestinal Infections, Food Safety and One Health (GIFSOH) Division was informed of two cases of listeriosis with sample dates in March. Sick people lived in the East Midlands and East of England. Both were male and the median age was 60, with one in the 50- to 59-year-old group and the other in the 60- to 69-year-old group. Cases had underlying conditions and had been inpatients in the weeks before onset of symptoms but were hospitalized because of listeriosis. One person died, with Listeria monocytogenes infection listed as a cause of death on the death certificate. Listeria monocytogenes isolates from patients were closely genetically related using whole genome sequencing (WGS), pointing to a common source of infection. Analysis of epidemiological data identified exposure to foods supplied by a company in London that delivers chef-prepared cook-chill meals to customers. Both patients had eaten meals produced by the same company. One reported having prepacked cooked chicken and a sea-bass meal in February 2025, while the second case consumed teriyaki salmon, chili and garlic chicken donburi, lamb burger, potatoes and assorted vegetables shipped between February and March. **Inspection findings** Another case of listeriosis with a sample date in September 2024 had eaten food from the same business. However, it was not possible to determine by WGS if there was a match with the outbreak strain. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was informed, as was Havering Council, the local authority that oversaw this food firm. They met in May to discuss sampling, cleaning and halting production at the facility and again in July. At the time of the investigation, the business had 22,000 customers across England, Wales, and Scotland. Havering Council was made aware in late 2024 and early 2025 of three alleged food poisoning complaints relating to the firm. Many meals are not RTE foods, they have been fully cooked, chilled and require thorough reheating before consumption. In April 2025, Havering Council visited the company and found issues including condensation beneath the canopy, pools of stagnant water and damaged flooring. This led to three hygiene improvement notices between July and August and the food hygiene rating dropped from 4 to 1\. The business contacted Campden BRI and the Chilled Food Association to ensure their Listeria management plan was aligned with industry best practice. By September, corrective actions had been completed. After a December inspection, a food hygiene rating of 4 was given. The business voluntarily ceased production in May 2025, undertook a deep clean and re-opened a few days later following satisfactory results from in-house environmental testing and implementation of a Listeria management plan, including improving cleaning, partitioning of the facility and staff training. They also increased the concentration of cleaning chemicals on the recommendation of a hygiene consultant who visited the production facility. **Outbreak strain and other Listeria detected** A total of 109 samples, 73 environmental swabs and 36 from foods, were taken during several visits between April and October, including a parsley garnish. Listeria monocytogenes was found at low levels from food samples taken at the factory. Listeria monocytogenes was detected during routine internal testing from two cold kitchen knives swabs taken by the business in mid-February 2024\. There were also positives in end-of-shelf-life samples of chicken korma and hazelnut dukkah-crusted salmon meal in early March 2025, at levels of less than 20 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g). Food isolates were not kept by the private laboratory, so it is unknown if they were the outbreak strain. Listeria matching the outbreak strain was found in one food and five environmental samples. The food isolate was from washed garnish parsley, sampled in May 2025, at less than 10 CFU/g. The five environmental isolates were from a cold kitchen drain gulley, a hot kitchen floor wall, dirty dollies, and two isolates from the hot kitchen floor/wall junction. Local authority sampling found one food and four environmental Listeria isolates. The food isolate was from a chimichurri beef bowl at below 20 CFU/g. In May, the business issued a product recall to its customer base for meals containing the garnish. A total of 110 customers received these meals. In June, the chimichurri beef bowl was recalled because of Listeria that did not match the outbreak strain. Another 15 isolates of Listeria monocytogenes and 26 of other Listeria types were recovered from environmental samples taken between April and October 2025\. The large number of positives at the facility suggested widespread and persistent contamination, according to UKHSA. In January 2026, it was agreed that formal sampling would take place every two months over a 6-month period, beginning with an announced visit at the end of February by the local authority. No new cases in the cluster have since been identified. ### The Sunday Edition: GMOs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/the-sunday-edition-gmos/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T16:07:38.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena** - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have linked [431 illnesses in 32 states to fresh jalapeño peppers](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/jalapeno-salmonella-outbreak-grows-to-431-sick-in-32-states-illnesses-ran-into-august-and-the-grower-is-still-unnamed/)contaminated with Salmonella Javiana. The peppers were grown in Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by San Diego-based Coast Citrus Distributors. More than 90 percent of the patients report eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming ill, including Chipotle and QDOBA. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are still investigating source and scope of the outbreak. - The number of patients affected [by multiple outbreaks of Cyclospora infections continues to grow](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cdc-reports-more-than-1-800-additional-cyclospora-patients-in-past-week/). Efforts to identify where public health systems broke down in the midst of this and other crises have intensified as the end of summer draws near. NPR reports on[the cascading effects of funding cuts](https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/nx-s1-5930462/trump-health-foodborne-illness-outbreak-cyclospora?ref=foodsafetynews.com) while the Brennan Center looks at [the politics behind the delay in implantation of the food traceability rule](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/cyclospora-outbreak-shows-why-so-many-americans-are-angry-about?ref=foodsafetynews.com). - President Trump has nominated [Dr. Heidi Overton to serve as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/overton-expected-to-be-next-fda-commissioner/). Dr. Overton is currently deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. [Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., expressed “strong concerns” about Dr. Overton](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/19/us/politics/heidi-overton-cassidy-fda.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.7FA.Qiab.ED4ZHQ0qHsq2&smid=url-share&ref=foodsafetynews.com) due, in part, to her support of what Cassidy called “a nonsensical vaccine executive order” issued by the President. Cassidy chairs the Senate health committee that must approve Overton’s nomination to advance to full Senate consideration. Food Safety News publisher Bill Marler has [a to-do list ready](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-the-president-has-nominated-dr-heidi-overton-to-run-fda-she-would-inherit-the-largest-cyclospora-outbreak-ever-recorded-and-here-is-the-to-do-list-i-would-put-on-her/) for her, if she is confirmed. - The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating [a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 200 people and caused one death](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-the-president-has-nominated-dr-heidi-overton-to-run-fda-she-would-inherit-the-largest-cyclospora-outbreak-ever-recorded-and-here-is-the-to-do-list-i-would-put-on-her/). Testing revealed that patient samples are closely related, indicating a common source of contamination. The current outbreak could be related another one in 2025 that was linked to imported eggs. - The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency are partnering to assess [the safety of edible insects and potential hazards associated with production and processing of said insects](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/iaea-project-to-look-at-edible-insect-safety/). About two billion people around the globe already consume insects regularly. --- **Today’s topic: GMOs** With all the attention these days to the broader category of food ingredients, it’s been easy to forget about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The first year of genetically modified crop production was 1994, so genetically engineered (GE) crops, or agricultural biotechnology, are no longer new. Instead, GE crops now dominate because they’ve been engineered for resistance to insect damage, tolerance to herbicides and resistance to plant viruses And the 25-year-old, San Francisco-based Center for Food Safety (CFS) has not forgotten its concerns about GMOs. It makes GE crops one of its major areas of work. Past CFS court victories on GMOs have had nationwide impacts, preventing federal government attempts to completely deregulate GMO crops as they’ve become more routine. Yet CFS claims that up to 70 percent of genetically modified food in supermarkets is not labeled at all, thanks to a loophole that allows 'highly refined' foods containing GMO ingredients to skip specific labeling. CFS is back in court seeking to force companies to list all GMO ingredients on food packaging labels. “This lawsuit is our best hope to ensure we know when we're buying GMO products, but we'll need all the support we can get in our long fight ahead,” CFS said in pitching its members to “overwhelm USDA \[the U.S. Department of Agriculture\] with comments.” Just last week, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) asked for public comments on yet another GMO. It wants input about a petition from Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. to deregulate its COR-23134-4 soybean, developed using genetic engineering to control certain lepidopteran pests. There are about 180,000 species of Lepidoptera, the insect order that includes moths and butterflies, many of which are harmful to soybean production. Johnstown, IA-based Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. makes and sells common hybrid seeds and genetically modified seeds, including those that become genetically modified food. The public has 60 days to review and comment on the Pioneer petition and its draft Plant Pest Risk Assessment (PPRA). APHIS encourages submission of scientific data, studies or research in support of comments. Comments on this GMO petition and draft PPRA can be submitted through October 19, 2026, via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. (Go to [www.regulations.gov](https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https://www.regulations.gov//1/010101a01007f50d-a8e19701-2de1-45d4-a4fa-0feaece83900-000000/c77ovZTukRMo3DpGNg1NkQPeeV8skaE8G9zUfUEPAIM=452?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and enter “APHIS-2026-1090” into the "Search" field. Then, select the "Comments" button in the Notice contained in the list of documents.) **How GMOs are made** Plants, animals or microbes that have their DNA changed through genetic engineering techniques become genetically modified organisms. Scientists use genetic engineering to isolate the gene for a desired trait from one plant or animal and insert it into the DNA of another. Genes can be moved from an animal to a plant or vice versa. Genetic engineering isn’t selective breeding. That involves selecting plants or animals with desired traits and breeding them through natural processes. In time, this results in offspring with those desired traits. But selective breeding can also result in undesirable traits. Instead, genetic engineering allows scientists to select one specific gene to implant; genes with undesirable traits are avoided. GMO foods are becoming more plentiful, with cotton, corn and soybeans as the largest GE crops in the United States. GE crops used in GMO foods include: - Corn syrup, used as a sweetener in many foods and drinks - Corn starch, used in soups and sauces - Soybean, corn, and canola oils, used in snack foods, breads, salad dressings and mayonnaise - Sugar from sugar beets - Livestock feed One or more of these foods are also involved in GE crops: apples, alfalfa, canola, papayas, pineapples, potatoes, salmon, squash, sugar beets, sugar cane and zucchini. **Currently banned in the EU?** GMOs are allowed in the EU, but [the rules in place since 2001 are among the strictest in the world](https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/genetically-modified-organisms/gmo-legislation%5Fen?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and EU countries can ban GM crops from being cultivated on their territory. While several GMOs are authorized for import into the EU, the only GM crop currently approved for cultivation in the EU is MON810, an insect-resistant maize variety grown mainly in Spain, primarily for animal feed. GMO boosters point to increased crop yields, reduced chemical pesticide use, and enhanced nutritional value, while opponents cite potential ecological disruption, the development of herbicide-resistant weeds, and corporate control of the seed market. At this time, major scientific and regulatory bodies—including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—agree that GMO foods currently on the market are as safe to eat as their non-GMO counterparts. --- **The Pros: Why GMOs Are Used** - Reduced chemical pesticide use: Crops engineered with *Bt* genes produce a natural protein toxic only to specific pests. This allows farmers to spray significantly fewer chemical insecticides. - Climate and disease resilience: Scientists modify crops to withstand severe environmental stressors, including drought, extreme heat, and poor soil conditions. Genetic modifications also protect industries from devastating plant viruses, such as ringspot virus, which prevented devastation of papaya crops in Hawaii. - Enhanced nutritional value: Bioengineering can directly combat malnutrition in developing regions. A prime example is [Golden Rice](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gmo-pros-and-cons?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which is enriched with beta-carotene to prevent blindness caused by Vitamin A deficiency. - Increased shelf life and food quality: Modifications can slow spoilage and browning processes in fresh produce (non-browning apples, for example), thereby directly reducing global food waste. **The Cons: Risks and Criticisms** - Weed and insect resistance: While GMOs initially reduce pesticide use, the widespread cultivation of herbicide-tolerant crops has led to the emergence of "superweeds". These weeds adapt to chemicals like glyphosate, forcing farmers to eventually use more toxic alternatives. - Ecological and biodiversity risks: Cross-pollination (gene flow) can occur when wind or insects carry GMO pollen into neighboring wild or organic fields. This can unintentionally alter the genetics of native plant species and decrease overall biodiversity. - Corporate monopolies and seed patenting: A small handful of large biotech corporations control the global GMO seed market. Because these seeds are patented, farmers are legally forbidden from saving seeds for the next year, forcing them into expensive, restrictive annual purchasing cycles. - Public health anxiety: Although current research shows no verified health risks, critics emphasize that human clinical trials monitoring the strict long-term, multi-generational impacts of GMO diets remain limited. --- **Our Take** We probably all have a little voice in the back of our heads that tells us things. One of those messages is that we shouldn’t play God. And it’s science that always pushes the line on that one. But in one case after another, science advances; whatever was a breakthrough becomes routine, and we push the line forward. When something does hang around, it makes us nervous. Are those “superweeds” trying to tell us something? Superweeds are not mutated, aggressive plants but ordinary weeds that have adapted to survive new agricultural practices. When kids from town were hired to “walk the beans,” we never imagined that a few naturally resistant weeds would take over. --- **By the numbers** **40.6** – The percentage share of the global GMO economy that has been captured by the U.S. and Canada by 2026. **261,300,000,000** – The cumulative economic gain, in U.S. dollars, attributed to GMOs from 1996 to 2020. **52.3** – The percentage share of GMO benefits that have gone to farmers in developing countries during the same period. That amounts to $136.6 billion, **330,000,000** – The number of tons of soybeans that have been added to the global commodity supply base over a 25-year span, vastly expanding agricultural GDP due to GMOs. Hundreds of millions of tons of corn have also been added to the global supply. **581,000,000** – The amount, in kilograms, of pesticide spraying that has decreased due to GE crops producing their own targeted pest defenses. **90** \-- The percentage of U.S. corn, upland cotton and soybeans produced using GE varieties. GE crops are broadly classified as herbicide-tolerant (HT), insect-resistant (Bt), or stacked varieties that combine both traits. --- **What it means** While there was a time when people could seriously call for a ban on GMOs, that time is likely past. Over the past 32 years, GE crops and GE foods have become a significant part of the food and agriculture economy. A Purdue University study projects a 22 percent hike in grocery prices would follow any total ban on GMOs in the food supply The discomfort about the concept of GMOs persists because this multi-billion-dollar sector is dominated by a handful of global companies. Investments in R&D are massive. While GE crops are unlikely to go away, some controversies remain. Because biotech seeds are patented, farmers cannot legally save seeds from their harvest for next year. Annual seed purchases are required. This means agricultural wealth flows steadily from rural farming communities to the multinational biotech corporations. And resistant superweeds require purchasing more expensive, heavier chemical options and specialized spraying equipment just to maintain baseline yields in some areas. A relatively new threat is accidental cross-contamination with non-GMO fields. That can instantly disqualify a farmer's crop from premium export markets such as the European Union, causing localized trade losses. --- *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Sprout company recalls products linked to 15-state outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/sprout-company-recalls-products-linked-to-15-state-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T00:36:31.000Z Everything Sprouts LLC of Minneapolis, MN, is recalling three varieties of alfalfa sprouts products because they have been linked to a [15-state outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/sprouts-outbreak-grows-to-55-patients-in-15-states-company-declines-to-issue-recall/) of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and/or Salmonella. The recalled products were distributed by Everything Sprouts from May 27 to Aug. 21 to wholesale distributors and to grocery stores located in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Everything Sprouts and Calco branded alfalfa sprouts are packaged in individual 5-ounce plastic containers bearing the following bar codes: 860014523113, 860014523120 and 850079470149\. The products subject to this recall include Alfalfa 6/5oz, Alfalfa 12/6/5oz packages with the following lot numbers: LOT #222, 223, 225, 226, 230\. These same Alfalfa sprouts were also used in Everything Sprouts Crunchy Protein Sprout Mix 5oz cups, LOT# 222, 223, 226, 230 and the Zesty Garlic Mix cups, LOT# 222, 223, 225, 226, and 230. To date, 55 reports of illnesses have been received by federal and state partners related to the alfalfa sprouts. The states with patients are: Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. Consumers who believe they may have received affected lots of the alfalfa sprouts should immediately dispose of them and should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the product may have touched. Retailers and distributors who believe they have received affected lots of alfalfa sprouts should immediately stop selling and distributing the alfalfa sprouts in inventory and dispose of them according to local protocols. Additionally, they should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that the product may have touched. **About E. coli infections** Food contaminated with E. coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Publisher’s Platform: Twenty-One Outbreaks Is a Normal Year. Ten Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty Sick From One of Them Is Not. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-twenty-one-outbreaks-is-a-normal-year-ten-thousand-nine-hundred-thirty-sick-from-one-of-them-is-not/ Last updated: 2026-08-22T11:46:57.000Z CDC’s [August 20 update](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) puts the iceberg lettuce *Cyclospora* outbreak at 10,930 illnesses, 454 hospitalizations and two deaths across seventeen states, with no new states added. Federal regulators have announced twenty-one foodborne outbreak investigations so far in 2026, against twenty-eight in all of 2025\. The number of outbreaks is unremarkable. What is remarkable is that this one outbreak hospitalized nearly twice as many people as every outbreak announced last year combined, and that the tool for shortening it sits on the books unfunded until July 2028. **The number of outbreaks this year is ordinary. The number of sick people is not.** The U.S. PIRG Education Fund asked the question directly this week and answered it in one word: [no](https://pirg.org/edfund/articles/are-we-seeing-more-food-recalls/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Regulators announce between twenty and thirty a year. There were twenty-eight last year and twenty-one so far this year. [NBC News reported Saturday](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/why-outbreaks-2026-food-contamination-cyclospora-salmonella-e-coli-rcna592940?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that none of the five researchers it consulted found evidence of more outbreaks now than in years past. Then look at what those outbreaks did to people. PIRG’s [Food for Thought 2026](https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/food-for-thought-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) counted 1,003 illnesses, 235 hospitalizations and 22 deaths across all twenty-eight of last year’s outbreaks. Set that against the one running now. | **Measure** | **All 28 outbreaks announced in 2025** | **The iceberg lettuce outbreak alone, as of August 20, 2026** | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | Illnesses | 1,003 | 10,930 | | Hospitalizations | 235 | 454 | | Deaths | 22 | 2 | Sources: PIRG, Food for Thought 2026, for 2025; CDC’s outbreak page as of August 20, 2026, for the *Cyclospora* figures. Check: 10,930 divided by 1,003 is 10.9; 454 divided by 235 is 1.9\. Deaths are the one row where last year is higher. Counting outbreaks measures how often regulators announce something. Counting recalls measures the same thing with worse resolution. Neither measures how many people ended up in an emergency room. Track only the announcements and this summer looks average. It was not average for the people in that right-hand column. **CDC tells you to wash the lettuce, and then tells you washing will not work.** Read the prevention bullets on CDC’s alert page in order. Wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under running water. Then, immediately beneath it: since washing alone cannot guarantee removal, cook produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit. That is advice to boil your salad. I do not write that to mock the people who drafted it. It is the honest end of a road with no other exit. There is [no validated kill step](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/there-is-no-kill-step-for-cyclospora-that-is-the-message-i-am-taking-to-iafp/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for this parasite on ready-to-eat produce. FDA says on its own [fact sheet](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that chlorine and the other common antimicrobial treatments are not effective against it, and that the fecal-indicator testing the industry runs on water and product will not find it. Heat that kills it destroys the product. Everything that actually prevents this happens upstream, in the water, months before anybody shreds a head of iceberg. When that fails, the consumer bullets are all that is left, and a shopper standing in front of a bag of lettuce has no move available that would have protected her. **This one outbreak filled more hospital beds than every outbreak announced last year combined.** Four hundred fifty-four hospitalizations in this outbreak. Two hundred thirty-five across all twenty-eight outbreaks announced in 2025\. *Cyclospora* is the mild one in the deck, and by attack rate and case fatality it is. It still filled nearly twice the hospital beds of an ordinary year. **CDC says routine stool tests do not always screen for this parasite.** That sentence is on the alert page, addressed to patients, telling them to request the test by name. It is a concession about the denominator. The 10,930 counts people sick enough to seek care, whose clinician thought of this organism, and whose laboratory ran the right panel. Nobody knows how many failed one of those three tests, and CDC says so on the page where it publishes the number. There is a fourth barrier, and it is not lag or behavior. In Lee County, Florida, a clinic serving mostly uninsured patients has [stopped testing](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/it-is-400-am-i-have-questions-a-clinic-in-lee-county-has-stopped-testing-for-cyclospora-because-its-patients-cannot-afford-it-and-the-people-who-would-have-counted-them-are-being-cut/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for this parasite because the test runs its patients hundreds of dollars. It has seen cases anyway, in patients and staff, and none are in Florida’s count. That is one clinic deciding about cost, not a state refusing anyone. It still changes the category of the undercount: lag and behavior describe people the system missed, cost describes people it priced out. If you do not have insurance you may not be tested at all, and an illness never tested is not an illness that is slowing. Set that next to what happened to the surveillance. On July 1, 2025, reporting through FoodNet became optional for six pathogens, [including this one](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The network had required it since the nineteen-nineties; CDC said funding had not kept pace. Twelve months later this country recorded the largest *Cyclospora* outbreak in its history. FoodNet was never built to detect outbreaks and I will not claim it would have caught this one. It was built to tell us what normal looks like, which is what you need to know when something stops being normal. **The rule that would have drawn a line around one facility cannot be enforced until July 2028.** Congress ordered the Food Traceability Rule in January 2011 and set a deadline of January 2013\. FDA missed it, a nonprofit sued, a judge set a schedule, and the rule issued in November 2022 with a compliance date of January 2026\. In 2025 that date moved thirty months. Then Congress directed that no appropriated funds be spent enforcing the rule before July 20, 2028\. FDA has said it [intends to comply](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) with the directive. I have laid the whole chronology out [separately](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/congress-told-the-fda-to-write-the-food-traceability-rule-by-january-2013-enforcement-now-begins-in-july-2028-here-is-how-fifteen-and-a-half-years-went-by/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The distinction that gets lost matters most. A delay is an agency deciding industry needs more time. A funding prohibition is Congress removing the agency’s ability to act even if it changes its mind. The rule is law. FDA may not spend a dollar enforcing it until the summer of 2028. Traceability draws a line. It says what everything else is. Without it, the advice to consumers has to be categorical, because categorical is all anyone can support, and categorical advice prices a category. Growers who did nothing wrong watched lettuce discounted or plowed under this summer. That loss belongs in the same ledger as the illnesses, and it is an argument for the rule the produce industry should be making itself. **FDA has not met its domestic inspection targets since 2018, and reaches about five percent of its foreign target.** The [Government Accountability Office reported](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107571?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that FDA has not met the inspection frequencies Congress wrote into law since fiscal year 2018\. On the foreign side the gap is not close: against a statutory target of 19,200 inspections a year, FDA averaged 917 from fiscal 2018 through fiscal 2023, about five percent. I wrote about that report when it [came out](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/gao-fda-should-strengthen-inspection-efforts-to-protect-the-u-s-food-supply/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). It belongs here because of geography. The lettuce came from central Mexico. Nobody was assigned to look at the great majority of foreign facilities shipping food into this country, because there was nobody to assign. That is architecture and budget, not a failing of the investigators who did go. **Endemic describes where an organism lives. It does not explain how it got into the lettuce.** You will hear, in nearly every account of this outbreak, that *Cyclospora* is endemic to Mexico. It is. That tells you the parasite is present in the region. It does not tell you how it reached a leaf shredded, bagged and eaten in Michigan. This organism comes out of human sewage, and it reaches produce when sewage reaches water that touches the crop. That is not an ambient condition of a country. It is a sanitation failure with a location and decisions behind it. Endemicity is a real fact doing rhetorical work it was not built for, turning something somebody could have prevented into weather nobody owns. **No new states is the honest version of the outbreak slowing.** The seventeen-state footprint has stopped moving. The counts inside it keep climbing, which is what a long reporting tail looks like on a parasite with a two-week incubation and a test most doctors have to be prompted to order. FDA’s [investigation page](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says the recalled product is long past its best-by dates and should be gone from stores and restaurants. It has been gone for weeks. The number went up anyway. What none of this is, at any point, is a consumer behavior problem. The field for next summer gets planted in a few months. Nobody chooses what is living in the water when it does, and washing will not help then either. ### Patient count for parasite outbreak linked to lettuce tops 10,000 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/patient-count-for-parasite-outbreak-linked-to-lettuce-tops-10-000/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T21:38:00.000Z The patient count for an outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite linked to iceberg lettuce has topped 10,000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 10,930 patients as of Aug. 21, up from 9,481 reported on Aug. 13\. The sick people are spread across 17 states. There are 454 patients who have required hospitalization and two from Michigan have died. Illnesses linked to this outbreak began on June 14 and onset dates have continued through Aug.11. The outbreak includes people who reported exposure to processed iceberg lettuce from the Taylor Farms growing and processing operation in Central Mexico and served or purchased at various locations, including people who previously reported eating at Taco Bell. Most of these illnesses began before the Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce recall on July 17. The Food and Drug Administration has begun inspecting the implicated Taylor Farms lettuce growing and production operation. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office found that FDA averaged only 917 foreign food-facility inspections annually from fiscal years 2018 through 2023 — less than 5 percent of the statutory target established under the Food Safety Modernization Act. The Taylor Farms operation in question had not been inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for seven years prior to this year’s outbreak. The facility’s production line includes a wash step, but the FDA reports that washing produce does not remove the parasites. And, chlorine does not kill the parasite. The outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce is separate from a group of other Cyclospora outbreaks being tracked by the FDA and CDC. Since May 1, the CDC has received reports of 15,716 laboratory-confirmed reports of infections from the Cyclospora parasite. The CDC is reporting at least 828 hospitalizations. The sick people are spread across 47 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. For comparison purposes, the CDC logged 1,180 cases of Cyclospora infections from May 1 through Aug. 31 in 2025. **About Cyclospora** Food contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite does not look, smell or taste bad. The parasite is microscopic and amounts of it invisible to the human eye are enough to cause illness. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. Chlorine does not kill the parasite. ### Sprouts outbreak grows to 55 patients in 15 states; company declines to issue recall URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/sprouts-outbreak-grows-to-55-patients-in-15-states-company-declines-to-issue-recall/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T00:39:13.000Z The CDC has reported that the number of people infected in an outbreak of Salmonella and E. coli infections linked to alfalfa sprouts has grown to almost 60\. And, 15 states coast to coast are now involved. The outbreak was first reported by public health officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin on Aug. 20 when there were 23 patients in Minnesota and 18 patients in Wisconsin. As of Aug. 21 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was reporting 55 patients spread across i5 states. The states with patients are: Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. The outbreak is linked to Calco and Everything Sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, which is a Minnesota grower. The Food and Drug Administration is working with Everything Sprouts and has recommended they conduct a recall. The company had not issued a recall as of Aug. 21\. Consumers and retailers should not eat, serve, or sell alfalfa sprouts sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands. The outbreak patients are infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli serotypes O26:H11, O103:H25 or O168:H8 and Salmonella Agona. llnesses started on dates ranging from May 31, 2026, to August 8, 2026\. State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 34 people interviewed, 26 reported eating alfalfa sprouts. There have been 4 hospitalizations, but no deaths have been reported. Epidemiologic and traceback data show that alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything SproutsL LC of Minneapolis, MN, may be contaminated with multiple pathogens and have been identified as a source of illnesses in this outbreak. Based on epidemiological information collected by CDC and state partners, a total of 55 people infected with multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and one strain of Salmonella have been reported from 15 states. Some people were infected with more than one outbreak strain. Forty-six people were infected with E. coli , 7 people were infected with Salmonella, and 2 people were infected with both Salmonella and E. coli. Traceback evidence collected from the restaurants and grocery stores identified alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts LLC as a source of illness in this outbreak. On Aug. 19, 2026, FDA initiated an inspection and sample collection at Everything Sprouts, LLC. This investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products or firms are linked to illnesses. **About E. coli infections** Food contaminated with E. Coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others ### Scientists push for toxoplasmosis recognition URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/scientists-push-for-toxoplasmosis-recognition/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T04:02:28.000Z Scientists have called for toxoplasmosis to be listed as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Toxoplasma parasite can cause ocular toxoplasmosis, an eye infection that damages the retina and results in permanent vision loss. People can become infected through eating raw or undercooked meat, contaminated produce or water, or exposure to cat feces. It only takes microscopic amounts of the feces to cause infection. In pregnancy, infection can be passed to the unborn baby, leading to miscarriage or damage to the brain and eye. Many affected children develop vision problems that worsen over time. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### IAEA project to look at edible insect safety URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/iaea-project-to-look-at-edible-insect-safety/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T04:01:21.000Z A project has been created to assess the safety of edible insects and hazards associated with related production and processing practices. The five-year coordinated research project will also look at other novel foods. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) project will help countries assess food safety risks linked to alternative food and feed sources and understand how different production and processing practices influence these risks. It will use nuclear and other technologies to analyze chemical, biological, and physical hazards. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher’s Platform: There Is No Premarket Approval for Food, Says the Senior Food Adviser at HHS. Ten Days Earlier His Own Secretary Called the Exception to It a Loophole That Industry Hijacked. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-there-is-no-premarket-approval-for-food-says-the-senior-food-adviser-at-hhs-ten-days-earlier-his-own-secretary-called-the-exception-to-it-a-loophole-that-industry-hi/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T00:51:13.000Z A senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services spent this week posting three claims about food safety on X, each one preceded by a red exclamation point and the word FACT. As of Thursday, August 20, 2026, CDC counts 10,930 people sick in the federal *Cyclospora* outbreak, at least 454 of them hospitalized, two dead, across seventeen states, with illness onsets running from June 14 through August 11\. My own fifty‑state tally, built from what each state health department publishes, stands at 31,889\. Of the three FACTS, one is roughly right and proves nothing, one is a non sequitur, and one is contradicted by FDA’s own website and by his own Secretary. ### The man posting is the senior adviser for food and nutrition policy at HHS. It is worth knowing who is talking, because this is not a commentator with a view about the government’s food safety record. Calley Means came into the second Trump administration in March 2025 as a White House special government employee, a designation capped at 130 days, and left when the term ran out that fall. In November 2025 HHS [confirmed to The Hill](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5613136-calley-means-hhs-adviser-rfk-jr-maha/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that he had joined the department as a senior adviser in the Office of the Secretary, supporting food and nutrition policy, working directly with the Secretary. The food safety record is not his opinion. It is his portfolio. His [post](https://x.com/calleymeans/status/2090551492889510290?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says the press is playing a cynical and sick game by treating food recalls as a scoring point against the President, when a recall is the FDA working well and doing its job. Then the three bullets. ### The recall count is roughly right, and it proves nothing in either direction. The first is that food recalls are at a multi‑year low. On the raw count he is close enough. [U.S. PIRG’s tally](https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/food-for-thought-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has FDA and USDA announcing 320 food recalls in 2025 and 296 in 2024, against nearly 400 in 2018, with at least 160 so far in 2026\. Through the third week of August, 160 annualizes to something in the mid‑250s. Lower. Fine. The trouble is that the organization whose numbers he is leaning on says, in the same report, that the change does not mean food was less safe or that regulation was better. A recall count is not a safety metric and never has been. Read it going up and you can call it vigilance. Read it going down and you can call it vigilance too. The number itself does not tell you which, and I have spent thirty‑three years watching quiet years turn out to be years when nobody looked. PIRG’s own worked example is the ready‑to‑eat pasta *Listeria* outbreak. The first illness was in August 2024\. The first recall came in June 2025, and recalls were still expanding into that October, by which point six people were dead. Ten months of that outbreak appear in no recall tally anywhere, because a recall enters the count on the day a company issues it, not on the day the food went bad. A recall is a lagging indicator of an outbreak somebody has already found. You cannot recall what you never found. ### Foreign inspections fell from about a thousand a year to fewer than two hundred. The second FACT is that if FDA were underfunded or not working, these recalls would not be happening. There are two problems with that sentence, one factual and one logical. The factual one. [ProPublica reported last November](https://www.propublica.org/article/foreign-food-safety-inspections-historic-low-fda?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that American inspections of foreign food facilities had fallen to historic lows, with about two dozen current and former FDA officials attributing the drop to staffing cuts. Before the pandemic the agency managed roughly a thousand foreign inspections a year. Last year it managed fewer than two hundred. The cause was not that inspectors were fired. It was that sixty‑five percent of the staff who booked their travel and processed their expenses left or were let go, leaving investigators to arrange their own flights, visas and diplomatic passports while a reimbursement backlog climbed past a million dollars on their personal credit cards. The Food Safety Modernization Act told FDA to complete more than nineteen thousand foreign inspections a year by 2016\. It has never come close. That is not an abstraction in this outbreak. The lettuce came out of Guanajuato. CNN established, and [I wrote about it last week](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-fifty-state-cyclospora-count-is-now-29920-mexico-says-the-lettuce-tested-clean-it-sampled-a-plant-that-had-just-stopped-running-and-fda-arrived-twenty-six-days-after-that/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), that FDA had not sent an inspector to the Taylor Farms plant in Mexico since 2019, and before that not since 2013, the year of the last outbreak traced to the same address. In the first six months of 2026, five of that company’s more than 160,000 produce shipments from Mexico were physically examined at the border. Behind that, the staffing. FDA [lost 3,859 positions in fiscal 2025](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11133-fda-usda-cdc-continue-to-lose-staffers-in-fiscal-year-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and another 473 in fiscal 2026; CDC lost 2,499 and 390\. FDA also [suspended the proficiency testing program](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10330-rumored-fda-budget-proposal-would-cut-funding-move-routine-food-inspections-to-states?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that verifies its network of roughly 170 laboratories can accurately detect what they are looking for, a program whose published examples include testing for *Cyclospora* in spinach. And surveillance for this parasite [was made optional in July 2025](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/they-made-cyclospora-optional-the-parasite-didnt-get-the-memo/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which is the single decision that has done the most to make this summer illegible. Credit where it belongs. Congress rejected the discretionary cut this administration asked for and gave FDA close to seven billion dollars for fiscal 2026, with $1.17 billion of it for the Human Foods Program, and HHS points to a proposed $33 million food safety increase in the fiscal 2027 request. The appropriation is not the problem. The capacity is, and capacity is what you lose when you fire the people who make inspectors’ travel possible and then say the inspectors were never touched. The logical problem is simpler. Recalls are overwhelmingly voluntary and company‑initiated. FDA’s mandatory recall authority arrived with FSMA in 2011 and has been used a handful of times in fifteen years. When product comes off a shelf it is almost always the company acting, usually after the illnesses have already been counted, and often after a plaintiff’s lawyer or a state epidemiologist got there first. Crediting the agency for the recall count is crediting it for decisions other people made. In this outbreak the first illness began June 14 and the first federal advisory came July 16\. The argument would have the government take a bow for the month in between. ### FDA has had premarket approval authority over substances added to food since 1958. The third FACT is that there is no premarket approval for food, that FDA monitors food in the post‑market context, and that if Congress wants premarket approval it should give the agency that authority. This one is not a matter of framing. It is wrong, and it is wrong against the agency’s own published guidance. [FDA’s page on determining the regulatory status of a food ingredient](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/determining-regulatory-status-food-ingredient?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says that any substance reasonably expected to become a component of food is a food additive subject to premarket approval by FDA, unless it is generally recognized as safe or falls within one of the other exclusions in section 201(s), and that a food containing an unapproved additive is adulterated. That authority is section 409, created by the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, and its entire purpose was to shift the burden of proving safety off the government and onto the company that wants to sell the thing. [Color additives](https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives?ref=foodsafetynews.com) are stricter still. Under section 721 they require FDA approval before they may be used in food at all, the certified colors require batch‑by‑batch certification, and there is no GRAS exemption available for a color under any circumstance. Infant formula requires premarket notification before marketing under section 412, a provision this firm has had painful occasion to study this year. Food contact substances go through notifications under section 409(h). Low‑acid canned and acidified foods require a filed process before a single case ships. There is a fair version of the point he was reaching for, and I will make it for him, because it is true and it matters. Nobody approves a head of lettuce. There is no premarket approval of foods as such, only of what is added to them and what touches them on the way to the bag. That is the accurate sentence. He wrote the categorical one instead, and the categorical one is false. ### Ten days earlier, his own Secretary called the exception to that authority a loophole industry hijacked. On August 10 the Secretary of HHS [stood up and announced a proposed rule](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-announces-ultra-processed-foods-gras-reforms.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ending self‑affirmed GRAS and making notification to FDA mandatory. He called the pathway a massive loophole that industry had hijacked. He said he had asked FDA how many ingredients are in the American food supply and been told nobody knows, that it might be four thousand or twelve thousand, probably somewhere near ten. Ten days later his senior food adviser posted that there is no premarket approval for food. A loophole in what? GRAS is not the absence of a premarket approval requirement. It is the statutory exception to one. Section 201(s) carves GRAS substances out of the food additive definition, and that carve‑out is precisely what lets a company skip the section 409 petition. Remove section 409 and there is nothing left for GRAS to be an exception to, and [the proposed rule at 91 FR 51834](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/11/2026-16296/substances-generally-recognized-as-safe?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has no subject matter at all. The rule exists because premarket approval exists. That is the whole reason the Secretary can call the workaround a loophole and mean something by it. I have some standing here, and it did not come cheap. In December 2023 I wrote to FDA about tara flour, an ingredient that entered the American food supply without anyone notifying anyone, after our clients ate it in a frozen product and nearly forty of them lost their gallbladders. In May 2024 the agency [determined that tara flour is not GRAS](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-update-post-market-assessment-tara-flour?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and is therefore an unapproved food additive that renders the food adulterated, and [I wrote here the day it posted](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/we-can-urge-government-to-do-the-right-thing-victims-of-tara-protein-flour-get-a-voice/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). FDA’s new proposed rule cites that episode as its lead example of what self‑affirmation failed to catch. Every link in that chain runs through the premarket approval authority the senior food adviser says the agency does not have. ### None of it would have kept the parasite off the lettuce. Here is what bothers me, and it is not the errors. Premarket approval is beside the point. No approval regime ever written stops a parasite reaching iceberg lettuce in a field in central Mexico, because the parasite is not an ingredient anyone added or intended. It arrives in water, on hands, in a place where sewage and irrigation meet. Pointing at Congress for an authority that would not have mattered, in the twelfth week of the largest *Cyclospora* outbreak in American history, is not an argument. It is a change of subject. Four things would have mattered, and every one of them sits inside his own building. Put the Food Traceability Rule back on schedule instead of 2028\. Name *Cyclospora* somewhere in the pre‑harvest agricultural water rule, which today measures a bacterial indicator with [no relationship to this organism](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/fda-just-admitted-in-print-that-nothing-it-knows-of-will-wash-cyclospora-off-your-lettuce-then-it-never-told-anyone-to-test-the-water-for-it/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Restore the surveillance that was made optional. Get the inspectors back on the airplanes. Not one of the four requires an act of Congress, and not one of them is partisan. I put [fifteen of these on this page two weeks ago](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-i-have-been-told-i-am-too-hard-on-industry-and-on-the-government-here-are-fifteen-things-fda-and-cdc-could-do-about-cyclospora/), and the objection I heard back was that I am too hard on the government. Maybe I am. Being hard on the government is not the same as being wrong about it, and the man whose job is federal food policy spent this week defending the record instead of changing it. Ten thousand nine hundred and thirty in the federal outbreak. Four hundred fifty‑four in a hospital bed. Two dead. Thirty‑one thousand eight hundred eighty‑nine counted by the states, [and CDC’s own surveillance page](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) saying it is looking at more. That is the subject the FACTS were posted about. A recall is not proof the system worked. It is a notice, sent after the fact, usually by the company that failed, telling you that something already went wrong and you may have eaten it. Calling this a good year for recalls is not a defense of the FDA. It is an insult to the people counted in it. ### Sprouts tied to outbreak in Minnesota, Wisconsin and possibly other states URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/sprouts-tied-to-outbreak-in-minnesota-wisconsin-and-possibly-other-states/ Last updated: 2026-08-22T00:58:11.000Z Officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella and/or E. coli infections traced to alfalfa sprouts. As of Aug. 19 there are 23 patients in Minnesota and 18 in Wisconsin, according to the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture. The officials say the outbreak may also stretch into other states. Consumers are being urged to not eat Calco or Everything Sprouts brand alfalfa sprouts. The illnesses have been linked to eating alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota grower, and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores. Health officials recommend people check for alfalfa sprouts from Calco or Everything Sprouts, not eat them, and throw them away. According to a statement from the health department by a spokesperson to **Food Safety News**, a recall has not yet been initiated. A spokesperson with the state agriculture department said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would be the entity to work with the company on a recall. The FDA did not immediately respond to questions from **Food Safety News**. The patients in Minnesota became ill between July 8 and Aug. 8 with Salmonella and/or various strains of E. coli. Two people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported. Minnesota officials did not provide specific details on the Wisconsin patients and that state had not issued a statement on the outbreak as of 6 p.m. EDT. Officials from both states have been working with the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other states on the outbreak investigation. Approximately 1,000 Salmonella infections and 85 STEC infections with the serogroups associated with this outbreak are reported each year in Minnesota. There are likely many more people sick in the current outbreak than the patient counts reflect. This is because some patients do not seek treatment and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella or E. coli. Also, there is lag time between when patients are seen by medical providers and when test results are reported to state officials. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. For E. coli outbreaks, there between 29 and 106 patients who go undetected, depending on what strain of the bacteria has infected them. **About E. coli infections** Food contaminated with E. Coli does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Jalapeño Salmonella outbreak grows to 431 sick in 32 states; illnesses ran into August and the grower is still unnamed URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/jalapeno-salmonella-outbreak-grows-to-431-sick-in-32-states-illnesses-ran-into-august-and-the-grower-is-still-unnamed/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T22:05:36.000Z The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 19 raised the count in the *Salmonella* Javiana outbreak linked to fresh jalapeño peppers to [431 illnesses in 32 states](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/javiana-08-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with 57 hospitalizations and no deaths. Illnesses now start on dates running from June 19 through Aug. 2, 2026, 13 days later than the agency had previously reported. The peppers were grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors of San Diego. The grower itself has still not been named. The Food and Drug Administration's [outbreak advisory](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-jalapeno-august-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com), last updated Aug. 14, still lists 345 illnesses in 27 states. **The outbreak grew by 86 cases and five states** The counts had been frozen since Aug. 5 at 345 illnesses in 27 states with 36 hospitalizations. CDC's Aug. 19 update adds 86 cases, 21 hospitalizations and five states: Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Hospitalizations now stand at 57 among the 376 patients for whom that information is available, or 15 percent. The earlier figure was 36 of 291, or 12 percent. Patients range in age from under 1 to 85 years, with a median age of 30, and 62 percent are female. CDC cautions that the true number of illnesses is likely much higher than the number reported, because many people recover without medical care and are never tested, and that the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. **Illnesses continued after both restaurant chains pulled the peppers** CDC also revised the end of the epidemic curve. The agency had reported the last illness onset as July 20\. It now reports onsets running through Aug. 2. Chipotle Mexican Grill switched jalapeño suppliers for affected stores beginning July 20, and QDOBA stopped using jalapeños entirely on July 28\. *Salmonella* symptoms typically begin six hours to six days after exposure, which places the meals behind the last illnesses in the final days of July, after both chains had acted. CDC and FDA both say they do not consider the two chains to pose a current ongoing risk to consumers. CDC has not published an explanation for the later illnesses. The agency notes that recent illnesses may not yet be reported and that it usually takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak. Interview data shifted in the same direction, with reported meal dates now running through July 16, where they previously ended July 14. **Interviews still point overwhelmingly at Mexican-style restaurants** Of 224 people interviewed, 203, or 91 percent, reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming ill, including Chipotle and QDOBA. Investigators have identified 28 illness clusters at Chipotle and QDOBA locations across eight states, up from 27 clusters in seven states. The ingredients most commonly reported were jalapeño peppers, red onion, cilantro and avocado. Whole genome sequencing found no predicted antimicrobial resistance in samples from 428 patients. Samples from three people carried predicted resistance to one or more of nine antibiotics, including azithromycin, ceftriaxone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and one of those samples was also predicted to be nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin. **Six companies and USDA have now issued recalls or alerts** FDA identified a common grower in Sinaloa through traceback and recommended that Coast Citrus Distributors recall the implicated product. Every downstream recall since has cited those peppers. FDA has posted no recall notice from Coast Citrus itself; the company's recall is described only in the agency's advisory text, and it does not appear in the advisory's recall list or its useful links. | **Company (notice date)** | **What was recalled** | **Where it went** | **Dates** | | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Coast Citrus Distributors (described by FDA Aug. 5) | Fresh jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico | Wholesalers, restaurants and food service companies nationwide | No company notice posted | | Taylor Fresh Foods (Aug. 9) | 20 refrigerated items — salsas, dips, guacamole, pico de gallo, sandwiches, burritos, salads | 26 states; Hannaford, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Target, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Whole Foods | Best if used by through Aug. 16 | | Whole Foods Market (Aug. 12) | 43 items prepared in the chain's own Produce and Prepared Foods departments | 12 states and online | Best before Aug. 7–16 | | NatureBest Precut & Produce (Aug. 14) | 18 NatureBest- and H-E-B-brand items — pico de gallo, diced jalapeños, stuffed mushrooms, soup mix | Texas and Louisiana | Distributed July 3–Aug. 5; best by through Aug. 15 | | Salata Dressings (Aug. 14) | Jalapeño Avocado Dressing, 12-ounce bottles | H-E-B stores in Texas | Sold July 13–Aug. 5 | | Dairyland Produce, dba Hardie's Fresh Foods (Aug. 17) | Five-pound bags of whole jalapeños, seven lot codes | Two Costco business centers, in Stafford and Dallas, Texas | Production dates July 11–22 | | USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (Aug. 8) | Public health alert covering 18 meat and poultry products made with the jalapeños | Nationwide | Alert 08082026-01 | *Sources: FDA and FSIS recall notices and public health alert, as of Aug. 20, 2026.* Notices are posted for [Taylor Fresh Foods](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-products-made-jalapeno-peppers-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [Whole Foods Market](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/whole-foods-market-announces-recall-select-salsas-guacamole-pico-de-gallo-and-prepared-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [NatureBest](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/naturebest-precut-produce-llc-voluntarily-recalls-products-containing-jalapenos-due-potential?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [Salata Dressings](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/recall-jalapeno-avocado-dressing-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [Hardie's Fresh Foods](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hardies-fresh-foods-recalls-jalapenos-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com). FSIS has published its [alert](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-various-meat-and-poultry-products-containing-fda-0?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and a [product list](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/distro%5Flist/2026-08/PHA-08082026-01-product-list%5F1.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **FDA's advisory is running behind its own recall page** The advisory's downstream recall list names NatureBest, Whole Foods Market and Taylor Fresh Foods, plus the FSIS alert. The Salata and Hardie's recalls, both published on [FDA's recall page](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts?ref=foodsafetynews.com), are not on it. The advisory's case counts, its 27-state list and its stated last illness onset of July 20 also predate the CDC update. The advisory's "Stores affected" section still states that Coast Citrus does not appear to supply jalapeños directly to grocery stores. The next sentence names eight retail banners that received products made with the peppers: Hannaford, H-E-B, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Target, Trader Joe's, Walmart and Whole Foods. CDC's page names 13, adding Albertsons, RaceTrac, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Wawa. The Hardie's recall covers whole peppers in bags on a Costco shelf. FDA says the investigation is ongoing and that the advisory will be updated as additional information becomes available. **The grower has still not been identified** Both agencies describe the source the same way, as a common grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplies Coast Citrus. Neither has named it. FDA says Coast Citrus is no longer importing from that grower. Taylor Fresh Foods says it is no longer sourcing from "this farmer" and is filling orders from alternative suppliers. Under the FDA Food Traceability Rule, produce including peppers will carry lot-level records through the supply chain, but the compliance date has been pushed to July 2028. **What consumers should do** Recalled items carry best-by dates that in some cases ran into mid-August, so product may still be in home refrigerators. Consumers should check for the recalled products, throw them out or return them for a refund, and wash and sanitize surfaces and containers the peppers or products may have touched. Most people infected with *Salmonella* develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps six hours to six days after exposure, and most recover in four to seven days without treatment. Children under 5, adults 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness. CDC advises anyone with a fever above 102 degrees, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improvement, vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down or signs of dehydration to contact a health care provider. CDC lists the investigation status as open and FDA lists it as ongoing. Case counts and recall lists in this report reflect the federal record as of Aug. 20, 2026. ### Publisher’s Platform: The President Has Nominated Dr. Heidi Overton to Run FDA. She Would Inherit the Largest Cyclospora Outbreak Ever Recorded, and Here Is the To-Do List I Would Put on Her Desk. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-the-president-has-nominated-dr-heidi-overton-to-run-fda-she-would-inherit-the-largest-cyclospora-outbreak-ever-recorded-and-here-is-the-to-do-list-i-would-put-on-her/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T05:11:20.000Z President Trump [announced on Wednesday](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-picks-white-house-aide-dr-heidi-overton-to-lead-fda?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that he will nominate Dr. Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, as the next Commissioner of Food and Drugs. If the Senate confirms her, she inherits an agency that [as of Monday](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) was counting 15,716 laboratory-confirmed *Cyclospora* infections, 828 hospitalizations and two deaths, with 11,841 more reports still being worked through, plus open investigations into jalapeños and shell eggs. I wish her well. Now here is the desk. A word about what this is not. Her confirmation will be fought over the abortion pill and the childhood vaccine schedule. Senator Cassidy, who chairs the committee that has to move her, has already said he has [strong concerns](https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-picks-dr-heidi-overton-top-fda-job/story?id=135777387&ref=foodsafetynews.com). That argument belongs to people who know those subjects better than I do, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. My interest is the other half of the agency, the half that regulates roughly eighty percent of what Americans eat. My prediction is that her hearing runs three hours without one question about lettuce. She arrives without a food background. Food Safety Magazine [said so the day the news broke](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11743-trump-to-nominate-dr-heidi-overton-for-next-fda-commissioner?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and it is not an insult. Almost nobody arrives with one. Marty Makary did not have one. Scott Gottlieb did not have one. What is different is the timing. She would take the job in the middle of the largest outbreak of this parasite this country has ever recorded, in an agency that has been losing senior people all year, with no permanent head named for the human foods program, and with the acting commissioner reported to have been offered the permanent job more than once and to have said no each time. That is the building. On August 7 I published [fifteen things FDA and CDC could do](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-i-have-been-told-i-am-too-hard-on-industry-and-on-the-government-here-are-fifteen-things-fda-and-cdc-could-do-about-cyclospora/) about this outbreak, sorted by how long each one takes. Five of them belong to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and to nobody else. These are the five, and they do not require an act of Congress, an appropriation, or a single change of heart at the White House. 1\. Say who runs food and say it in the first week. The human foods program has been led by an acting commissioner who was simultaneously running the whole agency. Food is not a portfolio that survives being somebody’s second job. Name a deputy commissioner for human foods, give the position a public calendar, and let the country see who answers when a parasite turns up in a salad. 2\. Grant the Stop Foodborne Illness citizen petition on naming companies. It has been pending since February, and it comes from a nonprofit that parents of children killed by contaminated food built in 1993, the same year I started this work. When a food makes people sick, the public should learn which company grew it, which company processed it and which company sold it, not a letter of the alphabet. Produce very often carries no brand at all, which is why the disclosure has to reach the processor and the grower, not just the retailer with its name on the bag. 3\. Say what is in the clusters the agency cannot explain. CDC now says on its own public page that it and FDA are looking [at least six other clusters](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of this parasite whose sources have not been confirmed. Those files sit in a table with hundreds of sick people in them and no food named beside any of them. Somebody should be able to say out loud what has been ruled out, what is still being chased, and why none of it has produced an answer. 4\. Put the traceability rule back on the calendar. FSMA section 204 was written to let investigators follow a head of lettuce back to a field in days instead of weeks, and its compliance date now sits in 2028\. Every argument for the delay assumed there would not be a summer like this one. There was a summer like this one. 5\. Name this parasite in the pre-harvest agricultural water rule and go look at the water. The only numeric microbial criterion growers must meet is generic *E. coli*, and the agency’s own [action plan and testing methods](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclospora-prevention-response-and-research-action-plan?ref=foodsafetynews.com)acknowledge that indicator testing will not find *Cyclospora*. We are requiring the wrong test and treating the result as a safeguard. In 2013, after the last big outbreak traced to the same region of Mexico, FDA said it would sample the water. Somebody should find out whether that ever happened. The contamination happened in a field in central Mexico in the spring, and no memorandum signed in College Park in September reaches backward. What they would have done is make this summer shorter, smaller and legible. And not one of the five is partisan. The traceability rule was written under one administration and delayed under two. There is a sixth thing, and it is not on the list because it is not a policy. It is a practice, and I have been asking for it since 1993\. Spend an hour with somebody this happened to. Not a briefing, not a listening session, not a roundtable with the trade associations in the other chairs. An hour with one of the 828 people hospitalized this summer, or with the family of one of the two who died. I [asked the Secretary for that hour in June](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/an-open-letter-to-secretary-kennedy-you-met-the-ceos-the-parents-are-still-waiting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) about a different outbreak and different families, and as far as I can tell it has not happened. I am asking the next Commissioner before she is sworn in, when her calendar is the emptiest it will ever be. I have watched commissioners arrive since 1993, each with an agenda, and I have outlasted every one of them. That is not a boast. It is the problem, and it is the reason I am writing this the day the name came out rather than the day something goes wrong. The last acting commissioner spent August [telling Americans to feel confident about lettuce](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-on-the-day-cdc-confirmed-13-895-cyclospora-cases-the-acting-fda-commissioner-told-americans-to-feel-confident-about-lettuce-we-need-leadership-not-cheerleaders/) while the count went up. Confidence is not a thing you can hand out. It is a thing you earn back. The five items cost a memorandum apiece. The hour costs an hour. Take the hour first, and the other five will write themselves. ### Cheese and lettuce behind French Cryptosporidium outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cheese-and-lettuce-behind-french-cryptosporidium-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T04:03:14.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Eggs blamed in Chinese Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/eggs-blamed-in-chinese-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T04:01:43.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher’s Platform: California Lettuce Was Never Implicated. California Growers Plowed Under a Third of the Crop Anyway. Here Is What the Trade Associations, Washington and the Rest of Us Can Actually Do About It. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-california-lettuce-was-never-implicated-california-growers-plowed-under-a-third-of-the-crop-anyway-here-is-what-the-trade-associations-washington-and-the-rest-of-us-/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T16:04:39.000Z The California Farm Bureau published a piece by Caleb Hampton this morning and it says the quiet part plainly. [California lettuce was never implicated in this outbreak](https://www.agalert.com/california-ag-news/archives/august-19-2026/cyclospora-fallout-hits-california-farmers/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The recall covered seventeen days of shredded iceberg from one Taylor Farms facility in Guanajuato. Mexico ships very little lettuce north in the summer. Nearly all of it comes off the Central Coast, and the Central Coast is where the loss landed. Growers destroyed about a third of the lettuce standing ready to harvest. Dick Peixoto of Lakeside Organic Gardens in Watsonville told Ag Alert that his farm has about as much to do with Taylor Farms bagged salads as it does with Oscar Mayer wieners, and he spent the past few weeks laying off harvest crews and plowing his lettuce under anyway. Ryan Kelly at Boutonnet Farms in Salinas says the collapse has erased his entire profit margin for the year and cancelled his October orders. The Salinas vegetable season draws tens of thousands of people into harvesting, processing and trucking, and Kelly says it is going to be very painful for that community. The measured version. Iceberg sales fell 25.4 percent and prepacked salads 34.2 percent between July 18 and August 8, with all fresh produce down 9.9 percent and strawberries, blackberries and raspberries down 14.7, 16.4 and 28.1 percent. Berries have nothing to do with this outbreak. Dave Puglia of Western Growers says the early speculation landed on them anyway. California lettuce sales were about $3.7 billion in 2024. I have written this before, under the title [Reap What You Sow](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-reap-what-you-sow/). Traceability is not a tax on the innocent. It is the only thing that protects them. When you can name the grower in a day, one farm takes the loss. When you cannot, the whole category takes it. You cannot lobby away the pathogen. You can only lobby away the ability to find it, and when you succeed you do not stop being blamed. You just lose the evidence that would have cleared you. The growers in this piece say it is the worst crisis of consumer confidence since the 2006 spinach outbreak, and 2006 is the right comparison, because 2006 produced the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement: voluntary, covering virtually all of California commercial production, with food safety rules, mandatory audits and, in its own words, traceback and recall protocols. Growers built that themselves, unbidden, because they understood after 2006 that reputation in this business is collective. Then other parts of the industry [asked Congress to push the federal version to 2028](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/who-asked-congress-to-delay-the-food-traceability-rule-their-own-filings-name-them-and-the-members-who-wrote-the-bill-sit-on-the-subcommittee-that-funds-the-fda/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and got a funding prohibition that stops FDA from enforcing a rule that is already law, [fifteen and a half years](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/congress-told-the-fda-to-write-the-food-traceability-rule-by-january-2013-enforcement-now-begins-in-july-2028-here-is-how-fifteen-and-a-half-years-went-by/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) after Congress ordered it written. Here is the opening. Puglia says the outbreak showed there is a need to open the doors wider and give consumers greater visibility into the food safety practices and standards the industry has developed. I agree with him and I am going to take him at his word. His own organization has De Ann Davis on the record saying Western Growers supports the traceability rule, and [Joelle Mosso on the record](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/joelle-mosso-wants-better-risk-communication-the-fastest-way-to-get-it-is-the-food-traceability-rule-that-got-pushed-to-2028/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking for better risk communication. Three voices, one association, one door. One disclosure. My firm represents people sickened in this outbreak and we have filed cases naming Taylor Farms entities as defendants. You should know where I sit. Let me end somewhere better than where I usually do. I made a version of this list in July and [a longer one on the seventh of this month](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-i-have-been-told-i-am-too-hard-on-industry-and-on-the-government-here-are-fifteen-things-fda-and-cdc-could-do-about-cyclospora/), and I am going to make it again, because the *Cyclospora* season is not over. **The trade associations.** This is the ask I most want heard, because you can move tomorrow without anyone’s permission. LGMA wrote traceback and recall protocols into a voluntary agreement in 2007 and has said almost nothing publicly since the middle of July. Say something. Say that the federal rule your members already largely satisfy should take effect on the original schedule and put a *Cyclospora* specific water standard into the metrics instead of waiting for FDA. The International Fresh Produce Association went on the record against the delays and should repeat that to the appropriations subcommittee, in writing, by name. Western Growers has three officers pointing the same way and should make it association policy. The Food Industry Association and the National Grocers Association applauded the delay; the category you were protecting just lost a third of a crop, and withdrawing that ask would cost you nothing but the admission. The National Restaurant Association already tells its own members that washing cannot guarantee removal of this parasite, which is an argument for finding the lot faster, and it should say so where it counts. **Growers, shippers and buyers.** Treat the water and validate the treatment against the right organism. The leafy greens metrics [already require](https://www.wga.com/news/new-water-management-standards-for-leafy-greens/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) growers using surface water for overhead irrigation to treat it within 21 days of harvest, but the treatment is scored against generic *E. coli*, and FDA says in [its own voice](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that chlorine does not work against *Cyclospora* and that indicator testing will not find it. Add human specific markers so you know when human waste is in your irrigation source. Build the lot level records now rather than in 2028; Kroger already told its suppliers to be ready, and any large buyer can require traceability by contract tomorrow morning without help from Congress. Extend field sanitation to every crew, not only operations with eleven or more hand laborers. And publish the audit results, which was Puglia’s idea, not mine. **FDA and CDC.** Name *Cyclospora* in the agricultural water rule, where the only numeric microbial criterion in [Subpart E](https://www.fda.gov/media/164540/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is generic *E. coli*. Finish the internal product tracing system Section 204 ordered built in 2011 and that GAO reported in January still does not exist. Fund validated detection methods, because nearly every inactivation study in the literature rides on a surrogate organism. Put this organism on the [National Wastewater Surveillance System](https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) panel, which already draws on about 1,500 sites and does not include it. Restore the reporting that [became optional on July 1, 2025](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com). And keep this month’s changes: the new section on the clusters nobody can explain, and the epidemiologic curve, are real improvements. **Public health, and the people who actually do this work.** State and local agencies perform about half of all food processing facility inspections, ninety percent of produce safety inspections and every retail inspection in this country, and they are also the ones who pick up the phone and ask a sick person what they ate. Michigan interviewed more than 2,900 people to get where it got. Attribution in this outbreak is built out of interviews and nothing else, which means the speed of the answer is a direct function of how many people are available to ask the question. On July 1, 2025, the national surveillance network went from eight pathogens to two, and *Cyclospora* was one of the six dropped. Twelve months later the largest outbreak of it in American history began. The first illness started on June 14 and the food was not named until July 17, and every week in that gap was a week of product still moving. Fund the surveillance, fund the state and local investigators, and fund the labs behind them. Faster work is not a nicety here. It is the difference between a cluster and thirty thousand people. **And one structural thing.** When it is over, somebody has to be able to say why it happened. Frank Yiannas has been arguing for an independent board, modeled on the one that investigates airplane crashes, to find the root cause of foodborne outbreaks and publish it. [I have written about why he is right](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-frank-yiannas-wants-an-independent-board-to-investigate-foodborne-outbreaks-set-the-airplanes-aside-fda-wrote-the-right-recommendation-about-this-lettuce-in-2013-and/), and about the part of it that has nothing to do with airplanes. In 2013 FDA investigated this same parasite at this same facility in this same growing region, and wrote the correct recommendation: find out whether *Cyclospora* is a reasonably likely hazard there, and if it is, re-evaluate the wash step. Nobody was ever assigned to answer it. Thirteen years later we are here again, and the reason is not that the investigators did poor work. It is that there was no addressee, no clock and nobody tracking whether anything happened next. **Congress.** Strike the funding prohibition. The rule exists and is law; Congress has simply forbidden the agency to spend a dollar enforcing it until the summer of 2028\. Fund the sequencing that would let investigators tell one cluster from another. And rebuild something like the Microbiological Data Program, which cost about five million dollars a year, ran 120,887 samples in 42 states and triggered 23 produce recalls in its last two years before it was zeroed out in 2012\. That is the cheapest trip wire this industry will ever be offered. **Consumers.** I am not going to tell you to wash your lettuce harder, because it does not work. The useful things are different. If you have had watery diarrhea for more than a few days, see a doctor and ask for a stool test or a gastrointestinal panel, because most of these cases are never confirmed and an outbreak is only as visible as the tests somebody ordered. If a health department calls, answer every question about what you ate, because attribution here is built out of interviews and nothing else. And ask your grocer who grew it. People are already doing that at farmers markets, paying a premium for traceability while Washington defunds the rule that would supply it. **Final Ask.** One more thing that is not on any list, for the people in government and industry who make these decisions. Sit down with a family whose child spent the summer in a hospital. It changes what the numbers mean. None of this requires anyone to admit fault. It requires treating the ability to find the source as insurance rather than expense, because the growers who plowed under a third of their crop this month were insured by nothing at all. Fix the finding and one farm takes the loss instead of ninety percent of the lettuce. Do that and you put me out of the fresh fruit and vegetable business, and I would go gladly. ### Belgian Salmonella outbreak climbs to 300 cases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/belgian-salmonella-outbreak-climbs-to-300-cases/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T04:05:26.000Z Hundreds of people have fallen sick in a Salmonella outbreak in Belgium traced to eggs. The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) confirmed to **Food Safety News** that 300 people are ill in the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak, up from 236 in May. Patients range in age from less than 1 to 96 years old with women making up 45 percent of cases. Symptoms included vomiting and diarrhea. The patients fell sick between Feb. 19, 2025, and July 25, 2026\. There is a delay of a few weeks representing the time needed to send samples to the lab and perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis, so more recent cases could still be reported. Laerco BV issued a second withdrawal and recall of eggs in August stamped with certain codes because of the possible presence of Salmonella. The first recall was in May. Affected codes are "2-BE-1073-01", "2-BE-1073-02", "2-BE-1073-03" and "2-BE-1073-04." After laying, eggs must be delivered to the consumer within 28 days, so the latest affected date is September 4. In May, contamination was confined to a single poultry house, and restrictions were applied only to that unit. Recently, Salmonella was detected in another poultry house at the same site, so measures have been extended to the entire facility. In the initial incident, Salmonella was found in a dust sample taken from a Laerco chicken coop and subsequent analysis revealed it was the same type detected in patients. According to a Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notification, the eggs were also distributed to France, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Overton expected to be next FDA commissioner URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/overton-expected-to-be-next-fda-commissioner/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T04:04:46.000Z President Trump is expected to nominate Dr. Heidi Overton to head the Food and Drug Administration, according to a source close to the story. Overton is currently Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Previously she was chief policy officer and vice chair for the Center for a Healthy America at the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute. She will succeed acting chief Kyle Diamantas who was appoint to the post on an interim basis following Marty Makary's resignation. Recently, Overton served as a White House Fellow in 2019-2020 in both the Office of American Innovation and the Domestic Policy Council. She is board-certified in public health and general preventive medicine. Overton does not have any experience with food policy or the food industry. Previously, Overton was a general surgery resident at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a physician advocate for price and quality transparency in healthcare through Restoring Medicine. During medical school, Overton was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez to serve on the University of New Mexico Board of Regents, which included fiduciary and full-voting responsibilities for all business and clinical operations of the university and health system. Overton graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Health, Medicine, and Human Values from University of New Mexico’s Combined BA/MD Program, received her medical degree from the UNM School of Medicine, and obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. The news of Overton's impending nomination was first reported by Bloomberg News. ### UK reports Salmonella outbreak with 200 sick and one dead URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/uk-reports-salmonella-outbreak-with-200-sick-and-one-dead/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T07:42:32.000Z More than 200 people have been sickened across the United Kingdom in a Salmonella outbreak and one person has died. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there are 207 confirmed cases between Aug. 11, 2025, and Aug. 1, 2026, with the majority in July. Testing has revealed patient samples are closely related, indicating a common source of contamination. A total of 199 patients live in England, six are from Scotland while Wales and Northern Ireland both have one case each. London has the most people sick with 47 while 38 are from Yorkshire and Humber. Cases range from less than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30\. Across all age groups, 105 are female. Overall, 38 percent of people with information available were admitted to hospitals with salmonellosis symptoms and two people had a bloodstream infection. There has also been one death. The Gastrointestinal Infections, Food Safety and One Health (GIFSOH) division at the UKHSA identified an increase in cases of Salmonella Enteritidis in late May caused by a single strain using whole genome sequencing (WGS) data. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) EpiPulse platform was used to notify countries of the outbreak, and several EU member states have reported genetically related cases. **Link to eating out and eggs** The outbreak investigation involves public health and food safety agencies across the UK, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Only six people reported going to countries outside the UK before getting sick. So far, 114 cases have been interviewed and have completed a questionnaire. This found 95 people had eaten food prepared outside the home in the week prior to symptom onset. Patient interviews revealed five food businesses where two or more cases reported going to in the week before getting sick. These companies link 24 cases. Eleven of them reported eating dishes made with eggs. Investigations have identified that these sites are supplied with eggs from multiple sources, including importers. Local investigations have also found possible cross-contamination risks. There is no link to UK-produced eggs or poultry. The current incident could be connected to an outbreak from 2025 linked to imported eggs. At least 123 people fell sick between May and October 2025. Hannah Charles, lead epidemiologist, gastrointestinal infections at UKHSA, said theoutbreak may be linked to imported eggs. “Salmonellosis is often caused by eating or handling contaminated food and can be spread rarely from person-to-person. Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever,” she said. “There are simple steps to prevent the spread of Salmonella: wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing and handling food, cook food thoroughly, and if you have any symptoms, avoid handling food for others where possible.” Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council, said the group has repeatedly raised concerns about the risks associated with imported eggs and egg products with the government. “It is deeply concerning that imported eggs are once again under scrutiny in connection with a serious Salmonella outbreak. British Lion egg producers have invested heavily in world-leading food safety controls, including mandatory Salmonella vaccination, traceability and independent auditing, yet increasing volumes of imports produced under less stringent regulations continue to arrive," he said. “There must be a level playing field. Imported eggs and egg products entering the UK should meet standards equivalent to those expected of British producers if we are serious about protecting British consumers. Food businesses and caterers should not have to compromise on food safety when sourcing eggs." **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### The last mile of a food safety recall: It is not complete until consumers are protected URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/the-last-mile-of-a-food-safety-recall-it-is-not-complete-until-consumers-are-protected/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T04:01:44.000Z Imagine being the parent of an infant and learning that the baby formula in your home may be associated with a life-threatening illness. You rush to the pantry and begin looking for which product codes are associated with a recall notice web site, and you can’t find the codes. Perhaps the container has already been discarded but you know you have used that brand. Perhaps you never even heard about the recall until after the product had been consumed and you’re at the hospital with your sick infant. In June 2026, Nara Organics recalled all lots of its powdered infant formula after FDA investigated four confirmed cases of infant botulism among infants who had consumed the product. The recall was announced quickly, but issuing a recall and reaching every household that may still possess the product are not the same thing. That distinction is not theoretical. During a the ByHeart infant formula recall, FDA found recalled product [remaining on retail shelves after retailers had already been notified](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-infant-formula-november-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The FDA, along with state and local partners, [conducted over 4,000 checks at retail locations](https://www.fda.gov/food/recalls-outbreaks-emergencies/fda-calls-food-industry-leaders-strengthen-recall-compliance-and-ensure-recall-effectiveness?ref=foodsafetynews.com) across the country following the [recall of infant formula](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/byheart-updates-information-regarding-voluntary-recall-all-batches-byheart-whole-nutrition-infant?ref=foodsafetynews.com) related to an outbreak of infant botulism. During these checks, they discovered that recalled product remained available for sale at over 175 retail locations across 36 states. In one case, recalled product remained available for sale over three weeks after the recall was initiated, and in another case, the recalled product was offered at a discounted price, with the promotional period beginning five days after the recall had been expanded to include all infant formula products from the manufacturer in question. In several cases, recalled product returned by consumers was placed back on shelves. The FDA stated that these preventable situations placed America’s most vulnerable population—infants, for whom infant formula is often a sole source of nutrition—at continued risk of serious illness. FDA [issued warning letters](https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/compliance-actions-and-activities/warning-letters?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in December 2025 to several retailers citing failures to effectuate the recall of adulterated infant formula at their retail locations. If a recalled product can remain in commerce in retail grocery shelves or available online after a recall begins, it can certainly remain in consumers' pantries, freezers, vacation homes, and the homes of grandparents or other caregivers. Prior to this during the [Boars Head Listeria outbreak in 2024](https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), there were multiple complaints of recalled food stored in consumers homes and consumed after a recall notice, as evidenced by [class actions filed in early August 2024](https://milberg.com/news/boars-head-deli-meat-class-action-lawsuit/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and a subsequent [individual injury lawsuit](https://nypost.com/2024/08/02/business/queens-woman-files-class-action-suit-against-boars-head-over-deli-meat-recall-linked-to-listeria-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com); in both cases attorneys argued that Boar’s Head’s recall was "designed to reach very few people". The lawsuits stated that normal everyday consumers did not receive direct text alerts, emails, or clear in-store signage, leading them to consume products already in their refrigerators weeks after the media broadcasted the notice A recall may have been initiated, publicized, and reported by the industry and government regulators. Yet from the consumer's perspective and the public health, it has failed if they are not aware and the dangerous product is still consumed after the recall notice. **The measure we are missing** [FDA guidance](https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/initiation-voluntary-recalls-under-21-cfr-part-7-subpart-c?ref=foodsafetynews.com) describes recall effectiveness primarily as verification that recall communications reached direct consignees and that those distribution and retail businesses understood and followed the recall instructions. This includes requirements for [public warning. ](https://www.fda.gov/media/71814/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) The FDA provides [specific guidance](https://www.fda.gov/media/110457/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to assist and provide recommendations to industry and FDA staff regarding the use, content, and circumstances for issuance of public warnings and public notifications for firm-initiated or FDA-requested recalls. These procedures are essential for controlling product within the commercial distribution chain. However, the regulations do not create any legal obligation for newspapers, television stations, radio stations, internet news sites, trade publications, or social media platforms to republish that information. They also don’t routinely measure whether the consumer who ultimately purchased the product had received the communication, or confirmed the actions recommended, or whether it was consumed after the recall announcement. There does not appear to be a routinely published national measure of the percentage of recalled food successfully removed from consumers' homes. That absence represents a public-health blind spot. The government and industry measure recall execution far better than recall effectiveness. **The last mile of a food safety recall** The food industry is investing heavily in the traceability of ingredients from suppliers through manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales and service due to [pending FDA requirements](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Yet traceability requirements end at the checkout counter or restaurant. The last mile of a food safety recall (**Figure 1**) is the final, often unmeasured, step between identifying a recalled product in commerce, and alerting a consumer to avoid consumption. Consumer notification and verification of receipt should become a formal component of every recall plan rather than an activity that relies primarily on voluntary media (broadcast and social) coverage or industry and government websites. **The technology already exists** This is not a technology problem. Several grocery brands have publicly described systems that notify customers who may have purchased recalled products using email and register receipt messages. Some have used membership purchase records to send recall notices directly to members whose purchase histories indicate they bought the recalled product. Some also communicate recalls through direct email using online ordering purchase-history information supporting customer communications. However membership requirements often preclude these individual methods from reaching all the likely customers of a recalled product. The next generation of recall notifications to consumers should include the means for the consumer to quickly confirm if a product in their home has been recalled and/or provide notification of purchase specific product possession in cases where the product packaging is no longer available. For example, if all high risk packaged food products like infant formula had product lot specific QR codes that the consumer could scan themselves, and the QR codes were linked to the product manufacturer’s website that quickly informed the customer not to use the product during a recall (and perhaps included instructions for replacement), consumers could check the safety of a product quickly. To cover gaps when product packaging has been discarded but the consumer knows they have already consumed a product, voluntary digital pantry applications or mobile apps that automatically compare products purchased (e.g., via scanning QR codes) against recall databases via voluntary registration of purchase history for higher-risk products such as infant formula could be additionally helpful. Even a voluntary registration into a national Amber Alert system (e.g., parents or caregivers who purchase infant formula) would be better than the current state of recall communications. Instead of consumers searching for recall information about a product they have purchased, recall information should search for consumers. **Recall efffectiveness index might encourage government and industry innovation and action** The government should establish a Recall Effectiveness Index (REI) as an industry performance metric. Rather than measuring only how quickly a recall was initiated, the REI would evaluate: (1) identification of affected products and volume of sales at retail; (2) speed of consumer notification; (3) percentage of identifiable purchasers successfully reached; (4) consumer action and product removal; and (5) public-health outcomes, including illnesses occurring after recall initiation. What gets measured gets managed. If recall effectiveness is never measured at the consumer level, the last mile will remain the weakest part of the recall system and continue to lead to illnesses and deaths from previously recalled food products. **Doing the right thing** Food companies possess sophisticated capabilities to communicate with customers before a purchase through advertising, loyalty programs, mobile applications, and digital marketing. Those same capabilities should be used when protecting public health. If companies can find customers to sell them food, they should make every reasonable effort to find those same customers when a product may place them at risk. That is more than regulatory compliance—it is corporate responsibility. Food safety does not end when contaminated product leaves the manufacturing facility, nor when a recall press release is issued. It ends only when recalled food is no longer capable of harming consumers. Companies, retailers, regulators, and technology providers already possess many of the tools needed to close the last mile of a food safety recall. The next step is to make direct consumer notification and verification an expected component of every high-risk recall. A recall should not be considered successful simply because a press release was issued. It should be considered successful only after every reasonable effort has been made to identify affected consumers, and notify them promptly so they can remove dangerous products from their homes. That is what consumers expect—and it is the right thing to do. ### Frozen fruit bars recalled after consumers find glass pieces URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/frozen-fruit-bars-recalled-after-consumers-find-glass-pieces/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T03:48:38.000Z Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. is recalling select flavors of Outshine Fruit Bars because of consumer complaints about contamination with glass. Products affected include Outshine Strawberry, Watermelon, Grape, Tangerine and Black Cherry 6-Count 2.5 ounce Fruit Bars and the Outshine 24-Count 2.5 ounce Variety Pack Fruit Bars. The products were distributed to retailers nationwide. Dreyer’s is taking this action following consumer reports of glass found in the product. No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider immediately. Consumers who have purchased the affected product should dispose of it or return it to their place of purchase for a full refund. For photos of the implicated products, [click here](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/updated-dreyers-grand-ice-cream-inc-issues-voluntary-recall-select-outshine-fruit-bars-due-possible?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The following products are subject to recall: | **Product Packaging** | **Batch Code/Best Before** **Date** | **UPC** | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | | See Image Below | Batch code/ Best Before (bottom of package):LLA616903 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617003 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617103 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617203 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617303 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617403 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617503 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA617603 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA620303 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620403 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620503 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620603 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620703 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620803 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620903 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA621003 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA621103 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA621203 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA621303 – 30 NOV 2027 LLA621403 – 30 NOV 2027 LLA621503 – 30 NOV 2027 LLA621603 – 30 NOV 2027 | See Image Below | | See Image Below | Batch code/ Best Before (bottom of package): LLA616803 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA616903 – 30 SEP 2027 LLA619703 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA619803 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA619903 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620003 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620103 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620203 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA620303 – 31 OCT 2027 | See Image Below | | See Image Below | Batch code/ Best Before (bottom of package): LLA617603 – 30 JUN 2027 LLA617703 – 30 JUN 2027 LLA617803 – 30 JUN 2027 LLA617903 – 30 JUN 2027 LLA618003 – 30 JUN 2027 LLA618103 – 30 JUN 2027 LLA618203 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618303 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618403 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618503 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619003 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619103 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619203 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619303 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619403 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619503 – 31 JUL 2027 | See Image Below | | See Image Below | Batch code/ Best Before (bottom of package): LLA618503 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618603 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618703 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618803 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA618903 – 31 JUL 2027 LLA619003 – 31 JUL 2027 | See Image Below | | See Image Below | Batch code/ Best Before (bottom of package): LLA619603 – 31 OCT 2027 LLA619703 – 31 OCT 2027 | See Image Below | | See Image Below | Batch code/ Best Before (bottom of package: LLA603840 – 31 MAY 2027 LLA605540 – 31 MAY 2027 LLA605640 – 31 MAY 2027 LLA605740 – 31 MAY 2027 LLA605940 – 31 MAY 2027 | See Image Below | ### CDC reports more than 1,800 additional Cyclospora patients in past week URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cdc-reports-more-than-1-800-additional-cyclospora-patients-in-past-week/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T20:29:38.000Z The number of patients in multiple outbreaks of Cyclospora infections continues to grow, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting more than 1,800 additional patients compared to a week ago. Since May 1, the CDC has received reports of 15,716 laboratory-confirmed reports of infections from the Cyclospora parasite. That is up from the 13,895 patients logged a week ago. The CDC is reporting at least 828 hospitalizations, with two patients having died in Michigan. The sick people are spread across 47 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. For comparison purposes, the CDC logged 1,180 cases of Cyclospora infections from May 1 through Aug. 31 in 2025. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/cyclospora-timeline-08-18-26.png) Timeline for illnesses in 2026 In addition to the 15,716 confirmed patients so far this year, the CDC is aware of another 11,841 patients who need lab work to confirm their infections. Also, there are likely many more patients who have not been identified at all because for every one person who is confirmed in a Cyclospora outbreak there are 83 who go completely undetected. This is because some don’t seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Cyclospora parasites. Of the patients identified so far, the people became sick in the United States and did not report any international travel during the 14 days before they became ill. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/cyclospora-map-08-18-26.png) They patients range in age from 1 to 99 years old, with a median age of 46, and 57 percent are female. The median illness onset date was July 7, with a range from May 1 to Aug. 13. The CDC is also tracking an outbreak of Cyclospora infections related to iceberg lettuce products from a Taylor Farms growing operation in Central Mexico. The most recent patient count in that outbreak has not been updated since last week. As of then there were 9,481 patients. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say washing produce will not remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. Also, chlorine will not kill the parasites. ### Jalapeno dressing recalled because of potential Salmonella contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/jalapeno-dressing-recalled-because-of-potential-salmonella-contamination/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T01:15:49.000Z Salata Dressings of Houston, TX, is recalling its Jalapeno Avocado Dressing because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were distributed in Texas HEB grocery stores between July 13 and Aug. 5. The recalled Jalapeno Avocado Dressing sold at HEB comes in 12-ounce plastic bottles with a black cap, with a Best By date of 11/05/2026, 11/13/2026, 11/18/2026, or 11/25/2026 located on at the top of the label. The affected ingredient was received across 4 lots, produced into finished product between 07/08/2026 and 07/29/2026. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the products affected in this recall. The recall was initiated by Salata Dressings after the company's supplier notified it that diced jalapeños used in the affected products may have been contaminated with Salmonella and possibly associated with a multistate outbreak that FDA is currently investigating. Upon receiving this notice, the company immediately identified all affected finished product, ceased further distribution, quarantined the product, destroyed the product and notified HEB immediately. The company did not include a product photo with its recall notice. ### Bread recalled after pallet nail found in product URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/bread-recalled-after-pallet-nail-found-in-product/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T01:06:41.000Z Grand Central Bakery of Seattle, WA, is recalling loaves of Potato Sourdough because they may contain the presence of pieces of metal. The following products are subject to recall and sold at grocery stores, select restaurants, wholesalers, and four Grand Central Bakery Café locations within Seattle and Tacoma Metro areas in Washington on Aug. 10. Grand Central Bakery café locations in Seattle area in WA: - Burien, Eastlake, Wallingford, Wedgewood Other grocery stores in Seattle/Tacoma area in WA: - Central Co-op - Fred Meyer Stores - Hilltop Red Apple - Ken's Markets - Marketime Foods - PCC Markets - QFC Stores - Town & Country Market - Thriftway Stores - Whole Foods Markets - Yakima Fruit Markets No injuries or illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The recall was initiated after a pallet nail was discovered in a loaf of Potato Sourdough Bread. If you have purchased any of these products please dispose of them. ### Almond spread recalled after allergic reaction reported URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/almond-spread-recalled-after-allergic-reaction-reported/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T00:52:21.000Z L-Nutra of Culver City, CA, is recalling Prolon brand Apulian Almond & Cocoa Spread because it contains undeclared cashew, pistachio and hazelnut. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to cashew, pistachio, and/or hazelnut run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. To date, L-Nutra has documented one confirmed allergic reaction associated with this product. The product was distributed via L-Nutra's e-commerce site, ProlonLife.com, either as a direct purchase or included in certain Prolon product bundles. Recalled product can be identified as follows: Prolon brand Apulian Almond & Cocoa Spread, packaged in 8.47-ounce (240g) glass jars with UPC 850040360530\. The recalled lot is L2755, and the expiration date is Jan. 2, 2027, which can be found on the jar cap, directly beneath the expiration date. The company did not include a product photo with its recall notice. The recall was initiated after testing confirmed the presence of undeclared tree nut allergens in product that did not disclose these ingredients on its label. The cause is still under investigation. At this time, Lot L2755 is the only lot known to be affected. Consumers who have the recalled product should stop consuming it immediately. ### Jalapenos recalled from Costco stores because of Salmonella URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/jalapenos-recalled-from-costco-stores-because-of-salmonella/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T00:40:04.000Z Dairyland Produce LLC, dba Hardie’s Fresh Foods of Houston, TX, and Dallas, TX, are recalling PEPPER JALAPENO 5#, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The Jalapenos were distributed to the following Costco locations: - Store #1487 at 12717 Network Drive, Stafford, TX - Store #0655 at 8282 Park Lane, Dallas, TX The affected jalapenos are in clear plastic bags with pink stick-on labels. Lot codes being recalled are: X2741775, X2741859, X2744163, X2744706, X2746349, X2746490, X2748743\. Production dates are: 26192 (07/11/26), 26196 (07/15/26), 26197 (07/16/26), 26199 (07/18/26), and 26203 (07/22/26). These jalapenos were repacked by Hardie’s Fresh Foods. Hardies’ Fresh Foods has ceased the production and distribution of the product. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Deadline looms for comments on regulation regarding food dye URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/deadline-looms-for-comments-on-regulation-regarding-food-dyes/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T04:08:50.000Z The deadline for submitting comments on the FDA’s proposed revocation of the use of Citrus Red No. 2 as a color additive in food is approaching. The Trump Administration says the move is a big step toward Making America Healthy Again. Citrus Red No. 2 has been authorized since 1959 for coloring the skins of mature oranges. The revocation of use be the Food and Drug Administration will have virtually no impact because industry abandoned the use of the substance several years ago. However, officials with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration say the action is a step toward meeting the intent of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Swiss scientists reveal Listeria trends URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/swiss-scientists-reveal-listeria-trends/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T04:03:01.000Z An analysis of Listeria in Switzerland covering six years has revealed several outbreaks and sporadic cases connected to international incidents. Researchers collected 335 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from cases of listeriosis occurring in Switzerland between 2019 and 2024\. They have recently published the results and said they show the importance of implementing whole genome sequencing for routine Listeria monocytogenes surveillance. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Courthouse door left open for 'Food Freedom' challenge URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/courthouse-door-left-open-for-food-freedom-challenge/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T04:02:26.000Z Montana courts are still open to a former top state food safety official’s one-man crusade to restore some guardrails to “Food Freedom” A unanimous state Supreme Court on Aug. 11 ruled in Jeffrey P. Havens v. State of Montana that while the District Court was correct in dismissing the case because Havens lacked standing, the lower court was not correct in dismissing Havens’s case with prejudice. Dismissal *with prejudice* means that the plaintiff *cannot* refile the same claim again in the state’s courts. The Supreme Court remanded the Haven case back down to the District Court with instructions to correct the dismissal to “without prejudice,” meaning it can be filed again. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Proposals put forward to boost Croatian surveillance URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/proposals-put-forward-to-boost-croatian-surveillance/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T04:00:50.000Z Three options have been identified to improve disease surveillance in Croatia with current challenges including fragmented systems and a lack of resources. Campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis are the most prevalent foodborne bacterial diseases in the country. Between 2013 and 2023, there were more than 16,000 Campylobacter cases and 13,000 Salmonella infections. Surveillance systems are fragmented, with limited cross-sectoral integration and inadequate resources. Data sharing between sectors is [often slow or inconsistent](https://iris.who.int/items/50ba66e0-0894-42f7-ba3d-4f2877822397?ref=foodsafetynews.com), according to a document published by the World Health Organization (WHO). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The information deficit: Why slow data is making us sick – again URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/the-information-deficit-why-slow-data-is-making-us-sick-again/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T00:33:47.000Z **By Julie Swann** Every summer, a familiar public health drama plays out in the produce aisles. Reports spike of widespread gastrointestinal illness caused by Cyclospora, which is a microscopic parasite that hitches a ride on fresh leafy greens. As cases climb across dozens of states, public health officials scramble to answer a simple question: What is the source of the contamination? By the time investigators connect the dots, weeks have passed. The product in question such as lettuce has long since been harvested, shipped, processed, served, and eaten. We tend to frame foodborne outbreaks as agricultural failures or biological mysteries. But in reality, our food safety crisis is an operational data crisis. Our produce supply chain is built for extreme speed, rushing highly perishable products from farm fields to restaurant tables in a handful of days. Yet the information network tracking that food moves at a snail’s pace. We are trying to protect a 21st-century supply chain using 20th-century paper trails, unstructured PDFs, and dial-up-era communication systems. To stop outbreaks before they spread, we must eliminate data friction across three core dimensions: Amount, Quality, and Speed across multiple operational networks. **1\. The amount of information: Stop tracing 'blank boxes'** When a shipping manifest simply reads "100 cases of shredded iceberg," investigators are left flying blind. Under baseline regulatory standards, a distributor often only knows who sold them a pallet and who bought it, and this "one-step-back, one-step-forward" model that breaks down in a fast-moving crisis. Under the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204, companies are required to capture granular Key Data Elements (KDEs)—including a standardized Traceability Lot Code (TLC) that follows a crop from harvest to bowl. Knowing the exact lot code turns a nationwide needle-in-a-haystack search into a targeted query. However, federal enforcement has been delayed. **2\. The quality of information: Speak a universal digital language** Granular data is useless if it’s trapped in proprietary software silos or on paper clipboards. Today, a processor, a logistics distributor, and a restaurant chain often use three incompatible inventory systems. When public health officials request records, they may receive a mountain of flat PDFs and hand-written invoices that staff must manually cross-reference in spreadsheets. The solution isn't inventing new technology; it’s increasing adoption of open, global standards that already exist. GS1-128 barcodes, which are the open-source standard used on almost every packaged retail product in America, can embed lot numbers, harvest dates, and location codes into a single, machine-readable label. If a retail barcode can track a tube of toothpaste from a warehouse to your doorstep in real time, a case of lettuce should carry the same digital transparency. **3\. The speed of information: Close the latency gap** The most dangerous lag occurs between the patient and the investigator. Traditional outbreak investigations rely on telephone recall surveys that take weeks to schedule, conduct, and analyze. Because bagged greens have a shelf life of under three weeks, an investigation that takes 21 days is effectively an autopsy, not an intervention. If health agencies used automated, SMS-driven digital questionnaires paired with opt-in retail receipt syncing, traceback times could drop from weeks to 48 hours. Cutting investigation times from three weeks to five days isn't just an administrative win: it a preventative shield. Catching a contaminated lot two weeks earlier can prevent up to 70 percent of potential exposures. Accounting for unreported illnesses, rapid digital tracing in a major outbreak could spare tens of thousands of Americans from severe illness. Keep in mind, packaged produce typically has a shelf life of 14-21 days. Public health traceback could be reduced to 5 days, potentially preventing cases in weeks 2 and 3 of the shelf life. Also, the [CDC estimates](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that for every 1 lab-confirmed case of *Cyclospora*, 20-30 actual illnesses occur in the community, so an outbreak of 2000 lab-confirmed cases represents roughly 40,000 to 60,000 real-world sick people. **A 4-part policy roadmap for change** Fixing this broken data pipeline requires a coordinated effort across industry, Congress, states, and public health: 1. **Private sector buyers must lead:** Retail and foodservice giants shouldn't wait for delayed federal deadlines. Following the lead of major retailers like Walmart, commercial buyers must mandate that suppliers don't just print GS1-128 case barcodes, but digitally transmit those lot numbers via Advance Ship Notices (ASNs) at every transfer point as a condition of doing business. 2. **Congress must fund small farms:** Digitization shouldn't drive small family farms out of business. Congress and the USDA should establish a DigitalTraceability Grant Program, which can provide $1,500 to $3,000 technology grants for small and mid-sized growers to cover the initial costs of thermal label printers, scanners, and open-source software integration. 3. **Fund state health agencies to modernize:** We cannot demand 21st-century disease tracking from local health departments operating on 20th-century budgets. States including Colorado and Minnesota have shown us approaches that work. By deploying automated, web-based survey links and digital complaint portals, these health departments have cut interview times by 70 percent while reaching patients instantly. These modern tools shouldn’t depend on one’s zip code or a state’s wealth. The CDC and state legislatures must scale these proven digital toolkits nationwide, ensuring every local health department has access to free, plug-and-play investigation software. 4. **Restore CDC active surveillance:** In July 2025, the CDC scaled back its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), making active tracking for Cyclospora optional for participating states due to budget constraints. We cannot fix what we stop measuring. FoodNet is our long-term public health radar, and federal funding for it should be restored. Making parasite tracking optional under FoodNet doesn't just blind us during an active summer outbreak; it destroys the baseline data we need to evaluate whether our food safety policies are working overtime. Our food supply chain is a marvel of modern logistics. To protect the public, It is time we build a unified digital network spanning commercial logistics, federal oversight, and local health response that moves just as fast. **About the author:* Julie L. Swann is the A. Doug Allison Distinguished Professor in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University. She is Past-President of INFORMS. Professor Swann is an expert in supply chain management and in health systems and a Fellow of AAAS, AIMBE, IISE and INFORMS.* ### EU countries test safety of plant-based products URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/eu-countries-test-safety-of-plant-based-products/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T04:05:47.000Z Food agencies from 15 European countries have assessed the safety of plant-based alternatives, finding sporadic contamination. The report, published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) details the microbiological quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) plant-based dairy, meat and fish substitutes. Testing included enumeration of total viable counts, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and other relevant microorganisms, following standardized laboratory protocols. Factors influencing contamination were product formulation, processing conditions, and storage practices. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns California farm after inspectors find untreated manure on growing oranges URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-warns-california-farm-after-inspectors-find-untreated-manure-on-growing-oranges/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T04:05:29.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- **Friend’s Stable and Orchard Inc.** **Ojai, CA** The Food and Drug Administration has warned a California citrus farm after inspectors found untreated manure in tree canopies and directly on growing oranges. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Initial source unknown in Dutch hepatitis A outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/initial-source-unknown-in-dutch-hepatitis-a-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T04:03:56.000Z Scientists have been unable to pinpoint the route of contamination in a hepatitis A outbreak traced to blueberries. Twenty-four patients in the Netherlands became ill from November 2024 to February 2025 as part of the hepatitis A outbreak. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA steps up enforcement on imported seafood, candy, canned foods URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-steps-up-enforcement-on-imported-seafood-candy-canned-foods/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T04:01:58.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. [Click here](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USFDA/2026/08/10/file%5Fattachments/3741109/Import%20Alerts%20Modified%20in%20the%20past%207%20days%202026-08-10.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts. See chart below for a list of the most recent alerts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/import-alerts-08-16-26.png) Click on chart to enlarge. Use link above to go to FDA page with links to specific alerts. ### The Sunday Edition: RFK Jr. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/the-sunday-edition-rfk-jr/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T18:18:55.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena** - The CDC has confirmed nearly 14,000 cases of Cyclospora infections across multiple outbreaks. And, more than 3,000 [cases have been added to the total number of patients affected by an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cdc-adds-more-than-3-000-more-patients-to-count-in-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-lettuce/)from a Taylor Farms growing operation in Central Mexico. That outbreak, which has resulted in two deaths, has now affected people in 17 states with Maine and Massachusetts being the latest additions to that list. - On Tuesday, the acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Kyle Diamantas, urged Americans to [feel confident about eating fresh produce](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-on-the-day-cdc-confirmed-13-895-cyclospora-cases-the-acting-fda-commissioner-told-americans-to-feel-confident-about-lettuce-we-need-leadership-not-cheerleaders/), despite the ongoing outbreaks. Diamantas made the remarks as [the FDA released non-binding guidance with information for manufacturers and processors of ready-to-eat produce](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-issues-guidance-for-producers-of-fresh-cut-product/) to help them comply with federal law. - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced [measures aimed at closing a loophole in federal oversight of food additives known as ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS) and at defining ultra-processed foods](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/health-department-announces-plans-for-gras-substances-and-ultra-processed-foods/). Interest groups pointed out that both measures require further action to finalize and implement. - Amnesty International is [urging the Indonesian government to suspend a free school meals program](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/calls-to-suspend-school-meals-plan-as-illnesses-continue/) because of thousands of reported cases of food poisoning. According to data from the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network, about 37,000 schoolchildren in the Free Nutritious Meal program have suffered food poisoning since January 2025\. Of that total, some 9,000 cases occurred between January and May 2026. - Research from the University of Portsmouth estimates that [food fraud costs the United Kingdom economy between £400 million ($540 million) and £2 billion ($2.7 billion) annually](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/food-fraud-costs-uk-up-to-2-billion-per-year/). About three-quarters of that cost comes from direct replacement of legitimate products with fraudulent alternatives, such marketing smoked salmon as Scottish when it was sourced from Norway. This week, the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit [arrested one man during an investigation into the sale of frozen food products](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/man-arrested-as-part-of-investigation-into-frozen-food-firm/) with fraudulent labels and no traceability. --- **Today’s Topic: RFK Jr.** A lot of news sure has been happening under the “Make American Healthy Again” banner. It isn’t entirely working out as promised, but it’s close enough to be, well, historic. The latest is reform of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) practice of allowing food makers to use ingredients with self-declarations that they are “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Lactation granola recalled because of Salmonella URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/lactation-granola-recalled-because-of-salmonella/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T03:30:52.000Z The Hampton Grocers Inc. of Montauk, NY, is recalling Lacnola Lactation Granola because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Lacnola Lactation Granola was distributed nationwide through mail orders on thehamptongrocers.com, and other online retailers, including Amazon, between Oct. 21, 2025, and Aug. 12, 2026. The recalled Lacnola Lactation Granola from The Hampton Grocers, Inc. is packaged in a pink 8-ounce stand up pouches, with UPC: 850035324554\. The affected lot codes are: - Lot HGLC-102125 with expiration date of 21OCT2026 - Lot HGLC-021326 with expiration date of 13FEB2027 Lot codes and expiration dates appear on the back of the bags on the upper left side, printed in black ink. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product. The potential for contamination was realized upon notification from an ingredient supplier that a sample of one of their products tested positive for Salmonella. The affected product contains an ingredient, organic moringa powder, also used in the Lacnola Lactation Granola. Production of the product has been suspended while the FDA and the company continue their investigations as to the source of the problem. Consumers who have purchased 8 ounce packages of “Lacnola Lactation Granola” are urged to dispose of the product. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### FDA begins inspection of Taylor Farms lettuce operation in Mexico URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-begins-inspection-of-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation-in-mexico/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T01:27:52.000Z A month after it became apparent that the facility was linked to a Cyclospora outbreak that has now sickened almost 10,000 people, the FDA has begun inspecting a Taylor Farms lettuce growing and production operation. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office found that FDA averaged only 917 foreign food-facility inspections annually from fiscal years 2018 through 2023 — less than 5 percent of the statutory target established under the Food Safety Modernization Act. The Taylor Farms operation in question is in Central Mexico and had not been inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for seven years prior to this year’s outbreak. The facility’s production line includes a wash step, but the FDA reports that washing produce does not remove the parasites. And, chlorine does not kill the parasite. Iceberg lettuce from the Mexico operation has been linked to an ongoing outbreak from the Cyclospora parasite that has sickened 9,481 from 17 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the patients with the information available, 398 have required hospitalization. Two patients in Michigan have died. The outbreak includes people who reported exposure to processed iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served or purchased at various locations, including people who reported eating at Taco Bell. Many of these illnesses began before the Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce recall on July 17\. The FDA reports that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific Cyclosporaoutbreak is off the market. The implicated lettuce is confirmed to have been distributed to Taco Bell and other companies in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The lettuce may have also been distributed to California, Washington D.C., Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Consumer Reports says the inspection should have been initiated weeks ago. "It’s alarming that it took this long for the FDA to go down there and identify the potential factors that could have contributed to this outbreak. They should have sent investigators down there right away once an initial link was established," said Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Reports. "Being on the ground gives investigators an up close look at the operations that testing alone can’t replicate and an opportunity to identify conditions that could have contributed to this outbreak. There is also the potential for investigators to learn important lessons that could help prevent future outbreaks." The CDC is also tracking several smaller outbreaks that have a total of almost 14,000 people with another 10,000 cases unconfirmed. The number of infections this year is vastly higher than 2025 when a total of 1,180 cases were reported in the United States between May 1 and Aug.31. There are likely many more people infected in the current outbreaks because for every confirmed patient up to 83 can go undiagnosed. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not specifically tested for Cyclospora. **About Cyclospora** Food that is contaminated with Cyclospora parasites does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Microscopic amounts of human feces contaminated with the parasite are enough to cause infections. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. The Food and Drug Administration says there's no evidence that washing produce will remove the parasite. Chlorine does not kill Cyclospora. The only way to kill the parasites is to cook food thoroughly. ### Wok spice mix recalled after testing shows Salmonella URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/wok-spice-mix-recalled-after-testing-shows-salmonella/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T01:38:12.000Z Lidl US is recalling one lot of Vitasia Asian Style Wok Spice Mix because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. This recall was initiated after routine quality testing identified Salmonella present on a lab sample. The recalled product was distributed between July 24 and Aug. 10 to all Lidl US retail store locations in Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. The recalled product can be identified as follows: Vitasia Chinese Style brand Asian Style Wok Spice Mix, Net Wt 1.58oz (45g), with UPC 4 335619 355491 with Lot # 155846 and BBD JUN 2028, which can be found on the side of the label. The recalled product is packaged in a plastic container with a purple lid. No illnesses have been reported to date. ### Dog food recalled because of illnesses URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/dog-food-recalled-because-of-illnesses/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T01:27:41.000Z Oma's Pride of Avon, CT, is recalling Woof Complete Canine Chicken Recipe in 6-pound bags because it is contaminated with Salmonella. The recall was initiated after FDA received a consumer complaint and subsequently collected and analyzed a sample of the product, which tested positive for Salmonella. Three illnesses have been reported to date in association with the complaint. Oma's Pride is continuing with their investigation to determine the source and root cause of the contamination. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product, and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products. Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. The recalled lot of Woof Complete Canine Chicken Recipe was distributed in AZ, CA, IN, KY, LA, MD, NJ, NV, NY, PA, VA to retail and wholesale accounts and directly to consumers through online, direct-to-consumer orders, shipped frozen. The recalled product is a frozen raw dog food sold in a 6-pound gusseted stand-up pouch containing 12 individually-wrapped, 8-ounce vacuum-sealed portions and can be identified as follows: - Product: Woof Complete Canine Chicken Recipe, 6 lb bag - Bags Impacted: 639 - Item / SKU: F-WOOFC-6 - Lot number: BB012729 - Manufacturing Date: 1/27/2026 - Expiration / Best-by: 1/27/2029 - Distribution Dates: 2/12/2026–5/15/2026 - UPC: 8 7938400145 9 **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Walmart Marketside tomato soup mix recalled because of Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/walmart-marketside-tomato-soup-mix-recalled-because-of-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T01:12:49.000Z Kettle Cuisine LLC of Savage, MD, is recalling Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kit – 14oz (397g) because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall is being initiated after routine testing conducted by the company produced a presumptive positive result for Listeria monocytogenes. The company is continuing its investigation in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration. To date, the company has received no confirmed reports of illnesses associated with this product. The recalled product was distributed from June 30 through July 7 exclusively to Walmart stores in AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV. The recalled product is packaged in a wrapped tray and is marked with product description labels and printed use-by code identifiers. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalledproduct and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Texas company recalls jalapeño products because of Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/texas-company-recalls-jalapeno-products-because-of-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T01:02:52.000Z NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC, with facilities located in Missouri City, TX, and Houston, TX, is recalling products sold under various brand names that contain jalapeño peppers because of an outbreak of Salmonella infections. This recall was initiated after NatureBest was notified by Coast Citrus Distributors that certain jalapeño peppers supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors were subject to a recall. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Javiana infections linked to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. Based on epidemiological information collected by CDC, a total of 345 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 27 states. Products manufactured using the affected jalapeños may therefore be impacted. NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC has ceased distribution of the affected products and is working in cooperation with its supplier and regulatory authorities regarding this recall. The products recalled by NatureBest Precut & Produce LLC were distributed to retailers in Texas and Louisiana between July 3 and Aug. 5\. To view photos of the products subject to the recall, [click here](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/naturebest-precut-produce-llc-voluntarily-recalls-products-containing-jalapenos-due-potential?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery). The recalled products are: | **Product Name** | **UPC #** | **Size** | **Lot Codes** | **Best By/** **Use By** **Dates** | | ------------------- | ------------ | ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | NatureBest Soup Mix | 089563071221 | 58 oz (1644g) | 190A26184, 190A26187, 190A26189, 190A26192, 190A26194, 190A26196, 190A26199, 190A26201, 190A26203, 190A26206, 190A26208, 190A26210, 190A26213 | 7/13/2026 - 8/11/2026 | | HEB Pico De Gallo Mild | 004122034597 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/14/2026 - 8/14/2026 | | ---------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | | HEB Pico De Gallo Medium | 004122034618 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/15/2026 | | HEB Pico De Gallo Hot | 004122034615 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184, 190A26187, 190A26188, 190A26190, 190A26191, 190A26192, 190A26194, 190A26195, 190A26197, 190A26198, 190A26199, 190A26201, 190A26202, 190A26204, 190A26205, 190A26206, 190A26208, 190A26209, 190A26211, 190A26212, 190A26213, 190A26215 | 7/15/2026 - 8/15/2026 | | HEB Pico De Gallo Mango | 004122034616 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/15/2026 | | NatureBest Pico De Gallo Mango | 089563000559, 089563100198 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/12/2026 | | NatureBest Medium Pico | 089563000542 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/13/2026 | | NatureBest Mild Cheddar & Jalapeno Stuffed Mushrooms | 089563000863 | 8 oz (227g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/17/2026 - 8/12/2026 | | NatureBest Mild Pico | 089563002065 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/7/2026 | | NatureBest Pico De Gallo Mild | 089563004175 | 4 oz (113g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/14/2026 - 8/11/2026 | | NatureBest Pico De Gallo Medium | 089563003512 | 9 oz (255g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/10/2026 | | NatureBest Pico De Gallo Hot | 089563003529 | 9 oz (255g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/15/2026 - 8/12/2026 | | HEB Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms | 019787014702 | 8 oz (227g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/12/2026 - 8/12/2026 | | NatureBest Mild Pico | 089563002065 | 14 oz (397g) | 190A26184, 190A26187, 190A26188, 190A26191, 190A26194, 190A26195, 190A26198, 190A26201, 190A26202, 190A26205, 190A26208, 190A26209, 190A26212 | 7/14/2026 - 8/11/2026 | | NatureBest Diced Jalapeno | 089563004106 | 3 oz (85g) | 190A26184, 190A26187, 190A26189, 190A26191, 190A26194, 190A26196, 190A26198, 190A26201, 190A26203, 190A26205, 190A26208, 190A26210, 190A26212, 190A26213, 190A26215 | 7/14/2026 - 8/14/2026 | | HEB Diced Jalapeno | 004122076495 | 3 oz (85g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 7/13/2026 - 8/11/2026 | | NatureBest Pico De Gallo Mild | 089563124576 | 4 oz (113g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 8/14/2026 - 8/15/2026 | | NatureBest Pico De Gallo Medium | 089563124583 | 4 oz (113g) | 190A26184 - 190A26216 | 8/13/2026 - 8/13/2026 | **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### CDC adds more than 3,000 more patients to count in Cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/cdc-adds-more-than-3-000-more-patients-to-count-in-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-lettuce/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T04:06:23.000Z The CDC is reporting 3,123 more cases of Cyclospora infections compared with a week ago in an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms growing operation in Central Mexico. The total number of patients for the outbreak now stands at 9,481with 398 hospitalizations. Two people in Michigan have died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also added two states to the outbreak, bringing the total to 17\. The new states are Maine and Massachusetts. The other states in the iceberg lettuce outbreak are Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Missouri Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce products on July 17\. The recall only covered products sold up to that day. The CDC reports that best-by dates for the recalled products have passed and they should no longer be available in stores or restaurants. The 50 states are reporting more cases than the CDC, with Michigan alone reporting 13,909 patients, 314 of whom have been hospitalized. A week ago the state was reporting 12,485. Some of the cases in the individual state counts may be part of other outbreaks the CDC and Food and Drug Administration are tracking. For those outbreaks, the CDC is reporting 13,895 patients compared to 10,468 a week ago. The agency appears to be making headway in confirming suspected patients with that number dropping to 10,455 compared to 12,255 a week ago. The CDC has been tracking the iceberg lettuce outbreak since May 14\. The peak day was July 10 when 600 cases were [added to the tally](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/timeline.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Additional new cases are anticipated to be identified because the CDC says it can take up to six weeks for patients to be identified and reported. It can take up to two weeks for patients to develop symptoms after being exposed to the parasite. If not treated, symptoms can last for a month with recurring episodes for several months. The primary symptom is severe diarrhea that can quickly cause serious dehydration. There are likely many more people infected in the current outbreaks because for every confirmed patient up to 83 can go undiagnosed. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not specifically tested for Cyclospora. **About Cyclospora** Food that is contaminated with Cyclospora parasites does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Microscopic amounts of human feces contaminated with the parasite are enough to cause infections. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. The Food and Drug Administration says there's no evidence that washing produce will remove the parasite. Chlorine does not kill Cyclospora. The only way to kill the parasites is to cook food thoroughly. ### Coalition wants Congress to rescind delay of food traceability rule URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/coalition-wants-congress-to-rescind-delay-of-food-traceability-rule/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T04:04:14.000Z Referencing the current Cyclospora outbreak, the Safe Food Coalition has asked Congress the take the produce traceability rule off the back burner so companies like Taylor Farms will be forced to initiate programs to reveal where their products are distributed. The coalition sent a letter to Sen. John Thune, Majority Leader; Rep. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House; Rep. Charles Schumer, Minority Leader; and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader, asking them to lead their chambers of Congress in rescinding an appropriations rider on the current budget that prevents the FDA from implementing traceability requirements, including for leafy greens, until July 2028. The requirements were scheduled to go into effect this year, but the Trump Administration blocked them. The requirements would force companies like Taylor Farms, arguably the largest producer of fresh produce for the United States, to make public their supply chains. Proponents of the traceability rule say it would be tremendously helpful in tracking foodborne illness outbreaks such as the current Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened tens of thousands of people. “Compliance with the FDA traceability requirements would facilitate faster and more effective investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks, such as the ongoing epidemic of Cyclosporiasisinfections, which has now caused nearly 30,000 illnesses and two deaths,” the coalition’s letter states. “The epidemic has also sparked a crisis in consumer confidence, in part due to Taylor Farms — the major lettuce supplier implicated in the outbreak so far — failure to provide information to the public required under the FDA rule in its recall communications. “Consumers have had to wait long enough for meaningful food traceability. The FDA issued the final rule, ‘Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods,’ in 2022, over a decade after Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, which required it, with broad bipartisan support. “Even the 2022 rulemaking was only completed by that date because of public interest litigation and court-ordered deadlines. The agency subsequently set the compliance date for the final rule as Jan. 20, 2026, a full three years after the rule’s ‘effective date.’ ” The coalition said the existing one-forward, one-back approach to traceability is inadequate because it does not require businesses to provide information on their entire supply chains. That means much more time is required for investigators to determine whether any given commodity is behind an outbreak. “This status quo approach to traceability results in preventable foodborne illness and waste as “outbreaks that are challenging to resolve” lead to overbroad recalls or public advisories, such as a 2018 advisory to avoid romaine lettuce from an entire growing region,” the coalition letter states. The coalition says that because of the lack of a traceable supply chain, consumers are avoiding fresh produce all together because they have lost confidence in industry and government to tell them what is causing illnesses. The letter points out that at lease one Cyclospora cluster has been linked to a Taylor Farms growing operation, but consumers aren’t sure that is the only problem. “At least one illness cluster has been tied to iceberg lettuce grown and processed at a Taylor Farms de Mexico farm and facility. That facility, located across the street from a public swimming complex and suspected ‘fecal loading point,’ was shut down ‘temporarily’ last month. However, the vast scale of illnesses — 22,683 as of this writing — has caused declining sales across a broad range of produce items including carrots, cauliflower, spinach and Brussels sprouts," the letter states. “According to a recent survey, 40 percent of consumers have changed their buying habits in response to the outbreak. They are eating less ‘real food,’ a public health disaster in its own right. The longer public health authorities cannot identify the source of the remaining Cyclosporiasisinfections, the harm caused by this crisis of confidence is likely to grow.” The Safe Food Coalition contends that widespread compliance with the traceability rule would prevent illnesses and support healthier diets. The coalition says opposition to the traceability rule is narrow, led by the food retailer trade association FMI. The International Fresh Produce Association, which represents growers, has called for “stronger federal food safety infrastructure and end-to-end traceability,” while Taylor Farms has recently posted “we fully support and endorse” food traceability legislation. “Unfortunately, last November, Congress showed its inclination to reward persistent, moneyed interests, however narrow, to obstruct good policy. Section 780 of the Continuing Resolution states that ‘\[n\]o funds appropriated by this Act may be used to administer or enforce \[FDA’s traceability rule\] prior to July 20, 2028,’ ” the coalition writes. The coalition says by putting the traceability rule on ice, the FDA will be encouraged to abandon the linchpin of the rule — lot-level tracking requirements. Abandoning the rule is also a slap in the face to companies that have already stepped up. Retailers including Kroger, Albertsons and Walmart had already implemented traceability programs that incorporated the requirements set out by FDA, and often went further, prior to FDA announcing the delay in the rule’s compliance date, according to the coalition letter. “Congress should send a message to reassure consumers and food companies alike that the federal government is committed to safer food, and that it will stand by a decade and a half of research, collaboration, and investment towards strengthening traceability. We urge you to rescind the freeze on FDA’s funding related to the compliance date of the traceability rule, along with the counterproductive mandate to explore ‘additional flexibilities’ that serves little more than to sow uncertainty,” the letter concludes. The coalition members listed as signatories on the letter are: Center for Food Safety Center for Science in the Public Interest Consumer Federation of America Consumer Reports Farm Forward Government Accountability Project GW Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security National Consumers League Stop Foodborne Illness United Food & Commercial Workers International Union U.S. PIRG ### Man arrested as part of investigation into frozen food firm URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/man-arrested-as-part-of-investigation-into-frozen-food-firm/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T04:03:44.000Z More than 30 tons of products have been seized as an investigation into a company selling frozen food with suspected fraudulent labels continues. The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit operation led to the arrest of one man. He was later released under investigation and enquiries are ongoing. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Complaint seeks to shut down Darwin's Natural Pet products manufacturer URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/complaint-seeks-to-shut-down-darwins-natural-pet-products-manufacturer/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T04:02:00.000Z The Department of Justice has filed a complaint seeking to close down a pet food manufacturer whose raw products have made people and pets sick, causing kidney damage in a four-year-old boy and killing several dogs and cats. The complaint seeks to permanently enjoin Gary T. Tashjian, through his business, Arrow Reliance Inc., also doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, from making and selling raw pet food. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Report assesses food controls in Norway and Iceland URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/report-assesses-food-controls-in-norway-and-iceland/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T04:01:07.000Z An analysis of official controls in Norway and Iceland has revealed effective oversight overall with some recurring weaknesses. Norway and Iceland are part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors how they implement European Economic Area (EEA) rules on food and feed safety, animal health, and welfare. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher’s Platform: Frank Yiannas Wants an Independent Board to Investigate Foodborne Outbreaks. Set the Airplanes Aside. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-frank-yiannas-wants-an-independent-board-to-investigate-foodborne-outbreaks-set-the-airplanes-aside-fda-wrote-the-right-recommendation-about-this-lettuce-in-2013-and/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T02:51:59.000Z Frank Yiannas has been making an argument for the better part of a year that deserves more attention than it has received. In a [STAT First Opinion piece](https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/listeria-outbreak-pasta-fda-foodborne-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) last November, written after a *Listeria* outbreak in prepackaged pasta meals killed six people, he called for an independent National Foodborne Outbreak Investigation Board. He brought it back in July in [Food Safety News](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cyclospora-seasonal-nuisance-or-preventable-problem/), in a piece asking whether *Cyclospora* is a seasonal nuisance or a preventable problem. His diagnosis is short and hard to argue with. Foodborne outbreaks in this country are investigated by the same agencies that are supposed to prevent them. The work is split across FDA, USDA, CDC and fifty state health departments. And when an investigation goes nowhere, no single agency is accountable for the fact that it went nowhere. I have known Frank since his Disney days, through his ten years at Walmart and through his time at FDA, and I guest lecture in his food safety culture class at Michigan State every year. I want his board built. I want to argue with one part of how he sells it. The model he reaches for is the National Transportation Safety Board, and the comparison he draws is a real one: aviation accidents per mile flown have collapsed over forty years while foodborne illness rates have not moved at all, and [GAO found](https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-25-107606.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that FDA and USDA missed their own illness reduction goals, one of them by a wide margin. It is a good comparison. It is also where most readers stop, because within a few seconds anybody who works in this industry starts listing the ways a lettuce field is not a runway. There is no wreckage. There is no flight recorder. There is no single moment. Roughly half of all multistate investigations never name a food at all. Set the airplanes aside. The better question is smaller, and you can answer it out of one file. What happens to a finding after somebody writes it down? In August 2013, a team of FDA investigators spent eight days inside a Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility at Doctor Mora, in Guanajuato, working alongside COFEPRIS, SENASICA, CESAVEG, Guanajuato state health officials and CDC. They were there because [631 people in twenty-five states](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9150465/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) had come down with cyclosporiasis. They covered the plant and five ranches. They collected roughly 835 samples. Nothing came back positive, though one recycled wash water sample could not be read at all, because the water was too turbid for the filters and the method simply failed. FDA has since [said so in its own method literature](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/RecoveryDetectionCyclosporaAgriculturalWater.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and rebuilt the test because of it. What they did find, they found by reading the company’s own paperwork. A ranch entered the assessment only because FDA reviewed Taylor Farms de Mexico’s irrigation water records and saw a fecal coliform result off drip irrigation tape. It had triggered no corrective action, because it sat just under the firm’s own single sample action level. The investigators tabulated prescriptions written for harvest crews and found a drug effective against *Cyclospora* dispensed during the outbreak window. Then they wrote a recommendation. The second one in the [report](https://www.fda.gov/media/87238/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) was that the firm determine whether *Cyclospora* is a reasonably likely hazard in the Guanajuato growing region, and if it is, re-evaluate the wash step. That is careful work. It was done in a foreign country in eight days by people who had every reason to come home with less. When the plant reopened that August with FDA’s concurrence, the company [committed to a sampling program](https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/fda-issues-update-cyclospora-outbreak-traceback-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com) covering both product and water. And then nothing happened to any of it. The recommendation had no addressee. Nothing set a clock on it. No database tracked whether it was ever answered, and no public record shows whether the sampling program ran for a month or a decade or at all. FDA was back inside that plant once in the thirteen years that followed, in 2019, and because that visit found nothing objectionable it [produced no public document](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-farms-mexico-fda-inspection-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) whatsoever. Nobody was in a position to ask the 2013 question again, because nobody had been assigned. 2026\. Same region. Same facility. Same parasite. Same commodity. Thirteen years later FDA and CDC now attribute [9,481 illnesses, 398 hospitalizations and two deaths](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) across seventeen states to iceberg lettuce out of that plant, and my own fifty state floor for cyclosporiasis this season stands at 29,912 people. FDA did not report an onsite inspection at Doctor Mora until August 13, twenty-seven days after the recall. That is the argument for Frank’s board, and there is not an airplane anywhere in it. One piece of the airplane comparison is worth keeping after all, and it is the clock. A Go Team is in the air within hours, because everybody involved understands that a scene degrades. Taylor Farms recalled this lettuce on July 17\. FDA did not report an onsite inspection and sampling at the plant in Guanajuato until August 13, twenty-seven days later, and its announcement does not say when that inspection began or whether anyone is there now. Taylor Farms says it [suspended all production at that facility](https://www.taylorfarms.com/cyclospora-information-hub/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on July 18 and brought in outside experts to review it, which means that whatever an inspection turns up now, it is turning it up in a plant that has been shut for nearly a month. The 2013 visit was slower still. The last illness onset in that outbreak was July 2 and the team arrived on August 12, and FDA’s own explanation for why almost every sample came back clean was that more than five weeks had gone by. Nobody would defend a six week wait to walk a crash site. And food is the harder case here, not the easier one. A fuselage sits in a field until somebody photographs it. Shredded iceberg lettuce has about two weeks of shelf life, which means that by the time anyone arrives, the people who got sick first have already eaten the evidence. That delay was not an investigator’s choice either. An American inspector cannot simply walk into a plant in Guanajuato. The 2013 assessment was carried out jointly with COFEPRIS, SENASICA, CESAVEG and Guanajuato state health officials, which is to say it had to be negotiated between two governments while people were still getting sick, and the same thing had to be negotiated again this summer. Standing authority, with access arranged in advance instead of assembled in the middle of an emergency, is exactly the sort of thing a country builds once and then uses every time. We have never built it. It is also not a complaint about the people who investigate outbreaks, and I want to be clear about that, because this argument gets misused. The men and women at FDA’s CORE network, the epidemiologists at CDC, and the state and county investigators who make the phone calls are not the problem here. The 2013 assessment is the proof. They went, they looked, they read the records nobody made them read, and they wrote down the right question. What does not exist in food safety is anything sitting downstream of that work. The investigating already happens. The follow through was never built. Nor did any of them choose the conditions they are presently working under. No epidemiologist voted to switch off federal surveillance reporting for six of the eight pathogens FoodNet was built to track, *Cyclospora* among them, ten months before the first illness in this outbreak. Nobody in a state health department pushed the food traceability rule out to 2028, or [replaced pre-harvest agricultural water testing](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-pre-harvest-agricultural-water?ref=foodsafetynews.com) with an annual self-assessment, or arranged for [five of more than 168,000](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/06/us/taylor-farms-cyclospora-ecoli-outbreaks-invs?ref=foodsafetynews.com) Taylor Farms shipments from Mexico to be physically examined at the border in the first half of this year. Nobody working a case file decided that roughly [eleven billion dollars in public health grants](https://www.axios.com/2025/04/04/judge-halts-hhs-plan-to-kill-11b-in-public-health-grants?ref=foodsafetynews.com), money that pays for disease surveillance, laboratory services and outbreak investigation in every state, should be terminated without notice in the spring of last year and then spend the next year tied up in federal court. A health department cannot staff a summer against a grant that may or may not exist. Every one of those decisions was made well above the people now being asked to explain a thirty thousand case outbreak with what is left. Some of it was taken apart long before this administration or the last one, and the clearest example belongs to a program almost nobody remembers. In April 2001 the Agriculture Department launched the [Microbiological Data Program](https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/mdp?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which pulled roughly fifteen thousand samples of fresh fruit and vegetables a year out of distribution centers in about eleven states, tested them for pathogens, and uploaded what it found to PulseNet. It was the only real produce surveillance this country has ever had. By one analysis it accounted for [more than eighty percent of all public produce testing](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/11/usda-begins-shutdown-of-mdp-cutting-80-percent-of-pathogen-testing-for-produce/), and it triggered twenty-three recalls in 2010 and 2011 alone, fifteen of them involving people who were already sick. Among the things it sampled were bagged lettuce and cilantro. It cost four and a half million dollars a year. The produce industry lobbied against it for years, on the theory that a program which finds contamination causes recalls. It was zeroed out of the budget, the states were told to stop pulling samples on November 9, 2012, and it shut down at the end of that December, seven months before FDA investigators walked into the plant at Doctor Mora. I have been [asking for it back](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/11/time-to-bring-back-the-microbiological-data-program-mdp-to-help-make-produce-safe-again-mpsa/) for years. The Microbiological Data Program would not have caught this parasite. It tested for bacteria. That is very nearly the point. We dismantled the produce surveillance we had, and we never built any for *Cyclospora* at all. The Agriculture Department research complex at Beltsville, whose laboratories do a meaningful share of the government’s *Cyclospora* work and coordinate it across agencies, is [now being closed](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/cyclospora-lab-closures-risk-setting-back-parasite-research?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and its programs scattered. There is still no regulatory limit for this organism in agricultural water or on produce, and no validated kill step. FDA said in that same 2013 report that the sanitizers this industry relies on do not reliably kill it. A grower in flawless compliance with every rule on the books is doing nothing whatsoever about *Cyclospora*. Frank knows this from the inside better than anyone arguing about it from the outside. He ran the internal version of this fix himself. The [Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-improvement-plan-focused-modernizing-foodborne-illness-outbreak-responses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) he released as Deputy Commissioner in December 2021 was aimed at exactly this, at traceback, at root cause investigation, at getting outbreak data out the door faster. He had the title and the authority and he did the work, and his conclusion since leaving is that fragmentation cannot be repaired by a plan written by one of the fragments. That is a serious person telling you the inside fix was not enough. Here is what I would want the statute to carry, and it is mostly machinery rather than investigation. What actually distinguishes the NTSB is not the team that flies to the crash site. It is the ninety-day clock that starts when a recommendation is issued, the permanent public database that tracks every recommendation until somebody answers it, and the annual list that names the agency that has not. Recommendations are not binding. They are simply impossible to lose. A board without those three things becomes the Chemical Safety Board, an agency with the same design and no leverage that has [spent years fighting for its own budget](https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/congress-rescues-industry-watchdog-earmarked-for-closure-by-trump-administration/4022869.article?ref=foodsafetynews.com) while its recommendations pile up unanswered. Three more things, and then I will get out of the way. There has to be a mandatory launch trigger, a case count or a death count or a duration, so that declining to investigate or hiding the data is not something an administration can accomplish by saying nothing. There has to be a way to reach the root cause when the root cause is in Guanajuato, because a board whose authority stops at the border cannot answer most of the questions worth asking. And whatever findings the board produces have to stay available to the families who were hurt. Aviation solved its version of that problem by making board reports inadmissible in civil cases and by keeping lawyers out of the investigation entirely. Copy it into food and you will produce the best root cause analysis this country has ever done on an outbreak, with the processor helping to produce it, and seal it away from the only forum where the people who got sick have ever gotten an answer. Two things deserve saying on the other side of the ledger. FDA and CDC are aligned on the numbers in this outbreak right now, publishing [the same figures on the same day](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which has not been true all summer and is worth noticing when it is. And FDA now reports an onsite inspection and sampling at the plant, in coordination with Mexican officials. I have written about Frank’s board [twice](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-145-2-000-10-the-cyclospora-numbers-dont-add-up/) [before](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/two-friends-warn-about-cyclospora-in-the-morning-ill-carry-the-same-message-to-puerto-vallarta-we-stopped-counting-the-sick-and-holding-those-to-account/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). I will keep writing about it. If somebody would rather argue with the idea than draft it, I would point out that a board of this kind takes regulatory authority away from precisely nobody, which is more than can be said for every single food agency reorganization proposed since the 1990s, all of which are dead. One last thing, and it is not in any statute. Whatever this board turns out to be, build in an hour where the people doing the investigating sit down with the people who got sick. Not testimony. Not a hearing. I have watched that hour change how a person understands their own job for thirty-three years, and it would change how the report reads. ### FDA issues guidance for producers of fresh-cut product URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-issues-guidance-for-producers-of-fresh-cut-product/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T02:54:43.000Z The FDA has published guidance with information for manufacturers and processors of ready-to-eat produce to help them comply with federal law. The guidance is non-binding and does not carry the force of regulation or law and therefore can only been seen as informal recommendations for industry. “FDA’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidance documents describe our current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word *should* in FDA guidance means that something is suggested or recommended but not specifically required,” according to the 80-page [guidance document](https://www.fda.gov/media/117526/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Kyle Diamantas, the acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, touted the guidance and said Americans should feel confident eating fresh produce, leafy greens included. His comments come amid the country’s largest ever foodborne illness outbreak in which more than 28,000 people have been infected by the Cyclospora parasite. The guidance, which has been several years in the making, does not specifically discuss the current outbreak but it does reference Cyclospora. “. . . we are not currently aware of any antimicrobial that would significantly minimize or prevent Cyclospora cross-contamination and be suitable for use on fresh-cut produce. While your goal should be that your wash water antimicrobial be effective against all pathogens that you have identified in your hazard analysis as requiring a preventive control, we recognize that validating such control at this time for all pathogens could be beyond the scope of current science,” the guidance states. The suggestions for the fresh produce industry in the guidance document were designed to help producers comply with Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazards Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law Jan. 4, 2011\. Examples of fresh-cut produce discussed in the guidance include chopped lettuce, cut cantaloupe, diced onions and apples. For example, the guidance addresses the documents businesses should ask for from suppliers that show produce is subject to specific laws. However, the guidance does not suggest that the processors ask for documentation that the produce suppliers have met the requirements of those laws. “Before first receiving apples from the supplier, the PCQI obtains written assurance that the apples are not subject to the PSR in accordance with §112.4(a), or in accordance with §§ 112.4(b) and 112.5, and that the farm acknowledges that its apples are subject to section 402 of the FD&C Act (21 CFR 117.410(d)(2)(ii)),” the guidance states. Specific points addressed by the guidance include: - Handwashing - Employees eating, chewing gum, drinking or using tobacco products while working - Removing trash - Closing doors - Washing equipment An example of the guidance suggestions is that companies record the actual measured temperature of produce, such as “37°F” rather than simply stating whether the measured temperature was within the acceptable operating range. Additionally, the guidance suggests that using the weakest antimicrobial solution for least amount of time will be least efficient in eliminating pathogens. ### Ill food handler caused outbreak despite following protocols URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/ill-food-handler-caused-outbreak-despite-following-protocols/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T04:03:36.000Z A sick food handler likely contaminated items served at an event in Australia despite preparing food after symptoms had stopped, according to researchers. An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness was reported among people at a private function in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in 2024\. The organizer reported to ACT Health that 20 people at the catered function had become sick, but dozens more reported illnesses. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Austrian outbreaks stable but more people sick URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/austrian-outbreaks-stable-but-more-people-sick/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T04:01:29.000Z The number of outbreaks in Austria has stayed close to the same level in 2025 but they caused more illnesses than the year before, according to recently released statistics. In 2025, 33 foodborne outbreaks were reported, one fewer than in 2024\. However, 354 people were sickened in them compared to 194 people in 2024\. Outbreaks involved between two and 86 people. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns against more products with toxic yellow oleander URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-warns-against-more-products-with-toxic-yellow-oleander/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T04:01:27.000Z The FDA has added three products to this safety alert regarding products with poisonous yellow oleander. The Food and Drug Administration tested the products and found that they contain toxic yellow oleander. Yellow oleander can cause neurologic, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse health effects that may be severe, or even fatal. The FDA continues to investigate the safety of botanical weight loss products on the market by testing for yellow oleander. Additionally, two of these products contain other hidden drug ingredients and may cause life-threatening reactions. See FDA’s notifications for [D Magic Plus](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/medication-health-fraud-notifications/dmagic-plus-may-be-harmful-due-hidden-ingredients?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [B. Magi](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/medication-health-fraud-notifications/b-magi-may-be-harmful-due-hidden-ingredients?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for more information. Dozens of products have warnings or recalls in place. For a full list of those products and photos, [click here](https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-issues-warning-about-certain-products-containing-toxic-yellow-oleander?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery). In September 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a [report](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7237a3.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of several tejocote root products found to be substituted with yellow oleander, a toxic substance. Based on this report, the FDA initiated an investigation to sample and test additional tejocote root products. As part of FDA’s ongoing surveillance sampling efforts, the agency continues to test products. Based on the FDA’s sampling and testing results thus far, the FDA is also concerned that other products marketed as tejocote root — including with other names such as Crataegus mexicana, Raiz de Tejocote, and Mexican Hawthorn — may contain yellow oleander. Additional investigation by FDA has determined that some dietary supplements that are not labeled to contain tejocote root may also contain toxic, yellow oleander. Consuming yellow oleander can cause severe adverse health effects and be potentially fatal. ### FDA tracking 18 active outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-tracking-17-active-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T15:31:24.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has a running account of what is making Americans sick right now. The FDA’s [Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) table is updated weekly. Right now FDA’s table carries 18 investigations in its Active section. Run down each file and add the case counts the agency publishes on the individual advisories, and the table describes 7,324 illnesses, 394 hospitalizations where a number is given, and three deaths — two from Cyclospora in Michigan and one from Listeria in the soft cheese outbreak. Eleven of the seventeen are ongoing. Six are files where FDA itself says the outbreak is over. There is a new Salmonella I 4,\[5\],12:i:- outbreak (not reflected on the table below, that has sickened 30 people. FDA has begun traceback. Here is the whole table as it stands today. | **Ref. #** | **Pathogen** | **Food named** | **Cases** | **Outbreak** | **Inspected on site** | | ---------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------- | --------- | ------------ | --------------------- | | 1398 | *Cyclospora* | Not yet identified | 10 | Ongoing | | | 1392 | *Cyclospora* | Not yet identified | 115 | Ongoing | | | 1395 | *Salmonella* Javiana | Jalapeño peppers | 345 | Ongoing | | | 1379 | *Listeria monocytogenes* | Not yet identified | 9 | Ongoing | Yes | | 1390 | *Cyclospora* | Iceberg lettuce | 6,358 | Ongoing | | | 1385 | *Cyclospora* | Not yet identified | 25 | Ongoing | | | 1384 | *Cyclospora* | Not yet identified | 18 | Ended | | | 1387 | *Salmonella*Oranienburg | Not yet identified | 93 | Ongoing | | | 1389 | *E. coli* O145:H28 | Frozen blueberries | 12 | Ongoing | | | 1382 | *E. coli* O157:H7 | Not yet identified | 14 | Ended | | | 1381 | *Cyclospora* | Not yet identified | 2 | Ended | | | 1383 | *Clostridium botulinum* | Powdered infant formula | 4 | Ongoing | Yes | | 1378 | *Salmonella*Enteritidis | Shell eggs | 98 | Ongoing | Yes | | ---- | ------------------------------ | ----------------------- | --- | ------- | --- | | 1380 | *Listeria monocytogenes* | Requesón / soft ricotta | 12 | Ongoing | Yes | | 1375 | *Cyclospora* | Not yet identified | 8 | Ended | | | 1366 | *Salmonella* Newport | Cantaloupe | 70 | Ended | Yes | | 1358 | *Salmonella*Typhimurium et al. | Moringa leaf powder | 131 | Ended | Yes | Eleven of the seventeen show no on-site inspection initiated. The six investigations that did get an inspection are, every one of them, a firm standing on American soil. The [frozen blueberry file](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o145h28-frozen-blueberries-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) shows what has taken the place of an inspection when the firm is not: FDA ran a remote regulatory assessment of the Chilean supplier, collected records, and added the company to an import alert. A records review conducted over the internet is now what stands in for walking the ground. ### More Cyclospora infections confirmed URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/more-cyclospora-infections-confirmed/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T16:42:03.000Z The number of Cyclospora infections confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to climb, with 13,895 illnesses logged compared to 10,468 a week ago. The agency appears to be making headway in confirming suspected patients, though, with the number dropping to 10,455 compared to 12,255 a week ago. The CDC says its numbers come from 47 states and Puerto Rico. An independent count of all 50 states shows more than 28,000 patients with at least 688 hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan. The CDC is tracking a separate 15-state outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from a Taylor Farms growing operation in Central Mexico. The company recalled all of its iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico. For that outbreak the CDC has not updated its numbers from a week ago. At that time the agency was reporting 6,358 patients with hospitalizations of 278\. The number of infections this year is vastly higher than 2025 when a total of 1,180 cases were reported in the United States between May 1 and Aug.31. The count for the 50 states this year, minus 12 who are not posting numbers, stands at 28,056\. Michigan continues to have the most patients by far, reporting 12,485\. The state is expected to update its count Aug. 13\. Last year Michigan recorded 50 cases. The other states with counts of more than 1,000 are Ohio with 4,900 compared to 76 in 2025; Indiana with 1,893 compared with 27 in 2025; and Missouri with 1,577 and none reported in 2025. The Food and Drug Administration says it is not currently aware of any antimicrobial that would significantly minimize or prevent Cyclospora cross-contamination and be suitable for use on fresh-cut produce. It also says a wash-water process control is not a kill step, and that antimicrobials do not meaningfully reduce pathogens attached to produce or internalized in the tissue. ### Whole Foods recalls dozens of jalapeño products because of link to Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/whole-foods-recalls-dozens-of-jalapeno-products-because-of-link-to-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T23:23:37.000Z Whole Foods Market is recalling dozens of products that contain jalapeños because they are part of a larger recall connected to a Salmonella outbreak. The jalapeños were sourced from Coast Citrus Distributors and were recalled because of Salmonella contamination. There are 345 confirmed patients across 27 states in the current Salmonella outbreak. Taylor Fresh Foods, a division of Taylor Farms, [has also recalled](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/taylor-farms-recalls-20-products-containing-jalapenos-linked-to-outbreak/) a variety of products containing the implicated jalapeños. A grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, that supplies to Coast Citrus Distributors was identified as the potential source in the outbreak. The recalled Whole Foods products were sold online and in the Produce and Prepared Foods departments in the following states: TX, OK, LA, AR, WI, MI, IL, IN, IA, MO, KY and OH, with Best Before/By dates of 8/7/2026 – 8/16/2026. Customers who purchased any of the products listed should not consume them. The recalled products can be identified by the following label information: | **Name** | **PLU Code** | **Best Before/Best By Dates** | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Extra Small) | 24367500000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Small) | 24293900000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Small) | 25745000000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Extra Small) | 24367500000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mild Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Extra Small) | 25658600000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Spicy Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Small) | 25745200000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Spicy Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Small) | 28432400000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Spicy Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Extra Small) | 23501500000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Spicy Guacamole Dip No Tomatoes(Extra Small) | 25744900000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Medium Pico de Gallo Guacamole Dip | 29802800000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Pomegranate Guacamole Dip(Small) | 27908100000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Pomegranate Guacamole Dip(Extra Small) | 27908500000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Roasted Corn Guacamole Dip(Small) | 27132500000, | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Roasted Corn Guacamole Dip(Small) | 24075300000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Roasted Corn Guacamole Dip(Extra Small) | 29956000000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Roasted Corn Guacamole Dip(Extra (Small) | 29533500000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Spicy Guacamole Dip(Small) | 21212000000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Spicy Guacamole Dip(Extra Small) | 21211900000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mild Pico de Gallo(16oz) | 85001178876 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mango Pineapple Salsa(14oz) | 82676681063 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Mild Guacamole Dip | 21501700000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Guacamole Dip(Large) | 25705700000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Dip Trio | 25926000000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | OG Hot Guacamole | 25138200000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Small Guacamole | 25054100000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Pico De Gallo | 26383300000 | 8/7/2026 – 8/12/2026 | | Salsa, Brodie | 46000037533 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Peach | 46000046598 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Tomatillo | 46000038736 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Tropical Mango Mild | 46000039895 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Heirloom Tomato | 22860200000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Fresca (roja) | 46000049560 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Fresca | 29648100000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Dip, Salsa Mango (Small) | 25867600000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Dip, Salsa Heirloom Tomato | 29648700000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Dip, Salsa Tomatillo (Large) | 24118800000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Salsa, Heirloom Tomato (Small) | 25024800000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Dip, Salsa Spring Veggie | 24091700000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Dip, Salsa Mango Pineapple 10oz | 25867200000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Condiment sold for Caribbean Mango Pineapple Turkey Burger, Cooked | 21195900000 46000040275 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Condiment sold for Caribbean Mango Pineapple Turkey Burger, Cooked Family Meal | 27578600000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Condiment sold for Caribbean Mango Pineapple Turkey Burger FP, Cooked | 25326800000 46000065697 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | | Condiment sold for Caribbean Mango Pineapple Turkey Burger, Cooked Single Meal | 27670200000 | 8/9/2026 – 8/14/2026 | **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Consumer allergic reactions lead to recall of cheese puffs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/consumer-allergic-reactions-lead-to-recall-of-cheese-puffs/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T23:00:41.000Z Frankie's Organic of Laval, Quebec, is recalling 94 cases of Frankie’s Organic Plant-Based Vegan Cheddar Puffs because they may contain undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The recall was initiated following two complaints of allergic reactions to related products sold in Canada. The product can be found at PCC Markets in Washington State and Earth Fare Stores in Florida & South Carolina, as well as select independent retailers in the regions. Frankie's Organic is working with 3 distribution centers that any remaining inventory is removed from distribution. No other Frankie's Organic products are impacted. Consumers should check their pantry for the Organic Plant-Based Vegan Cheddar Puffs with Best If Used by: 05 16 2027 and should not consume them. Other label information includes: | **Product Name** | **Best If** **Used By** | **UPC** | **Lot Code** | **Territory** | **Size** | **Retail** **packaging** | | ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------ | ------------ | ----------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------ | | Frankie’s Organic Plant Based Vegan Cheddar Puffs | May 16, 2027 | 816929000089 | 05 16 2027 | Washington, Florida, South Carolina | 4 oz. (113 g) | Bag | ### Health department announces plans for GRAS substances and ultra-processed foods URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/health-department-announces-plans-for-gras-substances-and-ultra-processed-foods/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T04:05:00.000Z The federal government has announced two plans regarding the safety of foods. The plans address the so-called GRAS loophole and the definition of ultra-processed foods. In the announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said by proposing a definition for ultra-processed foods the government is addressing the nation’s “chronic disease epidemic.” “Nearly 60 percent of the American diet is made up of ultra-processed foods, and childhood obesity now affects more than one in five American children,” Kennedy said. The proposed definition has not yet been published. It remains at the Office of Management and Budget with no timetable for release. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is joining the health department in promoting the definition of ultra-processed foods. “The proposed definition incorporates feedback from thousands of stakeholders, including industry, consumer organizations, researchers, and members of the public,” according to the statement. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the move to define ultra-processed foods “has brought renewed attention to the food all Americans have been eating, and this action will bring greater transparency for consumers choosing their ingredients.” **Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) loophole** Also announced was new federal oversight of food additives known as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Kennedy has promised to close the so-called GRAS loophole whereby food companies self-regulate their determination of and use of GRAS substances. Although Kennedy’s announcement says the health department has proposed a rule to address the safety of GRAS substances, he also said the rule does not require companies to submit to government testing of such food additives. Rather, the proposed rule would require “manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when concluding that the use of a substance added to human or animal food is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).” The rule would not require companies to submit to government review, but only provide the government with information regarding GRAS substances. The current system has been in place since 1958\. “The proposal would modernize the GRAS framework, increase transparency, and give the FDA greater visibility into substances entering the food supply,” according to the health department’s announcement. “The proposed rule would modernize that framework by making GRAS notifications mandatory.” Currently companies themselves are allowed to determine whether substances are safe. That would not change under the proposed rule. Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantes said the rule would “subject (companies) to transparent, science-based oversight.” **Consumer advocacy groups react** Several consumer groups have responded to the health department’s announcement regarding GRAS substances. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in addition to lacking teeth, the proposed rule could take years to implement, saying that states should not be barred from pursuing their own laws. “Considering the out-of-control, self-regulatory system we currently have for food ingredients, it’s disappointing that today’s announcement lacks substance and doesn’t propose anything meaningful. Given the lack of any real enforcement under the proposed rule for failing to submit a GRAS notice, combined with the fact that it would not apply to chemicals already in our foods, it risks maintaining the status quo that allows secret ingredients and chemicals to remain on the market without FDA review,” Ronholm said. Food & Water Watch also released a statement questioning the efficacy of the proposed GRAS rule. The group said the proposed rule would not stop those chemicals from entering the food supply. “While today’s proposed rule is a baby step toward safer food, it falls short of the true reform needed to keep dangerous chemicals out of the food supply. For decades, corporations have exploited the GRAS loophole to self-police which chemicals make it into the food we eat. We need stronger regulation to close the loophole once and for all, and we need to invest in the agencies charged with ensuring food safety,” said Food & Water Watch. The Center for Science in the Public Interest expressed a similar view on the GRAS proposal and also said Kennedy’s proposal about defining ultra-processed foods falls short. “Both aim to address the harms of certain processed foods, a key problem in public health,” said CSPI President Dr. Peter G. Lurie “One of the actions announced today (GRAS) is only a proposal and the other (the UPF definition) is not even that; eventually both will require further action to finalize and implement. Today’s celebration also serves to distract from the real harm this administration has already carried out on independent science and healthy food access. “The GRAS loophole in our current food additive regulatory system allows companies to self-certify the safety of new food chemical uses in secret, . . . For too long, FDA has been blind to the full universe of novel chemicals used in our foods and industry has aggressively lobbied against attempts at federal reform. We can be sure that industry will pull out all the stops to promote its interests as the rule is finalized. “. . . The [proposed rule](https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-16296.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) will still allow companies to sell products before or during the process of submitting a GRAS notice to FDA—there’s no requirement for companies to get the greenlight from FDA before going to market, which is one of the fundamental flaws in the existing system.” ### Polish eggs linked to 4 French Salmonella outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/polish-eggs-linked-to-4-french-salmonella-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T04:03:08.000Z Several Salmonella outbreaks in France have been linked to eggs from Poland. Between May and July 2026, France reported four outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to mayonnaise, chocolate mousse, and tiramisu. At the end of July, sale of the suspected contaminated eggs in France was suspended. In June, French authorities issued a Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notification to report the results of national investigations. This alert mentions 16 sick people, including nine males and seven females. Four people were admitted to hospitals. Patients ranged in age from 1 to 55 years old and mainly had fever and diarrhea, according to Santé publique France. Epidemiological and microbiological investigations confirmed homemade egg-based products as the vehicle of infections. This includes the identification of five food isolates, collected from eggs and egg-based products sampled at patients’ homes, that belong to two distinct strains. These isolates match the two human strains of the four French outbreaks. Traceability investigations linked all outbreaks to an egg distribution network involving two packing centers and three laying hen farms belonging to the same company in Poland. These farms had previously been associated with a salmonellosis outbreak linked to eggs that affected 18 European countries between 2016 and 2020. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said repeated detection of Salmonella in eggs from the same group suggests [persistent contamination or possible reintroduction](https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2026-08/en-10303.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) upstream in the production chain. Findings highlight the need for further investigations to identify the possible root causes of vertical and/or horizontal contamination. **Details of four outbreaks** The product in the first outbreak was homemade mayonnaise, which was collected in late May from a patient’s home. Microbiological analysis detected Salmonella Enteritidis, matching the national representative human strain. Traceback work found the eggs used to prepare the mayonnaise came from a Polish packing center and a Polish farm. According to Polish authorities, this batch of eggs was laid in a henhouse that tested negative for Salmonella in December 2025, as well as January, April, and June 2026\. Environmental samples from the packing center in May 2026 were also negative. The suspected product in the second outbreak was homemade chocolate mousse. There were no leftovers to be sampled. Investigations traced the eggs used to another batch from a different Polish packing center and farm. Polish officials said tests of dust and fecal samples in the henhouse and of feed for Salmonella were negative and results were satisfactory at the packing center. In the third outbreak, there were no leftovers of tiramisu dessert. Two batches of eggs were involved from the same packing center and farm as the second outbreak as well as another farm. The fourth outbreak involved homemade mayonnaise but there were no leftovers to test. Four egg samples from the patient’s home were Salmonella Enteritidis positive and matched the national representative human strain. ### Food fraud costs UK up to £2 billion per year URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/food-fraud-costs-uk-up-to-2-billion-per-year/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T04:01:53.000Z The cost of food fraud in the United Kingdom could be as much as £2 billion ($2.7 billion) per year, according to researchers. Research from the University of Portsmouth estimates that food fraud costs the UK economy between £400 million ($540 million) and £2 billion ($2.7 billion) annually. The study examines offenses including food substitution, false labeling, and document fraud. Consequences can include financial losses for businesses, damage to confidence in food supply chains and serious risks to public health, such as fake spirits that contain industrial chemicals. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher’s Platform: On the Day CDC confirmed 13,895 Cyclospora cases, the Acting FDA Commissioner told Americans to feel confident about lettuce. We need leadership, not cheerleaders. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-on-the-day-cdc-confirmed-13-895-cyclospora-cases-the-acting-fda-commissioner-told-americans-to-feel-confident-about-lettuce-we-need-leadership-not-cheerleaders/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T00:43:10.000Z Kyle Diamantas, the acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs, said Tuesday that Americans should feel confident eating fresh produce, leafy greens included. He said it as his agency finalized its guidance on the preparation and packaging of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, and he said it, in Reuters’ own framing, amid ongoing foodborne outbreaks. CTV ran the wire story under a headline that gets to the point faster than the story does: [the acting FDA chief urges confidence in lettuce](https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/acting-us-fda-chief-urges-confidence-in-lettuce-as-agency-updates-produce-safety-guidance/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In [an interview with CNBC the same day](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/6024953-taylor-farms-recall-food-safety/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) he went further. Americans should have full confidence in the food supply in this country. His agency remains confident that all iceberg lettuce related to this outbreak has been effectively removed from the market. The source was found, he said, in [record time](https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/acting-fda-chief-urges-americans-to-have-confidence-in-food-supply-6074057?ref=foodsafetynews.com). And then the oldest line in the business: we have the safest food supply in the world. Hmm, where have I heard this before? Here is the rest of what Tuesday held. [CDC’s weekly update](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) put laboratory-confirmed, domestically acquired *Cyclospora*cases at 13,895, with at least another 10,455 still needing further investigation. That is 24,350 people in the federal count alone. Add up what the state health departments have published on their own dashboards and the floor sits above 28,000, with at least 688 hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan. CDC printed the comparison itself: 1,180 cases in the same window a year ago. And CDC changed the words it uses to describe this outbreak. It is now a large multistate outbreak linked to processed iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. Processed is a new word in that sentence, and it points at a facility rather than a field. Those two things happened on the same day, from the same government, about the same lettuce. I want to be fair to the document the acting Commissioner was standing on, because it deserves better than the press release around it. The [final fresh-cut produce guidance](https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-16420?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is the best thing FDA has published on this subject in eighteen years, and parts of it are genuinely useful. It says plainly that *Cyclospora* is a known or reasonably foreseeable biological hazard in fresh salad mixes containing lettuce and carrots, in berries, in fresh basil and in fresh cilantro. It says fecally contaminated agricultural water and fecal deposits from infected field workers are currently considered reasonable routes of transfer. It tells processors that rewashing product that ran through out-of-spec water is not an acceptable corrective action. And buried in the validation chapter it says the thing the acting Commissioner did not say out loud on Tuesday. FDA is not currently aware of any antimicrobial that would significantly minimize or prevent *Cyclospora* cross-contamination and be suitable for use on fresh-cut produce. Elsewhere it says a wash-water process control is not a kill step, and that antimicrobials do not meaningfully reduce pathogens attached to produce or internalized in the tissue. The guidance is also non-binding. No effective date, no compliance period, no obligation. It took eight years to move from draft to final, and the *Listeria* guidance it cross-references has been a draft since January 2017\. [The trade press filed within hours](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11718-fda-finalizes-fsma-preventive-controls-guidance-for-fresh-cut-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and repeated the agency’s framing without ever reaching the no-antimicrobial sentence. That is the difference I keep running into this summer. A guidance document that concedes the wash does not work on the parasite is a piece of helpful leadership. Standing next to it and telling twenty-eight thousand sick people’s neighbors to feel confident is unhelpful cheerleading. The safest food supply in the world is the oldest line in this business. I have heard some version of it from administrations of both parties since I started doing this work in 1993, and I have almost always heard it in the middle of an outbreak, from someone who had just been handed a number he did not want to say out loud. It is not a finding. No agency certifies it. No dataset produces it. It is a slogan, and it has been doing the same job for thirty years, which is to end the conversation. Here is what the government actually measures. CDC’s own estimate, still posted on its website, is that [48 million Americans get sick from food every year](https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/data-research/facts-stats/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), that 128,000 are hospitalized and that 3,000 die. When CDC [rebuilt that estimate in 2025](https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/php/data-research/foodborne-illness-burden/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for the seven pathogens it can model best, it came back with 9.9 million illnesses, 53,300 hospitalizations and 931 deaths from those seven alone — and *Cyclospora* is not one of the seven, which is part of why nobody can tell you tonight how many people this parasite really made sick this summer. The nearest thing to an international ranking is the Global Food Security Index, and [we covered the most recent one here at Food Safety News](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/09/u-s-slips-down-rankings-in-food-security-index/): on quality and safety the United States placed third, behind Canada and Denmark, and thirteenth overall, down from ninth. That index scores laws and standards on paper. It does not count sick people. Even grading us on paper, it does not put us first. Three years ago Netflix released a documentary built around that exact sentence. It is called *Poisoned*. I am in a good deal of it, and so are parents who buried children. The claim the film sets out to test, in its opening minutes, is the claim that America has the safest food supply in the world. [Here is the trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZcyMgdWmPg&ref=foodsafetynews.com). I would rather the acting Commissioner spend an hour with it than repeat the line it was made to answer. The rest of Tuesday’s claims deserve answers too. Record time: the first illnesses in this outbreak had onset on May 13, and the first federal advisory came on July 16\. That is two months, and Frank Yiannas, who ran food policy at FDA, told the Wall Street Journal the agency appears to have moved slowly. Effectively removed from the market: the recall was July 17, when CDC’s confirmed count stood at roughly 1,600\. It stands at 13,895 tonight. Pulling the product ends the exposure. It does not end the outbreak, and it does not shrink the number. And while CDC was publishing those figures on Tuesday, the department that runs both agencies posted on social media that *Cyclospora* is contained and American food is safe. Contained is a word with a meaning. Two people are dead, at least 688 people have been hospitalized, and the season CDC itself defines does not close until August 31. Look at what the Secretary of Health and Human Services has actually said about this outbreak, because it is short. On July 21, at a briefing called to announce a health care fraud action, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was asked about it and said the outbreak was under control. He said extensive epidemiological forensics had identified the source and the companies involved had recalled. Asked whether surveillance cuts had slowed the response, he said those criticisms are invalid, that there had been no cuts to the surveillance program, and that the FoodNet reductions were for redundant surveillance and every state would say so. That was three weeks ago. The confirmed count on the day he said it was a small fraction of where it stands tonight, and he has not said anything about the outbreak since. What he has done since is nothing. The department proposed a rule requiring companies to [notify FDA of their own GRAS determinations](https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-08-10/us-health-agency-moves-to-increase-oversight-of-food-additives?ref=foodsafetynews.com), open for comment 120 days, and submitted the government’s [first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/08/10/rfk-jr-slated-unveil-plan-targeting-loophole-that-allows-chemicals-food-supply/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for final review. He called the pair historic. He said parents should not need a chemistry degree to understand what their children are eating, and he is right about that. Both are defensible policy and I have argued for the first one for years. Neither touches parasites, imported produce, traceability, or surveillance. Neither would have shortened this summer by a single day. In the eleventh week of the largest *Cyclospora* outbreak in American history, the department’s major food announcement was about food chemistry. The President has commented once. On July 24, Peter Doocy asked him when it would be safe to eat lettuce again. [He said he had not thought about it](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-laughs-off-fox-news-reporters-question-on-cyclospora-outbreak-12242570?ref=foodsafetynews.com), said it was the first time anyone had asked him, asked Doocy whether he had been eating lettuce lately, and then said he would put a major tariff on Mexico because of the lettuce. That was eighteen days ago, and he has not returned to it. A tariff is not a food safety measure. Taylor Farms is a California company. A tariff tests no water, trains no harvest crew, and counts no sick person. When the man at the top of the government is asked when the food will be safe and his honest answer is that he has not thought about it, that is not a gaffe to score points off. It is a description of where this sits on the list. Others in the building have gone further than being uninformed. Calley Means, a senior White House adviser, posted on X within the past week that the concern over this outbreak is hysteria funded by junk food companies to make people eat less real food, and that a foodborne illness advocacy group is a front feeding quotes to reporters. The group he was pointing at works with families whose children died of foodborne illness. Two people are dead in Michigan and better than twenty-eight thousand are counted sick. Calling that manufactured is not a communications strategy. It is a statement about how seriously the White House takes it. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the same company at the center of the lettuce outbreak [recalled prepared salsas, guacamoles and dips](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/09/taylor-farms-recalls-salsa-and-guacamole-over-salmonella-risk.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) made with jalapeños from Sinaloa, tied to a *Salmonella* Javiana outbreak that has sickened at least 345 people across 27 states. Two nationwide outbreaks, one supplier, three weeks apart. Confidence is not the emotion the moment calls for. The people who have been substantive about this are almost all outside the executive branch or below the political level of it. Eleven letters have gone from Congress to CDC, FDA and HHS since the middle of July, five from the House and six from the Senate, and I have not found a published answer to any of them. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote as ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and [asked the acting Commissioner for every communication between FDA and the White House about this outbreak and about Taylor Farms](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026-07-30-Letter-from-Sen-Blumenthal-to-Acting-Commissioner-Diamantas.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). That deadline is Thursday, and PSI is the one committee on this list with subpoena capacity behind it. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand [wrote to Diamantas and to the then-acting CDC director](https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/news/press/release/amid-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-gillibrand-demands-answers-about-trump-administration-gutting-monitoring-of-foodborne-illnesses/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking how CDC intends to keep a reliable baseline now that this parasite has come off mandatory FoodNet tracking. Every one of the eleven letters was signed by a Democrat, which is a problem of its own, because none of what they are asking for is partisan. Leadership starts with doing something useful instead of saying useless things. On August 7 I published [fifteen things FDA and CDC could do about Cyclospora](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-i-have-been-told-i-am-too-hard-on-industry-and-on-the-government-here-are-fifteen-things-fda-and-cdc-could-do-about-cyclospora/), sorted by how long each one takes, because I was tired of being told that complaining is all I do. Four of the fifteen need no rulemaking, no appropriation and no act of Congress. Here are the four I would do first, and I would do all four this week. Two of them belong to CDC alone, which means the new director could start on them tomorrow. The season CDC defines closes on August 31, which is nineteen days from now. 1\. Say one number out loud and define what is inside it. There are four figures in circulation for the same disease in the same week — the outbreak page, the confirmed count, the confirmed count plus the unconfirmed, and what the fifty state health departments actually report. Every one of them is defensible and no two of them describe the same thing, which is why the public hears a different number depending on which reporter called which office. Pick a figure, say in one sentence what it counts and what it leaves out, and refresh it on a published cadence. An agency that will not state the size of a problem cannot expect to be believed when it says the problem is handled. 2\. Publish the genotypes. CDC has had targeted amplicon deep sequencing for this parasite since 2018\. It is built, it is paid for, and it is the only tool in existence that can tell us whether the lettuce outbreak, the other federal *Cyclospora*files carrying illnesses with no named food, and North Carolina’s separate parsley and cilantro signal are one event or four. No state can answer that on its own. Nothing has been published. This is the cheapest item on the list and probably the most valuable. 3\. Go look at the water and name the parasite in the rule that governs it. Tuesday’s guidance tells processors that when the antimicrobial cannot control a hazard, they must handle it with supply-chain controls, which routes them to the produce safety rules. The only numeric microbial criterion in the [pre-harvest agricultural water rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-pre-harvest-agricultural-water?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is generic *E. coli*, and FDA’s own material on this organism says indicator testing will not find it. Meanwhile, after the 2013 outbreak traced to the same company and the same region, the firm resumed production on a stated commitment to sample its products and its water, and [FDA’s own environmental assessment](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Environmental-Assessment--2013-Cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-Iowa-and-Nebraska-%E2%80%93-Findings-and-Recommendations.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) told it to determine whether this parasite is a reasonably likely hazard and to re-evaluate the wash. Nobody has ever published whether any of that happened. Ask, then send someone to sample the irrigation water, and publish the result whichever way it comes out. 4\. Put the traceability rule back on its original schedule. Congress passed it in 2011\. It was supposed to take effect this year and has been [pushed to 2028](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-trump-admin-cuts-have-compromised-food-safety/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Seventeen years after the statute, we traced this lettuce with spreadsheets and phone calls. None of the four would have prevented this outbreak. The contamination happened in a field in central Mexico in the spring, weeks before the first American got sick, and no surveillance system counts a case that has not happened yet. What they would have done is make this outbreak shorter, smaller and legible — found sooner, described honestly while it was running, understood afterward. And not one of the four is a partisan measure. The traceability rule was written under one administration and delayed under two. I would rather hear an acting Commissioner say that his own agency published a document on Tuesday admitting there is no wash that controls this parasite, that the traceability rule he needs is three years away, and here is which of these he is going to do about it. I would rather hear a new CDC director say one number in her first month and stand behind it. I would rather hear a Secretary say the July number was wrong and here is the real one. I would rather hear a President say he has been briefed. I would rather hear that one of them had spent an hour with a family. Nobody comes out of that hour able to say a thing is under control. Those are harder sentences to say. They are also the ones that would actually restore confidence. ### Some states say Cyclospora outbreak is slowing URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/states-say-cyclospora-outbreak-is-slowing/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T16:42:25.000Z The two states with the highest patient counts in a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak are stepping back from daily reporting, saying that the pace of the outbreak is slowing. At last count, posted Aug. 6, Michigan reported 12,485 patients, up from 12,218 on Aug. 5\. The state has had two confirmed deaths and 279 hospitalizations. The Ohio state health department is reporting 4,949 cases of cyclosporiasis across 82 counties. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 6,358 patients across 15 states in a Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from the Taylor Farms growing operation in Central Mexico. The CDC is also reporting a group of outbreaks across 47 states with 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis and more than 12,255 additional cases that are not laboratory-confirmed or require further investigation. The CDC is reporting patient counts once a week. Unlike Michigan and Ohio, officials in some other states are continuing to see sharp increases in patient counts. Missouri health officials say 1,577 people in the state have now tested positive, which reflects a 44 percent increase in confirmed cases from the previous week. Both Michigan and Ohio have stopped daily reporting of case counts as of August. 10\. Michigan’s health department will update patient counts on Thursdays moving forward. Also, Ohio has discontinued its regional cyclosporiasis hotline because of “a decreasing rate of new positive cases in northwest Ohio.” “Since the start of this outbreak, (the Michigan health department) has remained committed to providing timely, transparent information and clear recommendations to Michigan residents,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. In addition to stepping back from daily patient count updates, the Michigan health department is advising residents that they can go back to routine guidance for consuming lettuce and salad greens. “As new data has emerged, our guidance has evolved to reflect the best available evidence, helping ensure that prevention recommendations are accurate, actionable and responsive to the changing situation,” Bagdasarian said. The state totals are as follows: | **State** | **2026 cases** | **As of** | **All of 2025** | **Lettuce** | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | --------------- | ----------- | | Michigan | [12,485](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 6 | 50 | Yes | | Ohio | [4,900](https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/toledo/news/2026/08/07/cyclosporiasis-ohio-confirmed-cases?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 4 | 76 | Yes | | Indiana | [1,893](https://fox59.com/indiana-news/nearly-1900-cases-of-explosive-diarrhea-illness-cyclosporiasis-reported-in-indiana/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 10 | 27 | Yes | | Missouri | [1,095](https://www.kctv5.com/2026/08/03/missouri-cyclosporiasis-cases-double-one-week-over-1000/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 2 | none reported | Yes | | Illinois | [995](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/cyclospora-cases-illinois-august-4/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 4 | 301 | Yes | | North Carolina | [867](https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/programs/epidemiology/communicable-disease/foodborne-illnesses/cyclosporiasis/cases?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 4 | 300 | Yes | | New York | [753](https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 27 | 694 | Yes | | Kentucky | [620](https://www.wsmv.com/2026/08/04/kentucky-health-officials-investigating-over-600-reported-cases-cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 29 | 45 | Yes | | Kansas | [615](https://www.wibw.com/2026/08/05/cyclosporiasis-cases-continue-rise-this-week-kansas/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 5 | 29 | Yes | | Oklahoma | [426](https://okcfox.com/news/local/osdh-426-cyclosporiasis-cases-recorded-across-oklahoma?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 4 | 41 | Yes | | Florida | [342](https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2026-08-06/florida-cyclospora-surges-again-with-87-new-cases-more-states-link-the-cause-to-lettuce?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 1 | 210 | Yes | | West Virginia | [291](https://oeps.wv.gov/cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 7 | 8 | Yes | | Arkansas | [237](https://healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/diseases-conditions/communicable-diseases/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 7 | 13 | Yes | | Iowa | [226](https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/19114/download?inline=&ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 30 | 64 | Yes | | Nebraska | [218](https://www.wowt.com/2026/08/06/nebraska-health-department-confirms-cyclosporasis-cases-tied-national-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 6 | 51 | No | | Texas | [198](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/texas-cyclospora-cases-near-200-165227995.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 5 | 512 | Yes | | Virginia | [162](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 30 | 115 | Yes | | Wisconsin | [160](https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 29 | 65 | Yes | | Colorado | [150](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 205 | No | | Massachusetts | [145](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/cyclospora-cases-massachusetts-lettuce/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 5 | 74 | Yes | | Alabama | [85](https://www.waff.com/2026/08/03/alabama-cyclospora-cases-grow-north-alabama-hit-hardest/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 3 | 19 | Yes | | Pennsylvania | [82](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/2026%20HAN/2026-833-07-16-ADV-Cyclospora.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 29 | not notifiable | Yes | | Maryland | [69](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 123 | Yes | | New Hampshire | [69](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 4 | 7 | Yes | | New Jersey | [46](https://www.nj.gov/health/news/2026/approved/20260716a.shtml?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 11 | 180 | Yes | | California | [41](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR26-024.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 14 | not available | No | | Minnesota | [41](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | none reported | No | | Washington | [36](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Aug 7 | not available | No | | Connecticut | [35](https://portal.ct.gov/dph/newsroom/press-releases---2026/cyclosporiasis-cases-linked-to-national-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 41 | Yes | | Oregon | [23](https://www.oregon.gov/oha/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 24 | not available | No | | Arizona | [19](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 49 | No | | Georgia | [11](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 116 | Yes | | Tennessee | [11](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 38 | Yes | | Alaska | [5](https://health.alaska.gov/media/jqphutwx/akphan%5F20260716-domestically-acquired-cyclosporiasis-cases-in-multiple-us-states-2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 16 | 6 | No | | Rhode Island | [4](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 6 | No | | Louisiana | [1](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 99 | Yes | | Utah | [1](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | Jul 17 | 37 | No | | Delaware | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 1 | No | | Hawaii | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | not available | No | | Idaho | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | not notifiable | No | | Maine | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 4 | No | | Mississippi | [no count published](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-15-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | not notifiable | Yes | | Montana | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 8 | No | | Nevada | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | not notifiable | No | | New Mexico | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 9 | No | | North Dakota | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 4 | No | | South Carolina | [no count published](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-15-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 45 | Yes | | South Dakota | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 3 | No | | Vermont | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 3 | No | | Wyoming | [no count published](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | — | 0 | No | | **All fifty states** | **27,357** | | | **50** | ### Large Trichinella outbreak raises meat sourcing concerns URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/large-trichinella-outbreak-raises-meat-sourcing-concerns/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T04:02:50.000Z Details of a large Trichinella outbreak in Lebanon linked to contaminated meat have been shared in new research. In December 2023, a Trichinella case was reported in Jahliyeh, Mount Lebanon, to the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (ESU) of the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon. Scientists surveyed householders to identify cases and assess meat consumption practices, inspected local butcheries, and tested meat samples. They identified 290 patients. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hong Kong outbreak analysis reveals growing role of norovirus URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/hong-kong-outbreak-analysis-reveals-growing-role-of-norovirus/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T04:01:18.000Z An analysis of outbreaks over a decade in Hong Kong has revealed the growing prevalence of norovirus-related raw oyster outbreaks. From 2016 to 2025, Hong Kong recorded 1,964 outbreaks affecting 7,758 people. Most of them were small in scale, with 88 percent involving five or fewer cases. Food poisoning outbreaks peaked in May and June because of warmer conditions favoring bacterial growth, while norovirus outbreaks were more common in winter. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Frozen fudge sandwiches recalled because of undeclared egg URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/frozen-fudge-sandwiches-recalled-because-of-undeclared-egg/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T00:41:34.000Z Blank Slate Creamery of Ann Arbor, MI, is recalling its 4.5 oz. packaged Vegan Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Coconut Fudge Sandwiches, because they may contain undeclared egg. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The Vegan Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Coconut Fudge Sandwiches were distributed in Ann Arbor and Brighton, MI, at three store locations. The product comes in a 4.5 ounce, clear plastic package marked with a best by dates 11/23/26 and 1/9/27. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The recall was initiated after notification that Rooted in Rare brand Aquafaba powder packaged in 4oz (113g) and (12 oz (340g) flexible foil pouches with UPC #199284530959 (4oz) and #199284306226 (12oz) with the Best by 12/14/2026 and Best by 12/12/2027 was recalled. Consumers who have purchased 4.5 ounce packaged Vegan Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Coconut Fudge Sandwiches are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. ### Noodles, soup base recalled for undeclared fish URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/noodles-soup-base-recalled-for-undeclared-fish/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T00:31:57.000Z Sun Noodle of Honolulu, HI, is recalling 15.4-ounce packages of Sura Tanmen Hot and Sour Flavor Premium Japanese Noodles & Soup Base, because the product may contain undeclared fish. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to fish run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The recall was initiated after Sun Noodle received a consumer inquiry noting that the soup base included in the kit did not match Sura Tanmen kits. An internal investigation confirmed that a soba sauce, which contains fish, was mistakenly packed into Sura Tanmen kits. Fish is not declared as an allergen on the Sura Tanmen packaging. The issue was traced to a single production run and has been corrected. Sun Noodle has reviewed subsequent production lots and confirmed they contain the correct soup base. The company is reviewing its packing verification procedures to prevent any recurrence. Consumers who have purchased Sura Tanmen with lot code 1226183 are urged not to consume the product. The recalled Sura Tanmen, lot #1226183, was distributed exclusively in the state of Hawaii through the following retail supermarkets and food distributors between July 9 and July 29, 2026: - Don Don Donki Kapolei Store - Don Quijote Kaheka Store - Don Quijote Pearl City Store - Golden Touch Trading Inc. - H-Mart Kakaako, LLC - Marukai Hawaii Kam Shopping Center Store - Nijiya Market Ala Moana Store - Nijiya Market University Avenue Store - Roy’s Restaurant at Koolina - Suisan Company Ltd. - Times Super Market Kahala Store - Times Super Market Kihei Store - Tokyo Central Store No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date. The product can be identified by the following: | **Sura Tanmen** | **Unit** | **Case** | | --------------------- | -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | **Item Number** | 05410 | 05410.1 | | **UPC** | 085315054108 | 085315054105 | | **Affected Lot Code** | 1226183 | 1226183 | | **Net Wt.** | 15.4oz per package | 12 packages per case. 11.75 lbs. per case | | **Type of Container** | Individual Plastic Package | Cardboard Box of 12 Packages | ### Taylor Farms recalls 20 products containing jalapeños linked to outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/taylor-farms-recalls-20-products-containing-jalapenos-linked-to-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T00:22:24.000Z Taylor Farms division Taylor Fresh Foods is recalling 20 products containing jalapeños because of a [Salmonella outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/salmonella-outbreak-caused-by-imported-jalapeno-peppers-has-sickened-hundreds/), including products sold under the Kroger, Target and Trader Joe’s brands. Taylor Fresh Foods received jalapeños from Coast Citrus Distributors that have been recalled because of a link to a Salmonellaoutbreak that has sickened 345 people across 27 states. The illnesses have been traced to jalapeño peppers from a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, who supplied the peppers to Coast Citrus Distributors, according to the recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration. In addition, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a [public alert](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/usda-issues-alert-for-products-containing-jalapenos-in-connection-with-outbreak/) about products containing the jalapeños along with meat and poultry products. Taylor Fresh Foods is no longer sourcing products from this farmer and will be filling orders from alternative suppliers. The list of recalled products are distributed by Taylor Farms including the branded and unbranded products and corresponding images are provided below. The recalled products were distributed to retail distribution centers in the following states: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NH, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VT, WI, WV with a “Best If Used By” date up to and including August 16, 2026. Consumers who have any recalled product should discard it immediately and not consume it. The Taylor Fresh Foods products under recall are: | **Store(s)** | **Brand** | **Description** | **Best if Used By** | **UPC** | **Distributed to States** | | --------------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | --------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------ | | Hannaford | NONE | Diced Jalapenos 3.75oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/14/2026 | 030223082712 | ME, NY | | Hannaford | NONE | Rice and Bean Burrito 12.5oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/11/2026 | 030223082736 | MA, ME, NH, NY, VT | | Kroger | Private Selection | Spicy Roast Beef Sandwich PS 8.53oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/12/2026 | 011110678171 | AL, AR, GA, LA, MS, SC, TN, TX | | Kroger | NONE | Spicy Jarlsberg Dip 10oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/15/2026 | 030223114826 | IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NE, OH, TX, WV | | Kroger | NONE | Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip 10oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/15/2026 | 030223116448 | IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NE, OH, TX, WV | | Stop and Shop and Hannaford | NONE | Pico de Gallo Salsa 7oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/14/2026 | 688267575778 | MA, ME, NY | | Target | Taylor Farms/ Unbranded | Taco Dip 20oz | 8/12/2026 - 8/13/2026 | 030223073581 | FL, OH, TX | | Target | Taylor Farms/ Unbranded | Mango Pico De Gallo 11oz | 8/08/2026 - 8/13/2026 | 030223073543 | OH, TX | | Target | Taylor Farms/ Unbranded | Spicy Guacamole 13oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/13/2026 | 030223073574 | OH, TX | | Target | Taylor Farms | Pico de Gallo 16oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/14/2026 | 030223073536 | TX | | Target | Taylor Farms | Authentic Guacamole 13oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/12/2026 | 030223073567 | TX | | Trader Joe's | Trader Joe's | Fiesta Style Salad Shrimp 11.11oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/12/2026 | 000000818377 | TX | | Walmart | Freshness Guaranteed | Hot ( or Spicy) Pico De Gallo Spicy 10oz | 8/08/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 681131276351 | FL, IL, LA, MN, NE, OK, WI | | Walmart | Freshness Guaranteed | Mild Pico De Gallo 10oz | 8/08/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 681131276344 | FL, IL, LA, MN, NE, OK, TX, WI | | Whole Foods | NONE | Salsa Fresca Medium 12oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 030223075080 | IL, TX | | Whole Foods | NONE | Pico de Gallo Mild 10oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 030223075097 | IL, TX | | Whole Foods | NONE | Pico de Gallo Spicy 10oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 030223075608 | IL, TX | | Whole Foods | NONE | Salsa Roja Medium 12oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 030223075639 | IL, TX | | Whole Foods | NONE | Salsa Roja Medium 12oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/16/2026 | 030223075646 | IL, TX | | Whole Foods | NONE | Pineapple Mango Salsa Mild 10oz | 8/07/2026 - 8/14/2026 | 030223075653 | IL, TX | **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Calls to suspend school meals plan as illnesses continue URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/calls-to-suspend-school-meals-plan-as-illnesses-continue/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T04:06:31.000Z Amnesty International has urged the Indonesian government to suspend its school meals program following more reports of food poisoning. In January 2025, the government launched a Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program to improve nutrition and health for millions of people. However, the plan has been blighted by illness reports among schoolchildren. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Normalization of deviance: The real lesson of this summer's Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/normalization-of-deviance-the-real-lesson-of-this-summers-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T04:05:33.000Z **The Outbreak** By now most of us have seen the numbers. As of this week, the CDC has confirmed more than 6,000 cyclosporiasis cases tied to a single multistate outbreak; state-by-state totals reported independently put the real figure well over 20,000\. It is, by any measure, one of the largest outbreaks of its kind on record. Food Safety News publisher Bill Marler wrote something that stuck with me more than the case counts did. He pointed out that the FDA had flagged this exact risk before, at the same corporate family, at a different facility, thirteen years earlier, after a 2013 Cyclospora outbreak. The agency's own environmental assessment recommended the company test its water and re-evaluate its produce wash step. According to Marler's reporting, there is no public record that verification ever happened. Thirteen years passed. Nothing catastrophic occurred in the interim. Until this year, when it did, at a scale few outbreaks reach. That is not a story about something being missed. It is a story about something being known, and quietly stopping being treated as a risk, because nothing visibly bad happened for a long time. There is a name for that pattern, and it comes from a very different disaster. **What Challenger actually teaches** In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch. The cause was O-ring seals that failed in cold weather. What made it a scandal, rather than just a tragedy, is that engineers had flagged O-ring erosion on multiple previous flights. Each time, the shuttle launched anyway, and nothing catastrophic followed. Sociologist Diane Vaughan, studying the disaster afterward, coined a term for what happened next:normalization of deviance. The process by which a known deviation from a safety standard gets quietly reclassified as acceptable, not because anyone decided it was safe, but because it kept *not* causing a disaster. The risk didn't disappear. It just stopped being treated as one. The term has since become standard vocabulary in aviation safety, nuclear safety, and patient safety literature, precisely because the pattern keeps recurring: a known risk, documented, unresolved, tolerated because the bad outcome hasn't happened yet – until the day it does. 20,000 or more bad outcomes in this case, to date. **The version of this sitting in the glove industry right now** I run a food-safety glove company, and I think the glove industry has a normalization-of-deviance problem, and it's been in the public record for two years without creating change. In 2024, a peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Food Protection tested 2,800 food and examination grade gloves across 26 commercial brands. From the paper – “around 50 percent of samples contained fecal indicator organisms.” “Frank and opportunistic pathogens were identified on tested gloves, including recognized fecal indicators, enterotoxigenic strains of Bacillus cereus and B. anthracis along with the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridoides difficile, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumoniae…” As with Cyclospora, the origin was likely contaminated water – in this case at the manufacturing plants in SE Asia. All samples were stated as “FDA Compliant.” FDA's compliance pathway for gloves (21 CFR 177) tests whether the raw material chemical content is safe to touch food. It does not test whether the glove itself is sanitary, even though FDA's own manufacturing standard (21 CFR 117.10(b)(5)) requires gloves to be "intact, clean, and sanitary." That's not a hidden gap. It's published, peer-reviewed, and two years old. We raised it formally with the Conference for Food Protection, the body that reconciles exactly this kind of regulatory contradiction; the Council declined to act, ruling it outside the Conference's scope, and it won't be reconsidered until 2027\. We also petitioned FDA directly in November 2025 to address the underlying material standard for vinyl gloves. Both are public record. No known outbreak has been publicly attributed to a contaminated glove yet. Under normalization of deviance, that fact means precisely nothing about whether the risk is real. It means the industry hasn't yet had its version of a cold morning in January. The absence of a headline is not evidence of safety. It's the condition under which a known risk gets tolerated, right up until it isn’t. **What this isn't, and what it is** We need to be careful here, because it would be easy to overreach. We are not claiming Cyclospora has been found on gloves; it hasn't, and the biology makes that unlikely. This isn't a claim about one pathogen. It's a claim about a pattern: known risk, no verification requirement, tolerated by default until something forces the question. What this outbreak actually demonstrates, more than any specific pathogen, is how expensive that pattern gets once it resolves. Tens of thousands of illnesses, a supply chain under scrutiny, a regulator facing hard questions about what it knew and when. Nobody sets out for this. It happens by default, when a known and documented risk is left unverified long enough. Food manufacturing, processing, and service all use gloves as a deliberate barrier against exactly this category of contamination. That's the entire point of the product. The question worth asking isn't whether your gloves are FDA compliant. It's whether anyone has verified they are sanitary. For most gloves on the market today, the honest answer is probably not, and nobody has checked. Maybe we will have to wait years for something to happen as a result of a contaminated glove. But the fact remains that the glove that is supposed to be a barrier to the fecal-oral contamination route may in fact turn out to be the bridge. **Sources** Publisher's Platform: The FDA closed the 2024 romaine E. coli outbreak without naming Taylor Farms... – Bill Marler, Food Safety News, July 29, 2026 Publisher's Platform: The Fifty-State Cyclospora count is 20,927 this morning. Bill Marler Investigation Update: Cyclospora Outbreak, July 2026 – CDC Journal of Food Protection, 2024 – Potential for Glove Risk Amplification via Direct Physical, Chemical, and Microbiological Contamination. **About the author*: Steve Ardagh is founder and CEO Eagle Protect PBC, the only U.S. glove supply company to conduct proprietary independent glove testing and verification of their range of gloves. With gloves a known microbial contamination source, Ardagh continues to appear in podcasts and food safety publications advocating for increased glove food safety verification. He is actively pursuing a regulatory change of food-compliant gloves to include testing and verification for microbial contamination and glove defects - neither of which are currently included.* ### Data shows cost of illness claims linked to travel abroad URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/data-shows-cost-of-illness-claims-linked-to-travel-abroad/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T04:04:15.000Z Claims for stomach-related issues – such as food poisoning and gastroenteritis – have increased in recent years and can be costly, according to an insurance company. Aviva data from 2025 shows that UK claims peak between July and September, reflecting the higher number of people going abroad on summer holidays. Figures show that treatment for stomach-related issues costs almost £4,100 ($5,500) on average. Despite Spain having the highest number of such claims overall, the United States is the most expensive country to seek treatment, where medical costs for stomach bugs can reach nearly £11,900 ($16,000) on average. Average costs put Spain in second at £4,644 ($6,200), followed by Greece, Canada and Cyprus. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns three California importers about Foreign Supplier Verification Program failures URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-warns-three-california-importers-about-foreign-supplier-verification-program-failures/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T04:02:12.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to three California food importers after inspections found they failed to comply with Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requirements for imported foods, including pet treats, rice, tea, gelatin and cookies. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA steps up import enforcement on seafood, tamarind and other products URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-steps-up-import-enforcement-on-seafood-tamarind-and-other-products/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T04:00:42.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### More than a ton of corned beef recalled because of Listeria contamination URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/more-than-a-ton-of-corned-beef-recalled-because-of-listeria-contamination/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T01:37:51.000Z City Foods Inc. of Chicago, IL, is recalling 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pastrami and corned beef productsthat may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The RTE pastrami and corned beef products were produced on July 16 and have a 60-day shelf life. FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers, along with institution refrigerators and freezers. Consumers and institutions who have purchased these products are urged not to consume or serve them. The following products are subject to recall: - 10-lb. cardboard boxes containing 2- to 5-lb. pieces of “Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami” with case code “19410” printed on the box label. - Various weight 20- to 30-lb. cardboard boxes containing 2-3 pieces of “BEA’S BEST COOKED CORNED BEEF BRISKET” with case code “18919” printed on the box label. - Various weight 20- to 30-lb. cardboard boxes containing 2-3 pieces of “KIRSCH DELICATESSEN STYLE COOKED CORNED BEEF BRISKET” with case code “19751” printed on the box label. The products have establishment number “EST. 1896” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to foodservice locations in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan, from which they were further distributed nationwide. The problem was discovered during routine inspection activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Today's Topic: Foreign Inspections URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/todays-topic-foreign-inspections/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T01:38:11.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week** - [Two deaths in Michigan have been linked to the Cyclospora parasite outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/first-deaths-in-cyclospora-outbreak-reported-by-michigan/) that has affected more than 6,000 people in at least 15 states. Both patients had underlying conditions, but the state health department attributed their deaths to dehydration from their Cyclospora infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are tracking [multiple outbreaks of cyclosporiasis affecting at least 20,000 people](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/taylor-farms-says-its-not-responsible-for-cyclospora-outbreak/). The CDC has not yet conclusively identified any specific sources of the infection. - A study published in the journal Global Food Security found that households in the U.K. with children and those with a long term health condition are [more than twice as likely to have started “dumpster diving” for discarded food](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/scientists-highlight-food-safety-angle-of-dumpster-diving/). Usage of a food bank is also associated with this practice. The scientists who conducted the study urged greater attention to risks of foodborne illness from dumpster diving as well as better coordination of food redistribution and food waste handling. - More than 300 confirmed cases of [Salmonella Javiana infections have been linked to jalapeño peppers imported from Sinaloa, Mexico](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/salmonella-outbreak-caused-by-imported-jalapeno-peppers-has-sickened-hundreds/) into the U.S. The outbreak caused Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba to stop serving the affected peppers, all of which originated from a single grower. - The U.S. [suspended inspections of avocados in the Mexican state of Michoacan](https://apnews.com/article/mexico-us-avocados-suspended-michoacan-cartels-sheinbaum-trump-689d89d4934a405882785205cc0f8c22?ref=foodsafetynews.com) this week. The cited reason is a non-specific threat to U.S. interests. More than 80% of the avocados consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico, the AP reports, so this move threatens the economic well-being of producers in Mexico as well as avocado supplies in the U.S. It highlights some of the challenges inherent in coordinating food safety standards across international borders. - The [death of a 13-year-old boy in Italy](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/italian-child-dies-after-decade-long-e-coli-battle/) has spurred calls for better labeling on unpasteurized milk products such as raw cheese. Mattia Maestri contracted an E. coli infection from raw milk cheese in 2017\. The infection led to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a several complication associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Mattia was in a come for nine years before his death. A proposal to mandate labels on unpasteurized milk products warning of health risks to children, pregnant women, the elderly and the immunocompromised is stalled in the Italian Parliament. --- **Today’s Topic: Foreign Inspections** Millions of those nasty Cyclospora parasites slipped over the border, but was anybody looking? Damn few, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which warned the incoming administration on Jan. 8, 2025, that FDA inspections of food imports were almost non-existent. The GAO report disclosed that the FDA has consistently fallen short of meeting its annual targets for foreign food facility inspections. During a six-year period from 2018 to 2023, FDA averaged only 917 foreign inspections per year. “For foreign facility inspections, FDA conducted far fewer than the annual target of 19,200 inspections identified by FSMA, according to FDA data,” the GAO reported. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USDA issues alert for products containing jalapeños in connection with outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/usda-issues-alert-for-products-containing-jalapenos-in-connection-with-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-09T03:15:36.000Z The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for 18 meat and poultry products containing FDA-regulated jalapeños that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The alert is in connection with a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 345 people across 27 states. Many of the implicated products are sold under the Taylor Farms brand,. Other brands include Walmart’s Marketside brand and H-E-B brand. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/Salmonella-map-outbreak-08-08-26-jalapenos.png) The FSIS expects additional downstream products will be identified as this ingredient recall progresses. The products covered by the FSIS alert have use by dates up to and including Aug. 15. The list of products subject to the public health alert is available [here](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/distro%5Flist/2026-08/PHA-08082026-01-product-list%5F1.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), including information such as the product names, establishment numbers and states where the products were distributed. The problem was discovered when Food and Drug Administration notified FSIS that multiple FSIS-regulated establishments received an FDA-regulated ingredient that had been recalled. More information on the FDA recall and outbreak investigation is available on [FDA’s website](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-jalapeno-august-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com). FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ or retailers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. Retailers who have purchased these products are urged not to serve or sell them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. The Salmonella outbreak involves jalapeño peppers distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to distributors, restaurants, and food service companies, including Mexican-style restaurants in the United States. Based on epidemiological information collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 345 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonellahave been reported from 27 states. There have been 36 hospitalizations. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19 to July 20\. Of the 191 people interviewed, 177 (93 percent) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with meal dates ranging from June 14 to July 14. Chipotle and QDOBA both received product that was imported by Coast Citrus Distributors from Sinaloa, Mexico. Chipotle switched their jalapeño supplier for impacted stores beginning on July 20 and are no longer serving affected product; QDOBA also ceased the use of jalapeños in their stores on July 28 and all QDOBA restaurants are no longer serving jalapenos. Given their actions to remove product from their stores, FDA does not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments to consumers in this outbreak. As part of this investigation, FDA conducted a traceback investigation based on where ill people reported eating during the timeframe of interest and a common grower in Sinaloa, Mexico that supplies to Coast Citrus Distributors was identified as the likely source in this outbreak. As a result, FDA recommended Coast Citrus Distributors conduct a recall to remove product from the market. In cooperation with the FDA, Coast Citrus Distributors has agreed to recall the remaining product implicated in the outbreak through epidemiological and traceback data and is in the process of identifying and contacting affected customers. The firm is no longer importing from the common grower. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any products containing jalapeños and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Almost 15 tons of imported beef recalled because of lack of reinspection URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/almost-15-tons-of-imported-beef-recalled-because-of-lack-of-reinspection/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T02:51:44.000Z Corte Argentino USA LLC of Aventura, FL, is recalling 29,628 pounds of raw beef products that were imported from Argentina without the benefit of import reinspection into the United States, the U.SDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The raw beef products were produced between May 15, 2026, and May 20, 2026, and have use or freeze-by dates between September 15, 2026, and September 20, 2026\. The following products are subject to recall: - Various weight cardboard boxes containing “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Top Sirloin Butt” (“Cuadril Sin Tapa”) - Various weight cardboard boxes containing “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Eye Round” (“Peceto”) - Various weight cardboard boxes containing “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Topside Cap Off” (“Nalga AD S/Tapa”) - Various weight cardboard boxes containing “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Flat” (“Carnaza Cuadrada”) - Various weight cardboard boxes containing “FrigorIfico Gorina SAIC” boneless beef “Knuckle” (“Bola de Lomo”) The products subject to the recall bear Argentinian establishment number “EST. N° OF. 2025” and shipping mark “26644-AA” The products were shipped to distributors and retailers in Florida and Texas. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### More than 2.5 tons of frozen, breaded catfish products recalled because of illegal importation URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/more-than-2-5-tons-of-frozen-breaded-catfish-products-recalled-because-of-illegal-importation/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T02:39:51.000Z Shan Distribution Network Inc. of Carol Stream, IL, is recalling 5,084 pounds of frozen breaded Swai fish fillet and stick products because they were produced in the United Arab Emirates, a country that is not eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The frozen Siluriformes breaded Swai fish fillet and stick products were produced in December 2025, and have use before dates in June 2027\. The following products are subject to recall: - 13.75-oz. boxes containing Al Kabeer spicy “Zing Fish Fillets Breaded Partially Cooked Swai Fish Fillets” - 10.58-oz. boxes containing Al Kabeer “Fish Sticks Breaded Swai Fish” - 330-g boxes containing Al Kabeer “Breaded Fish Fillets” The products do not bear an establishment number nor a USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Publisher’s Platform: I Have Been Told I Am Too Hard on Industry and on the Government. Here Are Fifteen Things They Could Do About Cyclospora. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-i-have-been-told-i-am-too-hard-on-industry-and-on-the-government-here-are-fifteen-things-fda-and-cdc-could-do-about-cyclospora/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T16:28:24.000Z People I respect have told me I am unnecessarily critical of industry and of the government, and of FDA and CDC in particular. Some of them are friends. A few of them spent careers inside the agencies I write about. I have thought about it for a while now, and part of it is fair. Here is the part that is fair. I have been representing people sickened by food since 1993, and thirty-three years of sitting with families who lost a kidney, a colon or a child does not make a person gentle. It is easy for the volume of my criticism to read as a judgment about the people doing the work, and that is not what I think. The career staff at both agencies are, in my experience, careful, serious and badly outnumbered. The epidemiologists who worked this outbreak did the interviews, built the traceback and found the supplier. They did it with fewer colleagues than they had two years ago. When I am wrong about them, I would rather be told than left alone. Here is the part I do not accept. The implication underneath the criticism of my criticism is that complaining is all I do. That is checkable, and it is not true. Below are fifteen things the federal government could do about this parasite, sorted by how long each one takes. Four of them require no rulemaking, no appropriation and no act of Congress. Most of the rest were federal policy or federal practice inside the last fifteen years. I would rather be judged on this list than on anything else I have written this summer. The reason for the urgency is the arithmetic. As of tonight, the federal government counts [6,358 illnesses, 278 hospitalizations and two deaths](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-15-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in fifteen states. CDC’s [national surveillance page](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) counts 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases across 47 states plus more than 12,255 that are not confirmed. The fifty state health departments, added up one by one, report **25,836**. Michigan alone reports 12,485 people and 279 hospitalized. The season CDC defines closes on August 31, which is twenty-five days from now. **This week, with a memorandum. No rulemaking, no appropriation, no act of Congress.** **1\. Grant the citizen petition that has been sitting at FDA since February.** [Stop Foodborne Illness asked the agency](https://stopfoodborneillness.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/STOP-FDA-HHS-CCI-Petition-Final-2.4.2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to adopt a policy of publicly naming every company associated with a foodborne illness outbreak, recall or no recall. The legal argument is clean: the Trade Secrets Act protects sales figures and proprietary processes, not the factual identity of a company that sells food to the public. It requires no rulemaking. The Commissioner could grant it this week with a memorandum. My one amendment stands, and this outbreak proves it: disclosure has to reach the processor and the grower, because in a produce outbreak there is very often no brand on the bag at all. And there is now a reason to think the agency has already answered in practice rather than on the docket. In April, FDA [withheld the company names](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/04/fda-withholds-company-names-in-report-on-mango-outbreak/) from its own report on a mango outbreak and said the information was covered by the trade secrets act. The petition is still pending. **2\. Publish one national number, define exactly what it counts, and refresh it on a schedule.** There are four numbers in circulation for the same disease in the same week. The [outbreak page](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says 6,358\. The surveillance page says 10,468 confirmed. Add the unconfirmed and it is 22,723\. The states themselves say 25,836\. Every one of those figures is defensible and no two of them describe the same thing, which is why the public hears a different number depending on which reporter called which office. Pick a figure, say in one sentence what is inside it and what is not, include probable cases or explain why not, and update it on a published cadence. An agency that will not state the size of a problem cannot expect to be believed about the solution. **3\. Publish the case definition, and date every change to it.** On August 5 CDC widened the definition of a case in this outbreak from people who reported eating at one restaurant chain to people who reported that chain *or* the recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce. The count went from 1,947 to 6,358 that evening. Nobody announced the change. It surfaced in a single sentence near the top of an [FDA advisory](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-15-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and anyone charting the outbreak learned about it by noticing that the line had jumped. A case count is not a measurement if the thing being counted changes without notice. Post the definition, date every revision, and republish the earlier series on the new definition so the trend line means something. **4\. Publish the genotypes.** CDC has had targeted amplicon deep sequencing for this parasite since 2018\. It is the only tool in existence that can tell whether the fifteen-state outbreak, the six other federal *Cyclospora* files and North Carolina’s separate herb signal are one event or four. It is already built and already paid for, and it answers a question no state health department can answer on its own. Nothing has been published. This is the single cheapest thing on this list and probably the most valuable. **This season. Weeks, not years, and the season is not over.** **5\. Restore required *Cyclospora* reporting in FoodNet.** I know the objection and I agree with half of it. FoodNet measures trends; it does not detect outbreaks and restoring it would not have found this one. What it would have done is tell us in the spring that something was different. Required reporting for this parasite [came off effective July 1, 2025](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com), ten months before the first illness in this outbreak. Reinstating it costs almost nothing, and nearly every letter Congress has sent this summer asks for it. **6\. Make cyclosporiasis reportable in every state, not merely nationally notifiable.** Those are two different things. Notifiable means CDC asks for the case. Reportable means state law requires a physician or a laboratory to send it. Pennsylvania is an outbreak state where reporting is voluntary, and the federal government has now counted more sick Pennsylvanians than Pennsylvania has. The parasite does not observe the distinction, and neither should the count. **7\. Say what is in the other six files.** FDA’s [outbreak investigation table](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) currently carries seven *Cyclospora*investigations. One of them is the lettuce. The other six say only that the product has not yet been identified, and together they hold 178 people. One of the six was opened on August 5, the same day the government announced the lettuce outbreak had reached 6,358\. Another grew from ten cases to twenty-five, which FDA explains by saying it now includes additional illnesses based on similarities in reported exposures. That is the agency telling us it has found a common exposure pattern in a file whose food it will not name. Publish what is known about each of the six or say plainly why it cannot be published yet. **8\. Publish a death-ascertainment method.** The federal death count for this outbreak went from zero to two on August 3\. Both were in Michigan and FDA has since said on its own page that both people had illness onset before the July 17 recall. What nobody has described is how a *Cyclospora* death is determined and counted in the first place — who reviews the record, what the criteria are, and whether other states are applying the same ones. Two may well be right. It is impossible to argue about it until somebody says how a death gets onto the list. **9\. Go look at the water and answer the question that is thirteen years old.** Everything above this line is about counting sick Americans. None of it sends a single person to the field. In August 2013, after the last large outbreak traced to the same company and the same region, Taylor Farms de Mexico suspended production and [resumed with FDA concurrence](https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2013/clear-of-cyclospora-taylor-farms-de-mexico-resumes-operations/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on a stated commitment to a comprehensive sampling program covering its products *and its water*. Nobody has ever published whether that program ran, for how long, or what it found. FDA’s own [2013 environmental assessment](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Environmental-Assessment--2013-Cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-Iowa-and-Nebraska-%E2%80%93-Findings-and-Recommendations.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) told the firm to determine whether this parasite is a reasonably likely hazard and to re-evaluate the wash step. Ask what happened to both. Then send someone to sample the irrigation water and publish the result whichever way it comes out. **Before next summer. These take rulemaking or money, which is exactly why they should start now.** **10\. Bring back the Microbiological Data Program, and this time give it a parasite target.** The MDP was created under President Bush’s 2001 food safety initiative, tested roughly fifteen thousand produce samples a year, and accounted for the large majority of all federal produce pathogen testing until it was zeroed out and shut down in December 2012\. I have been asking for it back since 2024\. The honest caveat, which I would rather state myself than have stated at me: MDP tested for bacteria, not parasites, so restoring it exactly as it was would not have caught this outbreak. Restore it with *Cyclospora* on the panel and the sampling pushed upstream toward the field. **11\. Add the parasite to national wastewater surveillance.** CDC’s [National Wastewater Surveillance System](https://www.cdc.gov/nwss?ref=foodsafetynews.com) draws from roughly fifteen hundred sites covering about half the country, and it reports SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, RSV, mpox and measles. *Cyclospora* is not on that panel, and it is not on the main academic panel either. The infrastructure exists, the samples are already being collected, and this organism is shed in enormous numbers by people who never see a doctor. Adding a target to an existing network is a small ask with an unusually good return. **12\. Put the FSMA 204 traceability rule back on its original schedule instead of 2028\.** Susan Mayne, who ran FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for eight years and has actually supervised lettuce tracebacks, [told CBS Sunday Morning](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-trump-admin-cuts-have-compromised-food-safety/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the rule would have been enormously helpful here and that without it the same thing happens again next summer. She is right, and every week the delay stands is a week of the next outbreak being investigated with the tools we used for this one. **13\. Name *Cyclospora* in the pre-harvest agricultural water rule.** The only numeric microbial criterion in Subpart E of the [final water rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-pre-harvest-agricultural-water?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is generic *E. coli*, and FDA’s own [guidance on this parasite](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says that traditional fecal-indicator testing will not identify it. We are requiring growers to test water for the wrong organism, and to treat that water with chlorine chemistry the agency says does not reliably kill this one and calling the result a safeguard. **14\. Fix the import side, because that is where every one of these outbreaks has come from.** CDC has put it in print that for every United States *Cyclospora* outbreak from the mid-1990s through 2015 in which both the vehicle and its source were identified, [the produce had been imported](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/ss/ss6803a1.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — Guatemala, then Peru, then Mexico. For a foreign farm the Produce Safety Rule is enforced in practice through verification obligations that sit on the American importer, which is paperwork about a supplier, plus rare foreign inspections. You could fully staff every domestic position on this list, and nobody would walk that field. **15\. Stand up the independent board Frank Yiannas has been asking for.** An NTSB for foodborne outbreaks: investigating across agency lines, publishing root cause and lessons learned, with no stake in the reputation of the agency whose work it is reviewing. Yiannas is a former deputy commissioner of FDA and a past president of the profession’s own society, and he [has said this summer](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5989772-ex-fda-criticizes-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the federal response here is approaching a catastrophic level of mismanagement. His framing is the right one and it is the reason this belongs on a solutions list rather than a grievance list. The point is not to find fault. It is to find facts. Two things about this list that I would rather say myself. **None of the fifteen would have prevented this outbreak.** The contamination happened in a field in central Mexico in the spring, weeks before the first American got sick, and no surveillance system counts a case that has not happened yet. What these fifteen would have done is make the outbreak shorter, smaller and legible — found sooner, described honestly while it was running, and understood afterward. That is a real thing to want, and it is not the same as prevention. **And not one of them is a partisan measure.** The Microbiological Data Program was created under a Republican president and killed under a Democratic one. The traceability rule was written under one administration and delayed under two. Most of these were federal policy or federal practice inside the last fifteen years. I have watched administrations of both parties handle outbreaks badly. What is different this time is not the mistakes. Mistakes are ordinary. The false positive was ordinary. A parasite with a two-week incubation period, a six-week reporting lag and no whole genome sequencing route is ordinary bad luck, and I have said so in every piece I have written about it. What is different is that three weeks into the largest *Cyclospora* outbreak this country has ever recorded, nobody at the top has said the number out loud. **Twenty-five thousand eight hundred thirty-six.** Say it, and then say which of these fifteen you are going to do. ### Taylor Farms says it's not responsible for Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/taylor-farms-says-its-not-responsible-for-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T16:03:38.000Z As patient counts continue to rise in an outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite, the company whose iceberg lettuce is likely the cause of thousands of the infections continues to deflect accusations. On Aug. 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased its patient count in the outbreak to 6,358 with 278 hospitalizations. That is up from the 1,947 that the CDC had been reporting for the past week. The patients had symptom onset from June 21 through July 30. That 15-state outbreak is separate from another cluster of outbreaks the CDC is tracking. The agency has identified 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases and another 12,255 that are awaiting further investigation in those outbreaks. For the outbreak with 6,358 patients, the CDC and Food and Drug Administration are considering the most likely source of the parasite to be iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ central Mexico operation. The Salinas, CA, company recalled its iceberg lettuce from the Mexico operation on July 17. The company continues to play down its possible involvement in the outbreak. It has said its internal testing has shown there is no contamination with the parasites. Government testing is ongoing and is as yet inconclusive. Also, it is extremely difficult to determine if there is contamination in specific produce products because by the time testing is initiated the produce has either been eaten or it is past its shelf life so there is nothing left to test that may have been related to any given outbreak. Earlier in the outbreak, Taylor Farms issued a statement saying that the company has spent $200 million on food safety efforts across its entire business. The company annually has $7 billion in revenues, so the $200 million number is less than 3 percent of its budget. “Taylor Farms has operated for more than 30 years and produces billions of servings of safe, high-quality fresh produce annually,” the statement said. “Throughout, the company has been at the forefront of advances in food safety. We have cooperated fully with regulators in any instance where food safety concerns were raised, taking corrective action where warranted.” Frank Yiannas, a former FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response, told CNN News that the scale of the current Cyclospora outbreak should be an alarm bell for America’s food industry and government agencies. “We need to rethink our approaches,” Yiannas said. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.” In 2013 U.S. health authorities linked a cyclospora outbreak to Taylor Farms, tracing it back to the same central Mexico facility implicated in this year’s outbreak. An FDA investigation of the Mexican location and surrounding farms found the facility was washing salad mix components “in recycled wash water” that could “create the potential for cross contamination and spread of” cyclospora, according to CNN, and noted that some employee hand-washing facilities “do not appear to be of sanitary design.” The agency recommended the facility reevaluate its procedures. ### Publisher’s Platform: Recall readiness is assumed, never measured URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-recall-readiness-is-assumed-never-measured/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T04:05:38.000Z I spent last week at the [IAFP annual meeting](https://www.foodprotection.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in New Orleans, and I talked to dozens of people — quality directors, growers, lab directors, a few regulators who were careful about what they said, and more than a few people selling software. Besides Cyclospora, the hallway conversation this year was about detection. Whole genome sequencing. Environmental monitoring programs that find the resident strain before it finds a consumer. Machine learning run against sanitation records. Sensors, dashboards, predictive models. Nearly all of it is real, and most of it works. Then somebody would start describing an actual recall, and the story would collapse back into phone calls, spreadsheets, and a distributor who does not answer email on a weekend. That gap is the thing I want to write about, because I have spent thirty-three years litigating inside it. The food industry has gotten genuinely good at the front end. Sequencing turned outbreaks from a guess into a match. A company with a serious environmental monitoring program today knows things about its own plant that nobody could have known in 1993\. But the back end — the part where contaminated product physically comes off a shelf, out of a walk-in, out of somebody’s refrigerator — has barely changed since I started. In the Jack in the Box outbreak, Washington asked for a recall, and by the time hundreds of thousands of patties were pulled, a large share of them had already been eaten. Lauren Rudolph was dead in San Diego before anyone in Olympia knew there was an outbreak at all. The science that would have identified that strain in two days did not exist. The recall that took weeks looked, mechanically, a lot like the recalls I watch today. Meanwhile the last mile got harder. In 1993 food moved from a store to a consumer who stood in the store. Today a meal kit reaches a curb by way of an independent contractor who is logged into three apps at once, a ghost kitchen ships under four brand names out of one hood, a subscription box arrives from a fulfillment center that never touches a retail shelf, and drone delivery has stopped being a press release. Every one of those handoffs is a place where a lot code goes to die. When the recall notice finally issues, there is often no one on the other end of it who can tell you where the product went. The numbers say the same thing from a different direction. A [Sedgwick analysis](https://www.thecooldown.com/sustainable-food/food-recalls-surge-us-allergens-listeria-plastic/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) found U.S. food recalls hit 57.4 million units in the first quarter of 2026, roughly double the 28.76 million units of the previous quarter — while the *number* of recall events actually fell, from 877 to 785\. Fewer recalls, much bigger recalls. That is consolidation showing up in the data. One contaminated ingredient now reaches further than it used to, and pulling it back is a bigger job than it used to be. It is also increasingly a job somebody has to do twice. PIRG’s [Food for Thought](https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/food-for-thought-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) count found at least 31 recalls in 2025 that were triggered by an ingredient already under recall — the cascade effect. Cucumbers moving through ten different companies. Precooked pasta that started with a June announcement and was still generating new retail recalls in October, by which point the affected banners included Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Giant Eagle, Sprouts and a half-dozen more. Nearly 100 illnesses between those two, with about half of the victims hospitalized. Nobody in that chain could answer the only question that mattered — where it went — fast enough to keep it from going somewhere else. There was a federal answer to this. FSMA Section 204, the [Food Traceability Rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com), finalized in November 2022, requiring lot codes and key data elements captured at each critical tracking event and produced to FDA within twenty-four hours of a request. Compliance was set for January 20, 2026\. In March 2025 FDA announced a 30-month delay, [published it](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14967/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods-compliance-date-extension?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that August, and in November 2025 Congress wrote the delay into a continuing appropriations act directing the agency not to enforce the rule before July 20, 2028\. The one federal requirement that would have forced lot-level digital records across the produce supply chain is now parked until the middle of 2028\. I am watching the consequences of that in real time in the Cyclospora outbreak, where the states have now counted more than 22,000 illnesses and the federal case count is still under 19,000. But here is the part worth paying attention to. Walmart did not wait. Its supplier traceability requirement — advance ship notices carrying the key data elements, GS1 case and pallet labels — took effect August 1, 2025, and suppliers who do not comply get charged back. A private buyer attached a financial consequence to a data requirement, and the industry moved, two and a half years ahead of the government. That is the entire argument in one sentence. This industry moves when somebody with money at stake makes it move. Which brings me to the people I did not expect to be writing about, and the reason I am. Insurers — particularly the product recall and contamination side — are the only participants in this system who see exposure before it turns into liability. That is literally the job. Underwriting already asks a food company whether it has a recall plan. What underwriting almost never does is test the answer. Nobody makes the applicant run the recall. Nobody puts a clock on it and writes down the result. The concept of recall readiness therefore sits in the file as an assumption. It is assumed at binding, assumed at renewal, and discovered to have been wrong on the third day of a real event, which is the most expensive possible moment to find out. It could be measured instead, and the measurements are not exotic. How long does it take, from a single positive result, to produce the complete list of affected lot codes? What percentage of direct consignees can be reached and confirmed within twenty-four hours — not emailed, reached? Do the lot codes survive the repacker, or does identity break the first-time product is re-cased? Is there any mechanism at all to reach the third-party delivery layer, or does the chain of custody simply end at a loading dock? When was the last mock recall, was it observed, were external trading partners involved, and what did the clock say? Price the policy against those answers. Give a real credit to the company that can prove them and require the ones who cannot to go find out why. And do it across the chain rather than one insured at a time, because readiness is not a property of a company — it is a property of a network. A grower with immaculate records is still trapped behind a distributor running on paper. That is what makes “[Recall-Ready Communities](http://recallreadycommunities.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)” more than a phrase. No single food company can see its whole supply chain. An insurer writing across that chain very nearly can. The economics point the same way the public health does, which is rare enough that I notice when it happens. A recall that identifies the right lots on day one is a smaller recall than one that guesses on day nine and pulls everything to be safe. Smaller recall, smaller business interruption, smaller third-party claim, faster resolution, lower loss ratio. And several hundred people who were going to get sick simply do not. I am not often in a position to tell an industry that its financial interest and my clients’ interest are the same interest. Here they are. My cases are almost never a mystery about whether the food was contaminated. That part is usually established before I am retained. My cases are about how long the product stayed out there after somebody knew. That interval — first signal to last carton off the shelf — is where the damages live. Compress it and my cases get smaller. Compress it enough and there is no case. For a long time now, I have asked the food industry to put me out of business by not poisoning anyone. This week I am extending the same challenge to the people who insure it. You already price this risk. Start measuring the thing you are pricing. I have a filing cabinet full of people who ate food that was recalled after they ate it. I would like to stop adding to it. ### Korean agency notes spike in illness cases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/korean-agency-notes-spike-in-illness-cases/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T04:03:46.000Z The Korean health agency has warned people about a rise in gastrointestinal illnesses with Campylobacter cases doubling in the space of a week. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) urged caution in food preparation and consumption as temperatures and humidity rise in summer, leading to an increase in bacterial infections. According to the agency's surveillance of 210 medical institutions nationwide with 200 or more beds, infection reports in the fourth week of July increased by 23.5 percent to 6,820 from 5,523 in the same period last year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Four hepatitis A infections linked to deli in Malta URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/four-hepatitis-a-infections-linked-to-deli-in-malta/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T04:00:21.000Z Public health authorities in Malta are investigating four cases of hepatitis A associated with a food establishment. People who ate at Deli and Co in Ħal Qormi, between June 17 and 25, are advised to be on the lookout for symptoms of hepatitis A until Aug. 14, based on the incubation period of the virus. Those who consumed food or beverages from the establishment during this period and developed symptoms should seek medical attention and contact the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit within the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate. Investigations and contact tracing are ongoing and public health measures are being taken at the deli which offers salads, wraps, and cakes. **Company response** Deli and Co said the health, safety and wellbeing of customers and employees was its highest priority. “We take our food safety and hygiene obligations extremely seriously and have consistently operated in compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. No evidence has been presented establishing a direct link between the reported hepatitis A cases and our establishment.” A member of staff was diagnosed with hepatitis A on July 4\. This person had previously been abroad and last worked at the outlet on June 25. According to the company, upon receiving the diagnosis, the employee did not return to work until health authorities gave the all-clear. Another employee tested negative but still observed the recommended incubation period in line with official advice. “While we fully appreciate the importance of investigating any potential public health concern, we respectfully submit that any allegation of causation should be supported by objective evidence and verified findings rather than assumptions. Unsubstantiated allegations risk creating unnecessary public concern and may unfairly prejudice businesses and individuals,” said a company statement. “We are also surprised and disappointed that, although this matter dates back to the beginning of July 2026, the public notice is only being issued now, more than a month after the relevant events occurred. Deli and Co remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of food safety and hygiene and to working constructively with the relevant authorities in the interests of public health and consumer confidence.” **About hepatitis A infections** Hepatitis A is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable, liver infection caused by the hepatitis A Virus (HAV). People can become infected by contaminated food, sick food handlers and person-to-person contact. Not everyone with hepatitis A has symptoms. Adults are more likely to have symptoms than children. If symptoms develop, they usually appear two to seven weeks, at an average of 28-30 days, after infection. Symptoms usually last less than two months, although some people can be ill for as long as six months. If symptoms develop, they can include yellow skin or eyes, not wanting to eat, upset stomach, throwing up, stomach pain, fever, dark urine or light-colored stools, diarrhea, joint pain, or feeling tired. Even if no symptoms are present people can still spread the infection. In addition, a person can transmit hepatitis A to others up to two weeks before symptoms appear. ### More than 6,000 patients identified in Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/more-than-6-000-patients-identified-in-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-taylor-farms-lettuce/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T16:03:09.000Z The CDC has increased the case count for an outbreak of Cyclospora parasitic infections linked to iceberg lettuce by several thousand. As of Aug. 5 the confirmed case count was 6,358 with 278 hospitalizations. That is up from 1,947 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been reporting for the past week. The patients had symptom onset from June 21 through July 30. The outbreak spans 15 states: Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Missouri Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Investigators at the Food and Drug Administration have linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce imported from Central Mexico by Taylor Farms. The Salinas, CA, company issued a recall for its iceberg lettuce products on July 17, well past the window of when the lettuce would have begun making people sick. The CDC reports that the recalled lettuce constituted multiple lots and was distributed and sold in at least 27 states to foodservice providers, consumers, restaurants and retailers, including Taco Bell locations and Marketside-brand products at Walmart stores. Taco Bell stopped using Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce before the recall. Michigan’s health department was the first entity to report a cyclospora outbreak and that state’s count now stands at 12,218 with 193 reported patients indicating they had been hospitalized. Two patients in Michigan have died. The Michigan officials said some of the outbreak patients reporting eating at Taco Bell before becoming sick, but it is not known how many of the total number of patients are included in the iceberg lettuce outbreak. The CDC reports that it is tracking several other Cyclospora outbreaks, with 10,468 laboratory-confirmed cases and another 12,255 that are awaiting further investigation. The agency expects the cases counts in all of the outbreaks to continue to increase because it can take six weeks for patients to be added to the federal case count. This is because of the time it takes for confirmation testing and the time lag between that testing and when officials report their findings to the CDC. Also, the CDC estimates that for every confirmed Cyclospora infection there can be up to 83 patients who go undetected. This is because some patients do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Cyclospora infection. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, explosive diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### Italian child dies after decade-long E. coli battle URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/italian-child-dies-after-decade-long-e-coli-battle/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T04:03:05.000Z An Italian child who spent almost a decade in a coma after eating raw milk cheese has died. Mattia Maestri died aged 13 after spending nine years in a coma having contracted an E. coli infection, which led to HUS from raw milk cheese in Trento in 2017. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### UK government urged to restrict Brazilian meat URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/uk-government-urged-to-restrict-brazilian-meat/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T15:01:10.000Z The government in the United Kingdom has been urged to follow the European Union’s lead and curb Brazilian meat imports. The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) called on the UK Government to introduce restrictions on Brazilian beef, poultry and other animal products. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Salmonella outbreak caused by imported jalapeño peppers has sickened hundreds URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/salmonella-outbreak-caused-by-imported-jalapeno-peppers-has-sickened-hundreds/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T22:32:34.000Z Hundreds of people are sick in an outbreak of Salmonella Javiana infections that has been traced to imported jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. According to the CDC there are 345 confirmed patients spread across 27 states coast to coast. Of those with complete information available, 36 have been hospitalized according to the FDA. No deaths have been reported. There are likely many more sick people than are currently reflected in the patient count because some people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella. The CDC estimates that for every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. The Food and Drug Administration has traced the source of the Salmonella to jalapeño peppers that Coast Citrus Distributors primarily distributed to restaurants, wholesalers and food service companies. The FDA is working to determine if recalled jalapeños went to grocery stores. The importer received the peppers from a single grower in Mexico. The implicated peppers have been recalled. “After being notified about the outbreak, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba stopped serving affected jalapeño peppers. Given their actions to remove product from their stores, neither of these establishments are considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in this outbreak,” according to the CDC. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19 to July 20\. Of 191 people interviewed, 177 reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with meal dates ranging from June 14 to July 14. States with patients are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever, usually within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### 33 cheeses recalled in Canada because of Listeria concerns URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/33-cheeses-recalled-in-canada-because-of-listeria-concerns/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T04:32:47.000Z Coaticook brand white cheddar cheeses are being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. There are 33 products covered by the recall. The products were distributed in Quebec. For a complete list and to view product photos, [click here](https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/coaticook-brand-white-cheddar-cheeses-recalled-due-listeria-monocytogenes?utm%5Fsource=gc-notify&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=en&utm%5Fcampaign=hc-sc-rsa-22-23). The recall was triggered by the company. As of the posting of the recall by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, no illnesses had been reported. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes does not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### 15 states now implicated in Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/15-states-now-implicated-in-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T01:46:31.000Z According to the *Washington Post*, there are six more states involved in an outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite that are associated with Taco Bell restaurants and/or Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce. On Tuesday afternoon the *Post* reported that Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Missouri are now on the CDC list that already included Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The newspaper’s report cites unnamed sources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not updated its state list as of the evening of August. 4\. No one at the CDC responded to the paper’s request for confirmation. The patient count for the Cyclospora outbreak in those 15 states stands at 21,393 cases — Michigan alone reports 11,508, including two deaths. The federal figure for the outbreak is 1,947. “Whatever number CDC posts when it finally updates the page, hold it up against 21,393, because that is what the health departments of those fifteen states are already telling their own residents. However, how many above the 1,947 are linked to Taylor Farms and/or Taco Bell is still a guess,” said Bill Marler, food safety attorney and expert. The CDC is reporting that 47 states are involved in separate cyclospora outbreaks and puts that patient count at 10,468 lab-confirmed and 12,255 additional cases that need further investigation. Add those together and CDC is now describing 22,723 people. The fifty state health departments are reporting 23,295. For the 15-state outbreak, Michigan was the first to begin reporting. It interviewed patients and found a link to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms and served on Taco Bell menu items. Taco Bell immediately stopped serving Taylor Farms lettuce sourced from the company’s Central Mexico operations. On July 17 Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce from that farm. Taylor Farms has stated that it sent the lettuce to 27 states that do not include Nebraska. However, many patients in Nebraska reported eating at Taco Bell restaurants before becoming ill. This suggests that the lettuce was further distributed by Taco Bell and possible other Taylor Farms customers. State totals as of August. 4: | **State** | **2026 cases reported** | **Recalled lettuce** | **Where the number comes from** | | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Alabama | 28 (Jul 20); 2 hosp.; 8 tied to two restaurant clusters | Yes | [ADPH news release](https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/blog/2026/07/nr-20.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Alaska | 5 (Jul 16) | No | [Alaska DOH advisory](https://health.alaska.gov/media/jqphutwx/akphan%5F20260716-domestically-acquired-cyclosporiasis-cases-in-multiple-us-states-2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Arizona | 19 (Jul 17) | No | [AZ DHS, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Arkansas | 123 (Jul 30); 75 in Benton County | Yes | [ADH via KNWA](https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/state-news/adh-reports-dozens-of-new-cyclosporiasis-cases-most-located-in-northwest-arkansas/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | California | 41 provisional (Jul 14) | No | [CDPH NR26-024](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR26-024.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Colorado | 150 (Jul 17); 4 hosp. | No | [CDPHE, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Connecticut | 35 | Yes | [CT DPH press release](https://portal.ct.gov/dph/newsroom/press-releases---2026/cyclosporiasis-cases-linked-to-national-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Delaware | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Florida | 254 since May 1 (Jul 25); 264 calendar year | Yes | [FDOH via News4Jax](https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/2026/07/30/reported-florida-cases-linked-to-diarrhea-causing-parasite-spike-by-nearly-100-in-1-week-with-22-local-cases/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Georgia | 11-30 since May 1 (Jul 17) | Yes | [GA DPH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Hawaii | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Idaho | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Illinois | 532 (Jul 29); 23 hosp. (Jul 16) | Yes | [CNN tracker](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/21/health/cyclospora-cases-count?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Indiana | 1,176 (Jul 31) | Yes | [IDOH cases by county](https://www.in.gov/health/idepd/diseases-and-conditions-resource-page/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#Cases%5Fby%5FCounty) | | Iowa | 226 in 48 counties (Jul 30); 47 travel-related | Yes | [Iowa HHS weekly report](https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/19114/download?inline=&ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Kansas | 461 (Jul 29); 20 hosp. | Yes | [CNN tracker](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/21/health/cyclospora-cases-count?ref=foodsafetynews.com) / [KDHE](https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/2044?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Kentucky | 468 (Jul 29); 7 hosp. (Jul 20) | Yes | [CNN tracker](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/21/health/cyclospora-cases-count?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Louisiana | 1-10 (Jul 17) | Yes | [LA DOH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Maine | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Maryland | 69 (Jul 17) | Yes | [MD DOH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Massachusetts | 18 (Jul 17) | Yes | [MA DPH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Michigan** | **11,508 (Aug 4); 193 hosp. (Jul 30); 2 deaths** | **Yes** | [MDHHS](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) / [CBS Detroit](https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/cyclosporiasis-cases-michigan-two-deaths/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Minnesota | 41 since May 1 (Jul 17) | No | [MDH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Mississippi | No count published | Yes | [FDA distribution list](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Missouri | 1,095 (Aug 2); doubled in one week; 90 in Boone County | Yes | [DHSS via KCTV5](https://www.kctv5.com/2026/08/03/missouri-cyclosporiasis-cases-double-one-week-over-1000/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) / [STLPR](https://www.stlpr.org/news-briefs/2026-08-03/cyclosporiasis-cases-double-missouri-1-000-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Montana | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Nebraska | 49 (Jul 17) | No | [NE DHHS, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Nevada | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **New Hampshire** | **33 confirmed (Jul 28); 2 hosp.; 17 tied to recalled lettuce at Cheshire Medical Center** | **Yes** | [NH DHHS](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com) / [NHPR](https://www.nhpr.org/health/2026-07-28/33-confirmed-cases-of-cyclosporiasis-in-nh-2-hospitalizations?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | New Jersey | 46 (May 1-Jul 11) | Yes | [NJDOH news release](https://www.nj.gov/health/news/2026/approved/20260716a.shtml?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | New Mexico | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | New York | 753 since May 1 (Jul 27 data); 787 calendar year | No | [NYSDOH](https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **North Carolina** | **718 since May 1 (Jul 27 data); 24 hosp.; 728 calendar year; 432 in Wake County** | **Yes** | [NCDHHS](https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2026/07/28/additional-cyclosporiasis-cases-identified-north-carolina-ncdhhs-launches-new-case-dashboard?ref=foodsafetynews.com) / [dashboard](https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/programs/epidemiology/communicable-disease/foodborne-illnesses/cyclosporiasis/cases?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | North Dakota | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Ohio** | **4,013 in 80 counties (Jul 31); 96 hosp. (Jul 17); ODH puts Lucas Co. at 554, the county health dept. at 1,218 (Aug 3)** | **Yes** | [ODH via WOSU](https://www.wosu.org/2026-07-31/cyclosporiasis-cases-grow-to-more-than-4-000-in-ohio?ref=foodsafetynews.com) / [Toledo Blade](https://www.toledoblade.com/news/medical/2026/08/03/weekend-adds-11-cyclosporiasis-cases-in-lucas-county/stories/20260803080?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Oklahoma | 303 (Jul 28); 18 hosp. | Yes | [OSDH via KSWO](https://www.kswo.com/2026/07/28/oklahoma-cyclosporiasis-cases-climb-303-state-health-department-says/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Oregon | 23 in 2026 (Jul 24) | No | [Oregon Health Authority](https://www.oregon.gov/oha/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Pennsylvania | 82 (Jul 29); reported voluntarily | Yes | [CNN tracker](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/21/health/cyclospora-cases-count?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Rhode Island | 4 since May 1 (Jul 17) | No | [RI DOH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | South Carolina | No count published | Yes | [FDA distribution list](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | South Dakota | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Tennessee | 11-30 (Jul 17) | Yes | [TN DOH, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Texas | 68 (Jul 13); 15 hosp. | Yes | [Texas DSHS](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/foodborne-illness/cyclospora-infection-cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Utah | 1-10 (Jul 17) | No | [UT DHHS, via roundup](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Vermont | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Virginia | 126 total (Jul 23); 66 domestic, 31 travel, 29 pending | Yes | [Virginia DH](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/cyclosporiasis/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Washington | 38 (May 1-Jul 17) | No | [Washington DOH](https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2026-cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | West Virginia | 268 (Jul 31); 19 hosp. | Yes | [WV OEPS](https://oeps.wv.gov/cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Wisconsin | 160 (Jul 29); 3 hosp.; 50 domestically acquired | Yes | [Wisconsin DHS](https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | Wyoming | No count published | No | [CDC surveillance](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Nine outbreak states** | **18,811** | **9** | | | **Received the recalled lettuce** | **21,833** | **28** | | | **Did not receive it** | **1,124** | **22** | | | **All fifty states** | **22,957** | **50** | | ### Four arrested in operation targeting illegal meat sales URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/four-arrested-in-operation-targeting-illegal-meat-sales/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T04:04:08.000Z Four men have been arrested in connection with an investigation into illegal meat in England. An operation by Dudley Council and the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) resulted in the arrests and disposal of more than four tons of meat. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Petting zoo linked to HUS cases reopens URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/petting-zoo-linked-to-hus-cases-reopens/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T04:02:03.000Z A petting zoo and farm in Belgium has been allowed to reopen after being connected to an E. coli outbreak. Between late June and mid-July, eight children in the Brasschaat region were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) resulting from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O26 infection. HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure and can also cause brain damage and death. None of the children remain in a life-threatening condition. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Scientists highlight food safety angle of dumpster diving URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/scientists-highlight-food-safety-angle-of-dumpster-diving/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T04:01:23.000Z Scientists have emphasized the need to consider food safety and foodborne illness concerns related to dumpster diving behaviors. Dumpster diving is the practice of sourcing discarded food from supermarket or restaurant trash bins. A total of 4.7 percent of adults in the United Kingdom said they had started looking for food in bins or waste areas in the previous 12 months. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Organic sliced mushrooms recalled because of Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/organic-sliced-mushrooms-recalled-because-of-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T03:13:04.000Z Highline brand organic mini Bella sliced mushrooms are being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall was triggered by test results from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The implicated mushrooms were distributed in Alberta province. As of the posting of the recall notice on Aug. 4 there had been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the product. Consumers can identify the mushrooms by looking for the following label information: 454-gram packages, UPC number 7 71163 00048 9 and code 199AHMCF. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes does not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled mushrooms and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Chipotle says its jalapenos are of interest in Salmonella outbreak investigation URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/chipotle-says-its-jalapenos-are-of-interest-in-salmonella-outbreak-investigation/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:19:44.000Z Officials with Chipotle Mexican Grill announced today that they have removed jalapenos from their restaurants in Minnesota because they are linked to an outbreak of Salmonella infections. The fast food chain also removed the peppers from locations in other states that received them from the same supplier. The restaurant chain officials said it is now using a different supplier for its jalapenos. The officials did not name the implicated supplier. The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella infections. The department reported that of 110 outbreak patients identified, 84 were interviewed and 75 reported eating at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14. State officials said the evidence gathered so far suggests the contaminated food item was also served at other Mexican-style restaurants, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is leading a traceback investigation to identify the source. The FDA has not specifically reported that it is investigating an outbreak linked to Chipotle or peppers. However, the agency is reporting an investigation into a Salmonella Javaina outbreak with 212 patients. The agency is not reporting any details except to say that it has begun traceback efforts on an unnamed food. The agency is also investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg with 90 patients. It has begun traceback in that investigation, but is not reporting what is being traced. The Minnesota officials say they are not concerned about further illnesses associated with Chipotle because the restaurant cooperated fully with investigators and acted quickly to remove the suspect vehicle from its restaurants. However, the health department is concerned about other restaurants that it has not named. "We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ‌ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance," Carlota Medus, senior epidemiologist supervisor in the Minnesota Department of Health Foodborne Diseases Unit, said. Chipotle restaurants have been of concern because a series of outbreaks from 2015 through 2018 that sickened well over a thousand patrons. In April 2020 the Justice Department charged Chipotle with two criminal counts of violating federal law by selling food that had been adulterated and was unfit for human consumption. The charges stemmed from outbreaks between 2015 and 2018\. The company admitted that it held food at improper temperatures and kept sick employees on the line. It paid a $25 million criminal fine, the largest ever imposed in a food safety case, and entered a three-year deferred prosecution agreement requiring a comprehensive food safety compliance program built with its Food Safety Council and covering audits, restaurant staffing and employee training. That agreement’s three-year term expired in 2023. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Publisher's Platform: Two Countries Are Now Warning Their Citizens About Travel to the United States. Britain Traced Forty-Eight of Its Cases to Mexico. The Cyclospora Count Is Still 22,683. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-27/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T01:10:14.000Z The UK Health Security Agency published new figures on July 30\. [Sixty-seven people](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sharp-rise-in-cyclospora-infections-linked-to-mexico-travel?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in England, Scotland and Wales were reported with cyclosporiasis between April 30 and July 15 of this year — thirty in England, twenty-seven in Scotland, ten in Wales. The comparison UKHSA itself draws is the one that matters. The annual average for the four years from 2022 through 2025 was ninety-three cases for an entire year. Britain is two-thirds of the way to a normal year by the middle of July. Travel information was available for fifty-one of the sixty-seven. Forty-eight of those fifty-one had been to Mexico. One of them had also been to the United States, one had been to the United States only, and one to Kenya. The people who went to Mexico stayed at a range of different hotels in the Riviera Maya and Cancún regions and ate and drank as part of all-inclusive holiday packages. Read that last sentence slowly, because it is the whole finding. Different hotels. One region. That is a supply chain. And then the line that ought to be getting more attention on this side of the Atlantic than it is. UKHSA says it anticipates a potential increase in cases linked to travel to the USA, where a widespread outbreak has been reported. A foreign government is telling its citizens that American travel now carries a parasite risk, and it is the second government to do so inside a week. The [Windsor-Essex County Health Unit](https://www.wechu.org/news-release-windsor-essex-sees-significant-increase-cyclosporiasis-cases-linked-travel-michigan?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Ontario has identified twenty-four cyclosporiasis cases in 2026 against a typical year of about three, has identified travel to Michigan as a common exposure among many recent cases, and is advising residents to take precautions when they cross. Here is why the British data is worth more to this argument than another American press release. It comes from an independent surveillance system in another country, with no exposure to our supply chain and no stake in our fight. It is not counting the same people we are counting. And it has landed on the same country of origin that FDA*’*s traceback landed on. I am not going to overstate that — UKHSA has not named a farm, a shipper or a product, and Guanajuato is not Quintana Roo. But when British holidaymakers in one part of Mexico and American diners in Michigan are acquiring the same parasite in the same eleven weeks, the question of whether Mexican produce is the through-line stops being a question about who holds a positive sample. Now the federal numbers, and a figure I have not put in front of you before. CDC*’*s [surveillance page](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), last updated July 28 with data through July 27, reports 6,707 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases across forty-five states, more than 11,500 additional cases still awaiting confirmation, and [423 hospitalizations](https://abcnews.com/Health/18000-cyclosporiasis-cases-reported-45-states-cdc/story?id=135194065&ref=foodsafetynews.com). Four hundred and twenty-three. FDA*’*s [nine-state advisory](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says ninety-eight hospitalizations. It has said ninety-eight since July 24\. Total Illnesses 1,947\. Hospitalizations 98\. Deaths 0. That last line is now simply wrong. CDC*’*s own [outbreak page](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) carries an August 3 entry stating that it is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths from Michigan as part of this outbreak. [Michigan](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com)’s page now reads Deaths: 2\. FDA*’*s page, on the same investigation, run by the same government, published to the same public, still reads zero. How do the federal hospitalization and death numbers compare to what the states themselves are saying? I went and added the states up. Thirteen states publish a hospitalization figure of their own, and they come to 426\. The CDC is at 423 with the Taco Bell portion at 98. People keep calling this the *Cyclospora* outbreak, singular, and it is not one thing. The honest way to separate them is to describe what each investigation has actually established, rather than what it is suspected of. There are four, and then there is everything else. One. The nine-state Taco Bell cluster, FDA reference number 1390\. This is 1,947 people in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia who were infected with *Cyclospora* and reported exposure to Taco Bell, with onsets running June 22 to July 20 and at least ninety-eight hospitalizations. It has a named supplier; Taylor Farms de Mexico. It has a named product; shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. It has the only recall of the entire 2026 season. Michigan interviewed 190 of the Taco Bell patients and ninety percent of them had eaten iceberg lettuce. The critical thing to understand about this cluster is that documented Taco Bell exposure is the entry ticket. That is why Michigan*’*s 11,234 produces a federal figure of 1,947\. It is a description of who got interviewed in a particular way, not of who got sick. Two. New Hampshire. The state has [thirty-three confirmed cases](https://vnews.com/2026/07/29/nh-cyclosporiasis-cases-rise/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) as of July 28 with two hospitalizations, in a place that identifies between two and nine cases in a typical year. Seventeen of the thirty-three are people who ate lettuce at a location that served recalled Taylor Farms product, and all seventeen trace to one location. New Hampshire DHHS [publishes the address](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com): Cheshire Medical Center, 580 Court Street, Keene. It committed in writing to posting additional locations as it identifies them. Spokesman Jake Leon says the department is treating it as a foodborne cluster investigation and believes the cluster is part of the larger nationwide outbreak. What makes New Hampshire different from the nine is not the product, which is the same recalled lettuce. It is the establishment, which is not Taco Bell. Twenty-seven other states received that recalled product. New Hampshire is the only one that has told its residents where it was served. Three. Alabama. Twenty-eight cases as of July 20, two hospitalized, four travel-related. Eight of the twenty-eight — more than a quarter of the state*’*s total — are tied to two separate foodborne outbreaks at Mexican-style restaurants, and [ADPH says in its own release](https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/blog/2026/07/nr-20.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that these are not Taco Bell. Alabama has named a category of establishment. It has not named a product, and it has not connected any of its cases to Taylor Farms, even though Alabama is on the recalled-lettuce distribution list. This is the cleanest published example we have of a state finding restaurant-associated *Cyclospora* that is not the federal outbreak. Four. North Carolina, which is the biggest of these and the least resolved. [NCDHHS reports](https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2026/07/28/additional-cyclosporiasis-cases-identified-north-carolina-ncdhhs-launches-new-case-dashboard?ref=foodsafetynews.com) 718 cases since May 1 and twenty-four hospitalizations; its [dashboard](https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/programs/epidemiology/communicable-disease/foodborne-illnesses/cyclosporiasis/cases?ref=foodsafetynews.com) puts the calendar-year figure at 728 against 306 for all of 2025, with 432 of the cases in Wake County. The state says the increase does not appear to be associated with the Taco Bell outbreak. What it has named is a commodity, not a company: patient interviews show parsley and cilantro reported more often than population-wide survey data would predict. It has no supplier and no establishment. And the department is careful to add that many cases reported eating neither, which it says suggests more than one source. There is a detail in FDA*’*s own records that belongs next to North Carolina. On the closed-investigations portion of the [CORE outbreak table](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) sits reference number 1325, posted August 2025: *Cyclospora cayetanensis*, parsley, sixty-nine cases, investigation closed. The federal government named parsley as a *Cyclospora* vehicle twelve months ago. North Carolina is reporting parsley now, at 718 cases and climbing, and there is no open federal investigation with parsley*’*s name on it. And then everything else, which is the part almost nobody writes about. As of its July 29 update, FDA*’*s CORE table carries six *Cyclospora* entries. One is the lettuce outbreak. The other five say Not Yet Identified in the product column: ninety-three cases under reference 1392, ten under 1385, eighteen under 1384, two under 1381 and eight under 1375\. Three of those five are marked ended with the investigation still open. That is 131 people across five files where the federal government opened an investigation, ran a traceback and named nothing. Add it up. 1,947 plus 131 is 2,078\. That is every *Cyclospora* illness this season that the federal outbreak-response system has attached to a numbered investigation. The fifty states are reporting 22,683\. The investigative apparatus has a file open on roughly nine percent of the illness in this country and has named a food in one file out of six. Missouri sits outside all four categories and is the reason I keep writing about it. It has 1,095 cases as of August 2\. It is on FDA*’*s distribution list. [St. Louis County](https://www.stlpr.org/news-briefs/2026-08-03/cyclosporiasis-cases-double-missouri-1-000-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) says people in its area who got sick reported eating at Taco Bell. The state health department says it [expects to be added](https://www.kctv5.com/2026/08/03/missouri-cyclosporiasis-cases-double-one-week-over-1000/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to the CDC outbreak map soon. And a CDC spokesperson has told a Kansas City television station that cases in the remaining thirty-two states, Missouri included, are unrelated and are being investigated as separate clusters driven by different foods. That is not a fifth category. That is a disagreement between a state and a federal agency about which outbreak a thousand people belong to, being conducted in public, with nobody showing their work. As to the count itself: I have been through all fifty states again this morning and the total holds at **22,683**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/cyclospora-cluster-nesting_1.jpg) ### Czech officials warn of botulism in pate; more warnings issued in Salmonella outbreak traced to noodles URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/czech-officials-warn-of-botulism-in-pate-more-warnings-issued-in-salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-noodles/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:04:44.000Z Public health officials in the Czech Republic have warned against eating a type of pate because of Clostridium botulinum contamination. The alert was raised following a consumer complaint about health problems after consuming pork pate with almonds. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Bill would require transparent nutrition information on food labels URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/bill-would-require-transparent-nutrition-information-on-food-labels/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:03:46.000Z A bill introduced in recent days in the U.S. Senate would overhaul food labels for the first time in more than 30 years. The bill, the [Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2026](https://us.list-manage.com/ROxF5Wu40Av?e=2723a0fcfd&c2id=8914bdc9e8e7a65cc67dcbe814dcfc65&ref=foodsafetynews.com), was introduced by Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, and Cory Booker, D-NJ, and is designed to provide the information consumers need to make healthy food choices, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Suspected food poisoning reported at festival URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/suspected-food-poisoning-reported-at-festival/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:01:52.000Z Reports of food poisoning linked to a food truck are being investigated at a music festival in England. Several people said on social media that they fell ill after eating at the Yorky Roast stall at Truck Festival in Oxfordshire. Symptoms include sickness, diarrhea, and vomiting but there are no test results yet to indicate any specific infection. The local council is looking into the incident, but it is unclear how many people were sick. A spokesperson for Vale of White Horse District Council said:"Truck Festival reported the issue to us and said that a number of festivalgoers reported food poisoning symptoms to the medical tent. “From this, after some investigations, they were able to quickly identify a potential source and Truck Festival closed the stand. We are investigating the issue and are working with the food business, Truck Festival, UKHSA and the trader's own local registering authority." **Festival food challenges** The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) said the incident serves as a reminder for food businesses and consumers to be vigilant when attending outdoor events in summer, especially when hot temperatures can impact refrigerator operations, and infections can spread quickly to large numbers of customers in a short space of time. CIEH is the professional body for environmental health, representing 7,000 members. Hannah Ward, a CIEH member who specializes in festival and mobile catering inspections, said such cases highlight the importance of maintaining high standards of food hygiene and temperature control at festivals and other large-scale events. “It also highlights the importance of site facilities such as customer handwashing provisions which is often lacking at festivals, with customers having to rely on alcohol hand sanitizer for multiple days which is not suitable for heavily soiled hands,” she said. "Food businesses operating at temporary events have the same legal responsibilities as any other food business, to place safe food on the market, however they must do so in variable and challenging conditions. Responsibilities include ensuring food is sourced from reputable suppliers, stored at the correct temperatures, and handled by appropriately trained staff.” **CIEH advice** Ward said event organizers need to provide adequate site facilities to vendors such as water supply, waste management, power, and camping facilities. "Festival environments can present additional challenges, including hot weather, temporary kitchen facilities, high customer volumes and limited storage and operational space. Food operators must ensure they have suitable systems in place to manage these risks and that food safety procedures are rigorously followed throughout the event." CIEH advice includes keeping high-risk foods chilled below 8 degrees C (46.4 degrees F), preventing cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods, and keeping detailed records of suppliers, temperature monitoring and cleaning procedures. The group also said event organizers should have an outbreak management plan, including surveillance and questionnaires carried out by trained professionals. A spokesperson for Truck Festival said: “Our health and safety team launched an immediate investigation and identified a third-party food vendor as the suspected source. That vendor was removed from operation within 90 minutes of the first report. “We reported our findings to the local environmental health officer the same day and are supporting their ongoing investigation into the cause. We share the disappointment and frustration of those whose weekend was affected.” ### Europe sees rise in possible fraud alerts in June URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/europe-sees-rise-in-possible-fraud-alerts-in-june/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:00:48.000Z Suspected cases of fraud shared between European countries increased in June compared to the month before. There were 215 reports in June, 150 in May, 188 in April, 204 in March, 159 in February, and 189 in January 2026\. Earlier data for 2025 shows 196 in December, 194 in November, 223 in October, 164 in September, 166 in August, 136 in July, 164 in June and 129 in May. Fifteen alerts mentioned the United States in June. The majority were related to supplements but one was for additives in a carbonated soft drink not complying with EU limits and another was for illegal import of cheese sauce. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Imported pistachio butter sold at Walmart stores recalled because of Salmonella URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/imported-pistachio-butter-sold-at-walmart-stores-recalled-because-of-salmonella/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T02:10:28.000Z Boticelli Foods of Melville NY, is recalling one lot of bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Product was manufactured by Gustibus Alimentari Srl of Assoro, Italy, imported by Botticelli, and distributed exclusively by Walmart Inc. The product was distributed to Walmart retail stores in 19 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming. The recalled product comes in a 6.7oz (190g) glass jar with UPC 194346207961 and is identified by Lot Code LB028ACP04, with an expiration date of January 28, 2027 printed on the jar. No other lots of bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter are subject to this recall. No illnesses or injuries have been reported in connection with this product that we are aware of to date. The recall was initiated after Walmart learned on July 17 that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services had, as part of a routine inspection, tested three jars of the product at a Walmart retail store and identified the presence of Salmonella. Consumers who have purchased bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter bearing Lot Code LB028ACP04 are urged not to consume the product. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### First deaths in Cyclospora outbreak reported by Michigan URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/first-deaths-in-cyclospora-outbreak-reported-by-michigan/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T21:10:33.000Z The nationwide outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite has turned deadly with Michigan reporting two deaths over the weekend. A statement from the state health department said both of the patients had underlying health conditions, but that dehydration from their Cyclospora infections was the cause of death. As of today, Michigan is reporting 11,234 patients with at least 193 having been hospitalized. As of July 31 the state had 10,773 patients. Ohio’s count is more than 4,000, Missouri has more than 1,000 and there are several other states with patient counts in the hundreds. North Carolina reports more than 700 patients and is saying that the infections may be related to parsley or cilantro, but the state has not said where the leafy greens were grown or what brand they were sold under. The Centers for Disease Control has not updated its patient count yet this week. The agency is investigating several outbreaks but is giving special attention to one that involves nine states. The CDC’s report last week showed 1,947 patients in the nine-state outbreak that covers Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Interviews with people sickened with cyclosporiasis in this outbreak indicate that many in those states ate at Taco Bell restaurants and ate iceberg lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms de Mexico. That lettuce has since been recalled. Many of the patients became sick before the lettuce was recalled. However, some patients continue to report illness onset after the recalled lettuce was past its expiration date. As of this week the agency was reporting that since May 1 there have been 6,707 domestically acquired, lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, and an additional 11,500 are awaiting confirmation or need more investigation. Those numbers include patients in 45 states. A source of the parasite for the outbreaks has not yet been determined. “CDC's surveillance updates do not include probable cases. State data may include probable and confirmed cases, resulting in higher case counts than what CDC reports,” according to the CDC update posted early last week. As of Friday, the total from state reports was more than 20,000. **About Cyclospora** Food contaminated with the microscopic Cyclospora parasite does not look, smell or taste bad. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, intense watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### Lidl expands recall of cookies because of undeclared allergens URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/lidl-expands-recall-of-cookies-because-of-undeclared-allergens/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T23:45:18.000Z Lidl US is expanding its July 24 recall of Eridanous Shortbread Cookies to include all units with a foreign language ingredients and nutrition facts panel for the following products: - Eridanous Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Truffle Coating & Apricot Filling - 11.6 oz (330 g) box (UPC 4056489125839) - Eridanous Shortbread Cookies with Apricot Filling and Cocoa Topping with Coconut Sprinkles - 11.6 oz (330 g) box (UPC 4056489125846) Both of these products were distributed with foreign language packaging and failed to include English ingredient lists, nutrition facts panels, or required allergen declarations. People who have an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, soy, milk, egg, or tree nut (coconut) run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. The products were distributed between July 15 and July 28 to all Lidl US retail store locations in Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. No illnesses have been reported to date. This recall was originally initiated after foreign language packaging was discovered that did not contain English ingredients, nutrition facts, or allergen declarations. Lidl US is expanding the recall following a review of supplier distribution records, which flagged additional units of the Coconut variant as potentially having the same foreign language packaging errors. Customers with an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, soy, milk, egg, or tree nut (coconut) should not consume this product. ### Publisher's Platform: Food safety is not expensive. Outbreaks are expensive. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-food-safety-is-not-expensive-outbreaks-are-expensive/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T21:10:57.000Z I laid out [eight things](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-fifty-state-cyclospora-count-is-20-927-this-morning-the-president-has-said-one-thing-about-it-the-secretary-says-it-is-under-control-here-is-what-they-should-hav/) last Friday morning on FSN that Washington should have done about Cyclospora. The obvious objection to a list like that is money — that food safety is expensive, that budgets are finite, that somebody has to pay for it. I want to take that objection seriously, because when you actually put the numbers side by side, it collapses. The eight things are cheap. What happened instead is not. Start with what the federal government itself says this parasite costs. USDA’s Economic Research Service publishes a [cost-of-foodborne-illness estimate](https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/cost-estimates-of-foodborne-illnesses?ref=foodsafetynews.com) covering thirty-one pathogens. Cyclosporacayetanensis is one of them, and its [line reads](https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/5317/cases-total-cost-and-per-case-cost-by-pathogen.csv?ref=foodsafetynews.com): 11,407 cases a year, $464.63 per case, $5.3 million a year for the entire United States. The Microbiological Data Program, which tested about fifteen thousand produce samples a year — bagged lettuce and spinach, cilantro, hot peppers, tomatoes, sprouts, melons — and accounted for something like eighty percent of all federal produce pathogen testing until it was [shut down in December 2012](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/01/mdp-officially-shut-down-pathogen-testing-for-produce-halted/). It cost $4.5 million a year. The entire national testing program cost less than what one parasite costs the country annually, and I have been [asking for it back since 2024](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/11/time-to-bring-back-the-microbiological-data-program-mdp-to-help-make-produce-safe-again-mpsa/). Four things are wrong with the $5.3 million. First, the 11,407 is Elaine Scallan’s 2011 figure, unchanged — ERS’s dollar estimate is riding on a 15-year-old case count. Second, ERS says plainly on its own page that these numbers are conservative because they exclude willingness to pay to prevent non-financial harm, including pain and suffering. For an illness that relapses in waves across weeks, that is most of the injury. Third, they exclude industry losses entirely. No restaurant sales. No lettuce. No recall. And fourth, they do not contain a dollar of what it costs to fight about any of it. Then it produces a summer like this one. The fifty-state count on Friday afternoon was 21,452 people, which is 1.88 times ERS’s estimate of every *Cyclospora* case in a normal year. Run only the counted cases at ERS’s own per-case cost and you get $9.97 million — already nearly double the agency’s entire annual national figure. Run the Scallan-adjusted estimate of 557,352 illnesses and you get $259 million. Both are floors, because neither includes a dollar of what follows. Here is what follows. Yum Brands reported Thursday that Taco Bell’s US same-store sales are [down 2 percent](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/30/yum-brands-yum-q2-2026-earnings.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for the third quarter through July 27\. Its stock has fallen [roughly five to eight percent](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/business/yum-brands-taco-bell-earnings-q2-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) since the chain was linked to the outbreak. On July 17, the first Friday after the link became public, [Taco Bell’s foot traffic fell about sixteen times worse](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/07/30/taco-bell-parent-company-says-sales-already-recovering-after-cyclospora-outbreak-hit-foot-traffic/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) than the broader fast-food category, which was down 1.9 percent that day. And the damage did not stop at the company with the lettuce. [Chopt was down 12 percent in traffic](https://www.fox5ny.com/news/cyclospora-outbreak-restaurants-slumping-sales?ref=foodsafetynews.com) as of July 23\. Sweetgreen’s weekly spending fell ten percentage points against last year across the first half of July. Sweetgreen has said its food is not linked to this outbreak, and no state has tied an illness to either chain. They lost the money anyway. Grocery shoppers are [buying less lettuce](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/07/31/879690.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and some large buyers have stopped sourcing from central Mexico altogether. Go one step further back and it reaches the grocery store. Stew Leonard’s runs eight stores across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and its chief executive [told CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cyclosporiasis-lettuce-sales-taco-bell-foot-traffic/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that lettuce sales are down about 11 percent and that there is “a lot of confusion on store floors right now.” Behind that anecdote is the scanner data: NielsenIQ recorded US fresh lettuce unit sales in the week ending July 18 [down 9 percent from the week before and 19 percent from two weeks before](https://thedailyrecord.com/2026/07/30/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-cuts-lettuce-sales-restaurant-visits/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). And one step further back still, to the growers. Paul Sellew founded Little Leaf Farms, which grows lettuce in the eastern United States — not Mexico, not Salinas, no connection to Taylor Farms or to any recalled product. His sales are down by double digits. His account: “The consumer has been motivated by fear.” He also says the entire fresh produce category at retail is down. A grower two thousand miles from Guanajuato is paying for Guanajuato. The trade associations have said very little about any of this, and one of them said something more useful than it may have intended. The National Restaurant Association [now tells its members](https://restaurant.org/education-and-resources/resource-library/ceo-association-continues-to-track-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that washing produce under clean running water “cannot guarantee removal of the parasite.” That is the restaurant industry’s own trade group putting in writing exactly what the White House press secretary told the country to do on July 16, and it joins FDA’s guidance document and CDC’s health advisory in saying so. Three sources. One of them had every commercial reason to say something else. What no trade association has done, more than six weeks in, is put a number on what any of this has cost its members. One publication did say something useful this week, and it came from a direction that carries more weight than mine. On Friday the editorial board of the Delmarva Farmer, a paper written for the people who grow this food, [called for exactly the traceability infrastructure that has been shelved](https://americanfarm.com/articles/delmarvafarmer/modernizing-foodborne-illness-traceability-editorial/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Its account of the harm is better than the one I have been making. Food moves in hours while outbreak investigations take weeks, and in that gap, retailers turn cautious, buyers hesitate, whole commodity sectors watch sales fall, and growers who followed every protocol lose their market because they happen to raise the same crop as the eventual suspect. Its prescription is electronic purchase records, standardized lot coding, interoperable supply-chain databases and real-time data sharing — which is the contents of FSMA 204, described by a farm paper without the rule’s name attached to it. It observes that agriculture has spent billions over two decades on water testing, worker training, sanitation and third-party audits, and argues those investments deserve to be matched by equally modern systems for detection and traceback. It closes by saying it is “time for the public health infrastructure that protects it to catch up.” That fourth exclusion is the one I know best, because it is my job. The ERS figure holds nothing for what Taylor Farms will spend defending these cases — the lawyers, the experts, the document review, the depositions, the years of it. It holds nothing for what my side spends building them. And it holds nothing for what eventually reaches the person who was sick. Look at what the money is paying for. It is paying for precisely the pain and suffering that ERS declined to value and said so. The tort system puts a price on the one term the cost-of-illness model leaves deliberately blank. The two numbers are not in conflict; one of them is measuring the part the other refused to measure. The legal fees are money spent establishing who is responsible for something that should not have happened, which buys nobody a single healthy day. And there is a hard public number for it. After the 1993 outbreak, Jack in the Box sued its own meat suppliers and recovered about $58.5 million. Its [annual report to the SEC](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000807882/000080788299000015/0000807882-99-000015.txt?ref=foodsafetynews.com) records that roughly $45.8 million of that was left after litigation costs. Nearly $13 million dollars, consumed by one recovery action arising out of one outbreak, and not one cent of it made anybody well. That is a line-item ERS does not have, and it recurs in every outbreak, on both sides, every time. As for scale, my first case is still the clearest illustration I have. Brianne Kiner spent forty-two days in a coma and more than five months in the hospital, and her case [settled for $15.6 million](https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950226/2107052/156-million-e-coli-case-settlement----redmond-girl-12-survived-poisoning?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in 1995\. One child. One settlement. Nearly three times what the federal government today says Cyclospora costs the entire United States in a year. I am not suggesting cyclosporiasis is that illness, and it is not — Brianne lost most of her colon and has been diabetic ever since. The comparison is not about what a case is worth. It is about the distance between what the tort system finds when it looks at one injured person and what a federal cost model finds when it looks at a whole country. Those two systems are not measuring the same thing, and only one of them is used to decide whether a $4.5 million testing program is worth restoring. We do have a measured figure for the last comparable event. Spalding and Sexton, in the *American Journal of Agricultural Economics*, put the [total societal loss from the November 2018 romaine outbreak at $276 to $343 million](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajae.12341?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Their own conclusion is the argument I am making: the episode demonstrates the economic benefit of adopting mandatory food-safety standards and improved traceability. For 2006 spinach, USDA’s retail scanner work found [$60.6 million in lost consumer grocery spending](https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?chartId=76865&ref=foodsafetynews.com) on all fresh leafy greens over the following 15 months, and packaged spinach sales were still off about twenty percent a year later. When the agency proposed pushing the FSMA 204 compliance date from January 2026 to July 2028, it had to run a regulatory impact analysis. That analysis is [in the Federal Register](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14967/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods-compliance-date-extension?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and its arithmetic is not ambiguous. The benefits of the delay are up to a negative $322 million a year. Those are the public health benefits the country gives up by waiting. The cost savings on the other side — what industry keeps by not having to comply yet run about $73 million. This is not my number, and it is not an advocacy group’s number. It is the agency’s own table, in the *Federal Register*, under the heading Summary of Benefits, Costs, and Distributional Effects. The second detail is the signature. The proposed rule is signed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Eleven months later the same Secretary told reporters that this outbreak was under control, at a moment when the count was 1,644 in five states. It is now 21,452 across fifty. I do not say he caused it. I say the traceability rule that would have shortened the traceback carries his signature on the paper that delayed it, and that the paper itself says the delay loses money. On one side: a memorandum, a reporting requirement, some state code, $4.5 million a year, and a rule that is already law. On the other side: a parasite the government prices at $5.3 million a year that has already produced $9.97 million of counted illness by the government’s own per-case figure and plausibly $259 million once you adjust for the cases nobody counted; a comparable produce outbreak measured at $276 to $343 million; a fast-food chain down two percent and its stock down as much as eight; two salad chains with no link to anything down 10 percent and 12 percent; and a delay the agency itself scored as a net loss of nearly forty million dollars a year. Food safety is not expensive. Outbreaks are expensive. We have spent this summer proving it again, at the expense of 21,452 people who did not get a vote, and at the expense of a great many businesses that did nothing wrong except sell lettuce. ### Ukraine shares outbreak data and reports deadly botulism cases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/ukraine-shares-outbreak-data-and-reports-deadly-botulism-cases/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T04:05:40.000Z Ukraine recorded 31 outbreaks in the first half of this year including 19 botulism cases and two deaths. Data from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection shows that in the first six months of 2026, 31 outbreaks were registered in 11 regions and Kyiv, with the most in the Mykolaiv region with 10\. Of 287 people ill, 207 were children. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Seven importers warned about Foreign Supplier Verification Program violations URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/seven-importers-warned-about-foreign-supplier-verification-program-violations/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T04:04:51.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until a company has been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to seven food importers in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Texas and Georgia after inspections found the companies failed to develop, maintain or follow required Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs) for imported foods. The companies imported a variety of products, including fresh produce, canned foods, dairy products, sauces, candy and other packaged foods. In several cases, FDA said firms failed to provide documentation showing corrective actions after inspectors identified violations. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hong Kong warns of severe infections caused by Vibrio URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/hong-kong-warns-of-severe-infections-caused-by-vibrio/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T04:02:30.000Z Health officials in Hong Kong have warned about a summer rise in a serious bacterial infection that can be caused by consumption of raw seafood or contact with seawater. Vibrio vulnificus is present naturally in warm marine environments. Its concentration typically increases in summer when seawater temperatures rise. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA steps up import enforcement on infant formula, seafood, dried peppers URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/fda-steps-up-import-enforcement-on-infant-formula-seafood-dried-peppers/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T04:01:51.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. [Click here](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USFDA/2026/07/27/file%5Fattachments/3725751/Import%20Alerts%20Modified%20in%20the%20past%207%20days%202026-07-27.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts. See chart below for a list of the most recent alerts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/08/import-alerts-08-02-26-1.png) Click on chart to enlarge. Use link above to go to FDA page with links to specific alerts. ### Publisher’s Platform: The T-Shirts Arrived. All of Them Say: Test Infant Formula for Botulism. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/publishers-platform-the-t-shirts-arrived-all-of-them-say-test-infant-formula-for-botulism/ Last updated: 2026-08-02T16:45:06.000Z In early July I wrote that I had [bought Congress a t-shirt](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/i-bought-congress-a-t-shirt-to-stop-botulism-in-infant-formula/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — one for every member. The boxes are here. Each shirt comes rolled and compressed inside a little plastic baby bottle small enough to hold in your palm. Unroll it and it reads: **For Babies’ Sake, Test for Botulism in Infant Formula.** Underneath, the bill — **H.R. 7867, the Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act of 2026** — and the three things it delivers: stronger standards, modern testing, healthier babies. At the bottom, six words: *Because every baby deserves a safe start.* Now the delivery, and here is where the calendar had opinions. The House left town at the end of July and does not return to Washington until August 31, for exactly one week. The Senate is here this week and then gone until September 14\. Looks like delivery in September makes the most sense. Here is why it still matters, five months after CDC declared the ByHeart outbreak over. Federal regulation still requires powdered infant formula manufacturers to test finished product for exactly two organisms — *Salmonella* and *Cronobacter*. That is 21 C.F.R. § 106.55, and *Clostridium botulinum* is not on it. It was not on it in November 2025, when 48 infants across 17 states were paralyzed after drinking ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula, the largest infant botulism outbreak in American history. It was not on it this spring, when four more babies, two to five months old, were hospitalized and treated with BabyBIG after drinking Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic formula. It is not on it this morning. The FDA named the organism itself, in writing, in a [March 8, 2023 Call-to-Action letter](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/post-outbreak-response-activities-clostridium-botulinum-illnesses-associated-consumption-powdered?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to the entire powdered formula industry — more than two years before the first ByHeart baby got sick. The hazard was on the government’s own record. The rule never caught up to it. Both outbreaks run back through the same milk. Organic West Milk supplied it. Dairy Farmers of America spray-dried it. When FDA ran a trace-forward in 2025 to find every other formula maker that received that milk, [Organic West handed over a customer list that left Nara off](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-powdered-infant-formula-june-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — a fact the agency has now stated plainly, along with Organic West’s later admission that the list was incomplete. The second outbreak was not bad luck. It was the first one still running, through a supply chain nobody had finished mapping. H.R. 7867 fixes the part of that a statute can fix: it puts *C. botulinum* on the required testing list and mandates environmental monitoring inside the plants where this powder is made. It is bipartisan. The Health Subcommittee held its hearing on April 29\. It has been sitting in Energy and Commerce ever since, waiting on a markup nobody has scheduled. The Senate passed S. 272 the same day that hearing happened — 22 to 0 in committee, unanimous consent on the floor — which tells you this is not a hard vote once somebody puts it on the calendar. I have written the letters: to the [House Energy and Commerce Committee](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/support-for-h-r-7867-the-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act-of-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), to the [Senate HELP Committee](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/letter-to-the-committee-on-health-education-labor-and-pensions/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), to [Secretary Kennedy](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/an-open-letter-to-secretary-kennedy-you-met-the-ceos-the-parents-are-still-waiting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). I have sent the parents’ own words, in their own handwriting. Chairman Cassidy has [demanded answers from Nara and ByHeart](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/senator-cassidy-wants-answers-from-nara-organics-byheart-too-on-infant-botulism-so-do-the-families-i-represent/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and I gave him full credit for it. None of it has produced a markup. A t-shirt in a plastic bottle will not produce one either. But it is small, it is strange, it does not throw away easily, and it says the entire argument in one line. Sometime in September a staffer is going to unroll one and read it out loud. That is the whole idea. ### The Sunday Edition: Zoonoses URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/the-sunday-edition-zoonoses/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T20:04:10.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena** - There are now [more than 20,000 cases](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-fifty-state-cyclospora-count-is-20-927-this-morning-the-president-has-said-one-thing-about-it-the-secretary-says-it-is-under-control-here-is-what-they-should-hav/) of cyclosporiasis related to current outbreaks. The actual number is likely much higher. CDC is expected to update its patient counts next week. A source of the parasite for the largest outbreak has not yet been identified. Meanwhile, health officials in the United Kingdom [report an increase in Cyclospora infections](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/uk-officials-note-rise-in-cyclospora-infections/) in people returning from travel to Mexico. Officials at the UK Health Security Agency anticipate a further rise in travel-associated cases linked to summer trips to both Mexico and the United States. - Scientists from the Ineos Oxford Institute found that [the global expansion of industrial chicken farming has helped spread Campylobacter](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/scientists-analyze-spread-of-campylobacter/), the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea worldwide. According to the new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, bacteria that were once confined largely to wild birds have gained far more opportunities to enter poultry flocks, spread and become established. These strains of bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics as well. - In Part 3 of his series, writer Joe Whitworth reports on [a study of parasite transmission via raw fish consumption in South Korea](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/study-flags-risks-of-raw-fish-consumption/). The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found that restrictions on eating out during the COVID-19 pandemic seem to have interrupted an upward trend in cases involving Kudoa septempunctata, a parasite that lives in farmed olive flounder and other fish species. - China has reported [a significant increase in mushroom poisonings](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/china-records-spike-in-mushroom-poisoning-cases-with-more-than-2-100-patients-reported/) and the number of people sickened by them. Poisoning incidents and patients reached a six-year high in 2025, but the number of fatalities was the lowest over that period. --- **Today’s Topic: Zoonoses** Zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases, are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Zoonoses spread through both direct and indirect contact with animals, as well as via contaminated food and water. Even when transmitted by food and water, zoonoses are not usually thought of as foodborne illnesses, but they cannot be overlooked as a risk to food safety. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Polls Taken as Cyclospora Cases Passed 20,000 Show U.S. Food Safety Confidence at Record Lows. European, British and Canadian Measures Are Flat or Rising. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/polls-taken-as-cyclospora-cases-passed-20-000-show-u-s-food-safety-confidence-at-record-lows-european-british-and-canadian-measures-are-flat-or-rising/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T20:04:37.000Z A majority of American voters say they have little or no confidence in government oversight of food safety, according to a [Quinnipiac University national poll](https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3964&ref=foodsafetynews.com) conducted in the last full week of July, as the country's largest recorded *Cyclospora* outbreak spread past twenty thousand cases by the states' own published counts. Asked how much confidence they have in government oversight of food safety in the United States, 12 percent of respondents said a lot and 31 percent said some, for a combined 43 percent. Twenty-five percent said not so much and 30 percent said none at all, for a combined 55 percent. Quinnipiac interviewed 963 registered voters from July 23 through July 27 and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. The food safety question was the last of thirty-three in a survey otherwise devoted to the war with Iran, gasoline prices and the midterm elections. The question does not appear in Quinnipiac's published trend tables, indicating it was asked for the first time. Comparable long-term measures come from two other organizations, and both are at or near record lows. Gallup has asked Americans about their confidence in the federal government to ensure the safety of the food supply since 1999, as part of an annual Consumption Habits poll fielded each July. Confidence stood at 76 percent in September 1999 and reached [82 percent](https://news.gallup.com/poll/4831/americans-confident-safety-nations-food.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in July 2004 during the mad cow scare, holding near eight in ten through 2006\. It fell to roughly seven in ten after a large *Salmonella* outbreak in 2007 and remained at that level through 2019, when it measured 68 percent. It dropped to 57 percent in 2024 and to [53 percent](https://news.gallup.com/poll/693497/adults-rate-diet-healthy-worry-food-safety.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in July 2025, the lowest reading in the twenty-six years Gallup has asked. Gallup's 2026 survey was fielded in July, during the current outbreak, and is expected to publish in mid-August. Gallup attributed much of the 2025 decline to partisan shifts following the change in the party holding the presidency. Democratic confidence fell from 74 percent in 2024 to 48 percent in 2025, while Republican confidence rose twelve points to 62 percent. Confidence among independents was unchanged at 52 percent. Gallup also noted that confidence that food sold in grocery stores is safe to eat has held far steadier, at 73 percent in 2025 compared with 81 percent in 2019. A second long-running measure comes from the [International Food Information Council](https://ific.org/media/confidence-in-food-safety-hits-record-low/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), an industry-funded group that has tracked consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply since 2012\. That figure was 78 percent in 2012, 70 percent in 2023 and 62 percent in 2024, and fell to 55 percent in the 2025 survey of 3,000 adults — the lowest in the thirteen years IFIC has asked. The share describing themselves as very confident fell from 24 percent in 2022 to 11 percent in 2025\. Six percent reported full confidence in the safety of the food supply. Among respondents who lacked confidence, IFIC reported that 59 percent said profit is prioritized over safety, 54 percent said the parts of the food system do not work together, 46 percent cited insufficient government regulation and 43 percent cited the number of recalls. Asked which actors are committed to ensuring food is safe, respondents put the federal government at 48 percent, food companies at 46 percent and grocery stores and retailers at 43 percent. The survey also found that foodborne illness caused by pathogens such as *E. coli*, *Salmonella* and *Listeria* had become the leading food safety concern, displacing chemical and additive concerns. IFIC customarily releases its food safety findings at the International Association for Food Protection annual meeting each July; this year's meeting was held in New Orleans the week of July 26, and 2026 food safety figures have not yet been published. Three additional surveys were conducted this month. [CBS News and YouGov](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cyclospora-outbreak-fda-opinion-poll/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) interviewed 2,193 adults from July 22 to 24 and found that 61 percent were following news of the outbreak at least somewhat closely, compared with 66 percent following the conflict with Iran. Forty percent said they were buying or eating less produce as a result of the outbreak, against 4 percent who said more and 56 percent who reported no change. Asked about the Food and Drug Administration's ability to deal with the outbreak, 13 percent expressed a lot of confidence and 40 percent some, while 31 percent said not much and 16 percent none at all. [Rasmussen Reports](https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public%5Fcontent/lifestyle/general%5Flifestyle/july%5F2026/cyclosporiasis%5Foutbreak%5Fsparks%5Ffood%5Fsafety%5Fworries?ref=foodsafetynews.com), surveying 1,247 adults on July 15, 16 and 19 and asking about the food supply itself rather than about government, found 51 percent confident and 44 percent not confident in the safety of the American food supply. In an April survey published in May, before the outbreak became national news, [KFF](https://www.kff.org/health-information-trust/kff-poll-finds-that-most-adults-lack-confidence-in-key-health-agencies-to-act-independently/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) found that 36 percent of adults had a lot or some confidence in the FDA to act independently of outside interests, and that 25 percent trusted food and beverage companies to act in the public's interest. Comparable surveys abroad show different trajectories. The [2025 Eurobarometer on food safety](https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/more-and-more-europeans-know-how-eu-food-safety-works-says-latest-citizen-survey?ref=foodsafetynews.com), commissioned by the European Food Safety Authority and conducted through 26,370 face-to-face interviews across the twenty-seven European Union member states, found trust in national authorities at 70 percent, up four points since 2022, and trust in EU institutions at 69 percent, up three. Seventy-nine percent agreed that regulations are in place to ensure their food is safe, an increase of six points. EFSA reported gains across each of its awareness and trust measures. In the United Kingdom, the Food Standards Agency's [monthly Consumer Insights Tracker](https://science.food.gov.uk/article/160939-consumer-insights-tracker-january-2026-march-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) recorded trust in the agency at 60 to 62 percent from January through March 2026 among respondents with some knowledge of it, essentially unchanged since the tracker began in 2023\. The agency's Food and You 2 survey has separately found 89 percent of consumers confident in the safety of the food they purchase and 69 percent confident in the food supply chain. In Canada, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity reported in October 2025 that 45 percent of Canadians believed the food system was headed in the right direction, up fourteen points from 2024 and a five-year high, with trust in the Canadian food inspection system at a record level. The same research found a reversal in views of American food imports: in 2023, 22 percent of Canadians said they trusted food imported from the United States more than food from other international exporters, against 12 percent who trusted other sources more, while by 2025 the figures had [nearly inverted](https://www.producer.com/daily/trade-tensions-boosted-confidence-in-canadian-food-system-report-shows/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), at 15 percent and 23 percent respectively. The organization attributed the shift largely to trade tensions rather than to food safety concerns. The surveys are not directly comparable. The Eurobarometer is conducted face to face and asks whether respondents agree that a food safety system exists rather than measuring confidence in it. The British tracker asks about a single named agency and only among respondents who report knowing what it does. Rasmussen asked about the food supply, CBS about the FDA's handling of one outbreak, KFF about agency independence and Quinnipiac about government oversight generally — four distinct constructs. Each of the European, British and Canadian instruments is able to name a national food safety authority; the American question is framed around government oversight in general, reflecting a system in which food safety responsibility is divided among the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state health departments. The partisan pattern recurs across the American surveys. In the Quinnipiac poll, 70 percent of Republicans expressed confidence in government food safety oversight compared with 25 percent of Democrats and 38 percent of independents. In the CBS survey, 73 percent of Republicans expressed confidence in the FDA's handling of the outbreak, compared with 41 percent of Democrats and 46 percent of independents. The 2025 Gallup reading recorded the same split in the opposite direction under the previous administration. The CBS finding that 40 percent of adults are buying or eating less produce was consistent across demographic groups, with 46 percent of women and 34 percent of men reporting the change, and 46 percent of adults 65 and older. The reduction comes as federal health officials have urged Americans to eat more whole foods. As of July 31, the states' own published counts totaled more than 21,000 cases across all fifty states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,947 outbreak-associated cases and 98 hospitalizations in nine states and separately reported 6,707 cyclosporiasis cases nationally through July 27\. No product has been named since the recall of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico, and the FDA is tracking six open *Cyclospora* investigations. Gallup's next reading is due in mid-August. ### Spaghetti and chicken cobbler recalled because of consumer complaint about metal pieces URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/08/spaghetti-and-chicken-cobbler-recalled-because-of-consumer-complaint-about-metal-pieces/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T02:08:44.000Z Ukrop's Homestyle Foods of Richmond, VA, is recalling 22,880 pounds of baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal slivers, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler items were produced from July 1 through July 29\. The following products are subject to recall: - 62.4-oz. ALUMINUM PAN WITH PLASTIC OVERWRAP containing "Ukrop's Baked Spaghetti - Bulk" and BEST BY dates from 07/08/26 through 08/05/26 on the label and bears establishment number "EST. 19979" in the mark of inspection. - 14.8-oz. CARDBOARD TRAY WITH PLASTIC OVERWRAP containing "Ukrop's Baked Spaghetti" and BEST BY dates from 07/08/26 through 08/05/26 on the label and bears establishment number "EST. 19979" in the mark of inspection. - 48-oz. ALUMINUM PAN WITH PLASTIC OVERWRAP containing "Ukrop's Chicken Cobbler - Bulk" and BEST BY dates from 07/08/26 through 08/05/26 on the label and bears establishment number "P-19979" in the mark of inspection. - 11.6-oz. CARDBOARD TRAY WITH PLASTIC OVERWRAP containing "Ukrop's Chicken Cobbler" and BEST BY dates from 07/08/26 through 08/05/26 on the label and bears establishment number "P-19979" in the mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, the Department of Defense and online sales. The problem was discovered after the establishment received a consumer complaint regarding a metal piece found in a fully cooked product. There have been no confirmed reports of injuries due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Publisher's Platform: The Fifty-State Cyclospora count is 20,927 this morning. The President has said one thing about it. The Secretary says it is under control. Here is what they should have said instead. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-fifty-state-cyclospora-count-is-20-927-this-morning-the-president-has-said-one-thing-about-it-the-secretary-says-it-is-under-control-here-is-what-they-should-hav/ Last updated: 2026-08-02T05:07:56.000Z Ohio [released new numbers today](https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2026/07/31/cyclosporiasis-cyclospora-explosive-diarrhea-outbreak-cases-ohio-numbers-update-county-map/91106465007/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — 4,013 cases in 80 counties, up from 2,576 a week ago. Add the states up, one by one, all fifty of them, and the floor under this outbreak this morning is 20,927 people. Michigan alone reports 10,386 illnesses and 193 hospitalizations. Against that, the entire public record of what the President of the United States and the Secretary of Health and Human Services have said about the largest *Cyclospora* outbreak in American history fits comfortably on one page. I am going to lay that record out, and then I am going to say what they should have said instead. The President has spoken once. On Friday, July 24, in the Oval Office, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked him when it would be safe to eat lettuce again. He [said he did not know](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-laughs-off-fox-news-reporters-question-on-cyclospora-outbreak-12242570?ref=foodsafetynews.com), that he had “not thought about it, that it was the first time anyone had asked him” — and then he asked Doocy whether he had been eating lettuce lately. The room laughed. He finished by saying he would [put a major tariff on Mexico because of the lettuce](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-outbreak-cyclosporiasis-public-health-cdc?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and a tariff on Canada because of the wildfire smoke. That is the whole presidential record. It is one week old today, and nothing has been added to it. The tariff line deserves one sentence of correction and no more. The iceberg lettuce at the center of the nine-state cluster was grown and processed in Guanajuato at a plant operated by a subsidiary of a company headquartered in Salinas, California. A tariff on Mexico is a measure aimed at an American company's supply chain, and it is not a food safety measure. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has spoken once as well. On Tuesday, July 21, at a briefing about health care fraud, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was asked about the outbreak and said, “We do have the outbreak under control.” He said investigators had done extensive epidemiological forensics, that the source had been identified, and that the companies involved had [implemented a recall](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rfk-jr-says-source-cyclospora-outbreak-identified-declares-parasite-outbreak-under-control?ref=foodsafetynews.com). On that day, CDC's outbreak page counted 1,644 illnesses in five states. Ten days later that same page counts [1,947 illnesses in nine states](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and it has not been updated since July 24\. CDC's own surveillance page, a different page on the same website, counts [6,707 cases across 45 states](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The states count 20,927\. Three numbers, one agency, one outbreak. Pressed at the same briefing on the surveillance cuts of *Cyclospora*, the Secretary said, “Those criticisms are invalid” and that there had been [no cuts in the surveillance program](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/21/cyclospora-rfk-jr-says-outbreak-is-under-control.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — only in FoodNet, and only for what he called redundant surveillance. The White House press secretary spoke on July 16, when the count was about 400 cases in four states. She said the administration had a handle on it, that CDC and FDA had the resources they needed, and that Americans should wash and cook their produce. The White House later told CNN it was [aggressively coordinating response efforts](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/20/health/trump-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-cdc-response-invs?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Take the washing advice on its own terms for a moment. FDA's own guidance document says chlorine and other common antimicrobial treatments are [not effective against this parasite](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and CDC's own health advisory says disinfecting or sanitizing produce [might not fully eliminate it](https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/notices/han00531.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Telling people to rinse it off is not advice. Since then, the administration has spoken mostly through spokespeople. HHS senior press secretary Emily Hilliard has described a robust response and work with all 50 state health departments. On July 27, after the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee sent a [document demand to Taylor Farms' chief executive](https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-07-27garciatotaylorfarmsrecyclosporacontaminatedlettuce.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), White House spokesman Kush Desai said the notion that this administration would compromise on health and safety was [absolutely false](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-farms-cyclospora-outbreak-white-house-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). That is the most recent thing anyone at the White House has said about this outbreak, and it was said about a subpoena-adjacent letter rather than about the sick. Now set that beside what the career people have been saying the entire time. Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said on July 20 that the [investigation continues](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com), including into other potential sources and other commodities. Kari Irvin, who helps run FDA's outbreak response network, told NBC on July 24 that the agency has multiple Cyclospora investigations open. CDC's Gwen Biggerstaff has explained repeatedly that there is no whole genome sequencing route for this parasite, only targeted genotyping, which is slower and less precise. Not one person who does this work for a living has said this outbreak is under control. The two people who said it are the two people who do not do this work for a living. Then there is what has not been said, and by whom. The FDA has no Senate-confirmed Commissioner. The CDC has no Senate-confirmed Director. The nominee, Dr. Erica Schwartz, had her hearing on July 15 and is [still awaiting a vote](https://www.npr.org/2026/07/15/nx-s1-5892482?ref=foodsafetynews.com); at that hearing Senator Patty Murray asked her to commit to reinstating required Cyclospora reporting, and she [would not commit](https://cen.acs.org/policy/cdc-nominee-schwartz-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/104/web/2026/07?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Seven members of Congress have written seven letters in fourteen days — Klobuchar, Stanton, Ossoff, [four Michigan House members](https://debbiedingell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7116&ref=foodsafetynews.com), Gottheimer, Blumenthal and Booker, and Garcia. Not one has been publicly answered. Senator Ossoff's [second letter](https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-again-presses-hhs-secretary-kennedy-for-failing-to-address-cancelation-of-cdcs-cyclosporiasis-parasite-monitoring/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) said the silence itself was the problem, and on that narrow point he is right. I want to be fair about one thing, because it cuts against the easy version of this story. *The Wall Street Journal* reported on July 24 that Taylor Farms called the White House through a lobbyist to try to delay the announcement of the recall, and that the White House brought FDA onto the call. What happened next is the part that matters. The White House went back to FDA separately, asked how the traceback had been done, reviewed how the agency planned to communicate it, was persuaded, and told FDA to publish. That is the system working under pressure, and it deserves to be said out loud by the same people who criticize the rest. Taylor Farms has been linked to the nine-state Taco Bell cluster and to the [hospital cafeteria cluster in Keene, NH](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/news-and-media/nh-dhhs-confirms-nine-people-cyclosporiasis-linked-consuming-taylor-fresh-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com). It has not been linked to the thousands of people sick in the twenty-eight states that merely received its recalled product. Which means that of the 20,927 illnesses on the board this morning, roughly 19,000 have no named source at all. That is the sentence that should be keeping somebody in Washington awake, and I have not heard anybody in Washington say it. There is a fourth number, and it is the one nobody in this administration has been willing to go near. In 2011 CDC's own scientists, led by Elaine Scallan, published what is still the standard estimate of foodborne illness burden in this country. The Cyclospora line in it carries an underdiagnosis multiplier of [83.1](https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/pdfs/major-pathogens-expanded-tables.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — for every laboratory-confirmed case, the model assumes about eighty-three people actually gotten sick. Applied to the only figure it can honestly be applied to, CDC's 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases, that is something on the order of 557,000 illnesses. Be careful with that number. I am going to be careful with it here, because the caveats are real and I would rather state them than have them stated back at me. The honest answer to how many Americans this outbreak has made sick is that we do not know; that 20,927 is a floor and not an estimate; that the real figure is some multiple of it nobody can currently defend; and that the instruments built to answer the question were narrowed the year before it was asked. “Under control” is not a statement anyone can make about a number nobody can produce. **Here is what they should have said.** The Secretary should not have said “under control.” He should have said something closer to the truth, and the truth was available to him on July 21: We have identified the likely vehicle for one cluster of illnesses in nine states, we do not yet know what is making people sick in the other 41, we have this many people working on it, and here is what we are asking you to do while we find out. Nobody would have called that weakness. Everybody who works in this field would have recognized it as competence. Instead, he spent the credibility of his office on a phrase that was disproved by his own agency's website inside of seventy-two hours. The press secretary should not have told people to wash their lettuce. She should have told them what not to eat and for how long, which is the only instruction that has ever worked in a produce outbreak. She had FDA's own document in front of her, or could have. When the agencies know the advice does not work and give it anyway because it is the only advice that sounds reassuring, they are not protecting the public. They are protecting the podium. And the President should have said something. Anything. It costs nothing and it is most of the job. Twenty thousand nine hundred twenty-seven Americans are sick, hundreds have been hospitalized, and people have been sick for weeks at a time with an illness that comes back in waves after you think it has ended. He could have said: This is real, my people are working on it, here is what we know today and here is where to find tomorrow's update. The joke about the lettuce is not the offense. Not having thought about it is the offense, and he said that part himself. There is a thread running through all of it, and it is not competence. It is transparency. FDA did not name Taylor Farms in its July 16 advisory because of trade secret restrictions, so the public was told about a single unnamed supplier in Mexico; the company recalled the next day. Eighteen months earlier the same agency [closed a fatal romaine outbreak without ever naming the same company](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/pu/) — eighty-nine people sick, one dead, seven cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome — and the name became public only because we sued for the unredacted pages. An agency that names companies late, or not at all, cannot then ask the public to take its reassurances on faith. **Here is what they should have done and still could do today:** 1\. Restore required *Cyclospora* reporting in FoodNet. I know the objection and I agree with half of it — FoodNet measures trends, it does not detect outbreaks. But it was narrowed eleven months before the largest *Cyclospora* outbreak this country has ever recorded, reinstating it costs almost nothing, and every letter Congress has sent asks for it. 2\. Make cyclosporiasis reportable in every state, not merely nationally notifiable. Those are two different things: notifiable means CDC asks for the case, reportable means state law requires it. The parasite does not observe the difference, and neither should the count. 3\. Publish one national number and update it. CDC currently maintains an outbreak page frozen at 1,947 since July 24 and a surveillance page reading 6,707, while the states themselves report 20,927\. Pick a figure, define exactly what it counts, include probable cases, and refresh it on a schedule the public can rely on. An agency that will not publish the size of a problem cannot expect to be believed about the solution. 4\. Grant the [citizen petition](https://stopfoodborneillness.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/STOP-FDA-HHS-CCI-Petition-Final-2.4.2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that has been sitting at FDA since Feb. 4\. Stop Foodborne Illness asked the agency to adopt a policy of naming every company associated with a foodborne illness outbreak, recall or no recall. It requires no rulemaking; the Commissioner could grant it this week with a memorandum. My one amendment stands: Disclosure has to reach the processor and the grower, because in a produce outbreak there is very often no brand on the bag at all. 5\. Bring back the Microbiological Data Program, and this time give it a parasite target. The MDP was created under President Bush's 2001 Food Safety Initiative and tested [about fifteen thousand produce samples a year](https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/mdp?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — bagged lettuce and spinach, cilantro, hot peppers, tomatoes, sprouts, melons — for roughly $4.5 million a year, and it accounted for something like eighty percent of all federal produce pathogen testing until it was [zeroed out and shut down in December 2012](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/01/mdp-officially-shut-down-pathogen-testing-for-produce-halted/). I have been [asking for it back since 2024](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/11/time-to-bring-back-the-microbiological-data-program-mdp-to-help-make-produce-safe-again-mpsa/). The honest caveat, which I would rather state myself: MDP tested for bacteria, not for parasites, so restoring it exactly as it was would not have caught this outbreak. Restore it with *Cyclospora* on the panel and the sampling pushed upstream toward the field, and while we are at it add the parasite to CDC's [national wastewater surveillance network](https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which reaches roughly fifteen hundred sites and about half the country and does not look for this organism at all. 6\. Put the FSMA 204 traceability rule back on its original schedule instead of 2028\. Susan Mayne, who has actually run lettuce tracebacks, said on national television this week that it would have been enormously helpful here, and that without it the same thing happens again next summer. 7\. Name *Cyclospora* in the pre-harvest agricultural water rule. The only numeric microbial criterion in [Subpart E](https://www.fda.gov/media/164540/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is generic E. coli, and FDA's own guidance says fecal-indicator testing will not identify this parasite. We are requiring growers to test water for the wrong organism and calling it a safeguard. 8\. Stand up the independent board Frank Yiannas has [been asking for since 2025](https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/listeria-outbreak-pasta-fda-foodborne-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — an NTSB for foodborne outbreaks, investigating across agency lines, publishing root cause and lessons, with no stake in the reputation of the agency whose work it is reviewing. He has [said again this month](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5989772-ex-fda-criticizes-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the federal response here is approaching a catastrophic level of mismanagement, and he is a former deputy commissioner of FDA and a past president of the professional society that met in New Orleans this week. His framing is the right one — the point is not to find fault; it is to find facts. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb made a version of the same point on [*Face the Nation*](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-gottlieb-former-fda-commissioner-face-the-nation-transcript-july-26-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on Sunday when he said the breakdown was in identifying the initial cluster, and that Michigan's state health officials led that work rather than the CDC in Atlanta. Not one of those eight is a partisan measure, and it is worth saying that the Microbiological Data Program was created under a Republican president and killed under a Democratic one. Six of the eight were federal policy or federal practice inside the last fifteen years. All eight would have made this month shorter. I have been doing this since 1993, and I have watched administrations of both parties handle outbreaks badly. What is different this time is not the mistakes. Mistakes are ordinary; the false positive was ordinary; a hard parasite with a two-week incubation period is ordinary bad luck. What is different is that seventeen days into the worst *Cyclospora* outbreak this country has ever had, nobody at the top has said the number out loud. Twenty thousand nine hundred twenty-seven. Say it, and then say what you are going to do about it. ### Patient counts in Cyclospora outbreak continue to increase URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/patient-counts-in-cyclospora-outbreak-continue-to-increase/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T21:18:27.000Z If numbers out of Michigan are an indicator, a massive outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite may be slightly slowing. On July 30 the state reported 10,386 patients, up from 10,077 on July 29\. That’s the smallest overnight increase for more than a week in Michigan. Of the Michigan patients for whom complete information is known, 193 report being hospitalized. “Typically, outbreaks of this type do have their natural history,” Craig Hedberg, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, told CIDRAP News. “We may well be on a downslope.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to update its patient counts next week. As of this week the agency was reporting that since May 1 there have been 6,707 domestically acquired, lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, and an additional 11,500 are awaiting confirmation or need more investigation. Those numbers are for the largest outbreak which spans 45 states. A source of the parasite for this outbreak has not yet been determined. For a smaller outbreak including nine states — Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia — the CDC has not yet updated its patient count of 1,947\. Interviews with people sickened with cyclosporiasis in this outbreak indicate that many in those states ate at Taco Bell restaurants and ate lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms de Mexico. That lettuce has since been recalled, but the recall was initiated after the lettuce was consumed or past its expiration date. The larger outbreak that involves 10,386 patients in Michigan has 2,926 patients in Northern Ohio. Several other states have numbers in the hundreds and count are still growing, but not at as fast a pace that they have been. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### UK officials note rise in Cyclospora infections URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/uk-officials-note-rise-in-cyclospora-infections/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T04:04:16.000Z Health officials in the United Kingdom have reported an increase in Cyclospora infections in people returning from Mexico. Between April 30 and July 15, 67 cases of cyclosporiasis were recorded in the UK. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Scotland, and Public Health Wales said there were 30 cases in England, 27 in Scotland, and 10 in Wales. The median age of patients is 46, and two thirds are female. Of the 52 cases with travel information, 48 went to Mexico, with one person going to both Mexico and the United States. Detailed information for 28 sick people shows them primarily staying in the Riviera Maya region but several visited Cancún. Patients stayed in different hotels and consumed a variety of food and drinks within their resort as part of an all-inclusive holiday package. There were 87 cyclosporiasis cases in England in 2025 and 124 in 2024\. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite that does not naturally occur in the UK and there is no risk of person to person spread. Dr Philip Veal, consultant in travel health at UKHSA, said: “We have recently detected a rise in Cyclospora infections among travelers returning from Mexico. Travelers to Mexico and other areas where the infection is more common can reduce their risk by following good food and water hygiene measures, including drinking bottled water and eating thoroughly cooked food, even when staying in high-end all-inclusive resorts.” **Large U.S. outbreak** People are advised to choose freshly prepared food that is thoroughly cooked and served piping hot. Foods that should be avoided include fresh uncooked berries and herbs, unpeeled fruit and salad items. UKHSA said it is anticipating a further rise in travel-associated cases linked to summer trips to Mexico and to the U.S., where there has [been a widespread outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cyclospora-outbreak-patient-count-tops-20-000/). The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Health, said that testing for Cyclospora cayetanensis carried out in the U.S. and Mexico had not detected the parasite in any samples. Findings were based on an investigation by the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS). A sanitary inspection and verification visit from July 18 to 20 at the Taylor Farms facility in Mexico found no evidence of the parasite. Ten lettuce samples were analyzed, including five whole raw products and five processed products, along with four water samples. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### Filipino food agency steps up enforcement and controls URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/filipino-food-agency-steps-up-enforcement-and-controls/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T04:03:29.000Z The food agency in the Philippines has revealed the results of stricter enforcement measures in the first half of this year. The country's Food and Drug Administration faced challenges such as limited manpower, process inefficiencies, and backlogs driven by increasing applications. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### E. coli outbreak linked to frozen organic berries sold at Publix URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-frozen-organic-berries-sold-at-publix/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T01:48:07.000Z The FDA is investigating an outbreak of infections from E. coli O145:H28 that is related to imported, frozen berries sold at Publix stores. The implicated berries are sold under the Greenwise brand and were imported from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., of San Carlos, Chile, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The outbreak has sickened 12 people in Florida and Georgia. Four of the patients have required hospitalization. Publix has recalled the berries, which were distributed to stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The berries could have been further. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/map-outbreak-Publix-frozen-berries.png) Customers who have purchased the following frozen GreenWise products are reminded not to consume them, and the products should be discarded or returned to Publix for a full refund. The following products are subject to the recall: - GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06453 - GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12053 - GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06753 - GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12153 As part of its outbreak investigation, FDA conducted a a remote inspection of Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile, and collected records from the firm to better understand their procedures and hazard controls, or abilities to prevent food from becoming contaminated. Based on inspection findings, FDA had concerns about at least one other lot of blueberries that was used in additional frozen GreenWise products. Publix has recalled such products, as indicated above. Additionally, the FDA has concerns about other products from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. that have not entered the U.S. market. The FDA has communicated its concerns to the firm. The FDA has added products from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A, of San Carlos, Chile to [Import Alert 99-35](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms%5Fia/importalert%5F1128.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Frozen blueberries from this firm that are offered for entry into the United States may be detained without physical examination at U.S. borders. The FDA and state partners are actively working to determine the source of contamination. Additional products may be added to this advisory as the investigation continues. **About E. coli infections** Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled berries and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications. About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Warning issued for chicken salad because of contamination with Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/chicken-salad-recalled-because-of-contamination-with-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T03:01:58.000Z The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for Curry Chicken Salad because of concerns that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase. The Curry Chicken Salad item was produced on July 22, 2026\. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators. The following product subject to the public health alert is: - 8-oz. plastic packages containing portions of "CURRY CHICKEN SALAD" with a USE BY: 07/30/2026 printed on the back label. The products bear establishment number "P-39928" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Oregon and Washington. The problem was discovered during routine establishment testing. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled chicken salad and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Aquafaba Powder recalled because of undeclared egg URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/aquafaba-powder-recalled-because-of-undeclared-egg/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T01:16:19.000Z 529 Commerce LLC of Parkland, FL, is recalling 3,860 units of its 4 ounce and 12 ounce packages of its Rooted in Rare brand Aquafaba Powder because the product may contain undeclared egg. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to egg run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. The recall was initiated after a consumer reported an allergic reaction after consuming the product. No other reports of illness have been received to date. The recalled Rooted in Rare brand Aquafaba Powder was distributed through Amazon.com and direct to customers nationwide between June 2025 and July 2026 via the company’s website www.rootedinrare.com. The recalled Rooted in Rare brand Aquafaba powder is packaged in 4-oz (113g) and 12-oz (340g) flexible foil pouches with UPC #199284530959 (4oz) and #199284306226 (12oz). The following “best buy” dates are included in the recall, and are printed on a sticker and placed on the back bottom left of the product package: - Best by 12/14/2026 - Best by 12/12/2027 Customers who have purchased this product and have an allergy or sensitivity to egg should not consume and discard this product. Customers may request a refund from Amazon.com or contact 529 Commerce, LLC for a refund if it was purchased directly through our website. The company has terminated its relationship with this particular supplier. ### Imported organic berries recalled because of E. coli contamination and outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/imported-organic-berries-recalled-because-of-e-coli-contamination-and-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T01:03:13.000Z In relation to an outbreak of E. Coli infections, the Publix grocery store chain is recalling organic GreenWise imported frozen berries. The outbreak has sickened 12 people in Florida and Georgia. Four of the patients have required hospitalization. The recall applies to all frozen Greenwise organic blueberries and berry mixes sold in Publix stores. The recalled products were shipped to Publix retail stores throughout eight states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. At the end of June, Publix conducted an internal stop sale of frozen GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries. These products remain unavailable for sale. A recall of GreenWise Organic Blueberries, 10-ounce, Lot Code 60401 was previously announced on July 3, by Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile. Based on the public health officials’ product traceback and epidemiological information, Publix is now taking further action to recall all lots of GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries. Customers who have purchased the following frozen GreenWise products are reminded not to consume them, and the products should be discarded or returned to Publix for a full refund. - GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06453 - GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12053 - GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 10-ounce, UPC 41415-06753 - GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries, 48-ounce, UPC 41415-12153 **About E. coli infections** Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated products and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications. About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Cyclospora outbreak patient count tops 18,000 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cyclospora-outbreak-patient-count-tops-20-000/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T21:18:52.000Z Outbreaks of infections from the Cyclospora parasite continue to ravage the country with 18,000 patients identified. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking at least two outbreaks, with one associated with Taco Bell restaurants that served iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms. The CDC reports that the outbreak stretches across nine states and has infected at least 1,947 people. The nine states involved in the outbreak are Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Those states are among 41 where the CDC has identified 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis and more than 11,500 additional cases that are awaiting confirmation. The CDC says there are likely several outbreaks included in the overall count. For Example, Michigan alone is reporting 10,077 patients as of July 29, which is up by 397 the day before. Ohio alone is reporting more than 2,500 patients. “State data may include probable and confirmed cases, resulting in higher case counts than what CDC reports. CDC is working closely with states to update numbers as additional cases are confirmed,” according to an agency statement. The outbreak associated with Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants began June 22 and the most recent patient was confirmed July 19, according to the CDC. The states may have confirmed more patients in the time since then. Taylor Farms initiated a recall of its iceberg lettuce from the Central Mexico growing region on July 17\. The outbreak had peak patient counts on June 24 and July 9, so the implicated lettuce was likely already consumed or past its expiration date by the time Taylor Farms launched the recall. Taylor Farms has a history of being associated with outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Following is a list of investigation documents dating back to 2009. **2026, Cyclospora, iceberg lettuce.** [FDA investigation page](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [CDC investigation update](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2024, E. coli O157:H7, onions served at McDonald's.** [CDC investigation update](https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/investigation-update-e-coli-o157-2024.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [FDA outbreak investigation](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-onions-october-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2021, E. coli O121:H19, romaine lettuce.** [The NORS report](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2021-Multistate-Outbreak-of-E.-coli-O121-Infections-NORS-report.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [outbreak summary slides](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/E.%5Fcoli%5FO121%5FDec%5F2021%5FOutbreak%5Fsummary%5Fslides.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2015, E. coli O157:H7, Costco rotisserie chicken salad.** [CDC's final update](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2015%5FCostco%5FChicken%5FSalad%5FCDC%5FFinal%5FUpdate%5F12-22-2015.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Never officially attributed to a common source, though Taylor Farms recalled the celery and onion diced blend that went into the salad, and the FDA recall notice is no longer available online. **2013, Cyclospora, bagged salad mix.** [MMWR Notes from the Field](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6243a5.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [CDC's 2013 outbreak investigation page](http://medbox.iiab.me/modules/en-cdc/www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/investigation-2013.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [FDA's environmental assessment](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Environmental-Assessment--2013-Cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-Iowa-and-Nebraska-%E2%80%93-Findings-and-Recommendations.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and the [Nebraska and Iowa regional investigation](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9150646/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2009, Salmonella Typhimurium, shredded lettuce.** [The Oregonian's contemporaneous report](https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2009/09/salmonella%5Foutbreak%5Fmay%5Fbe%5Flin.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), plus the [traceback](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2009-TF-Traceback-redacted.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [Oregon health alert](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2009-TF-HAN-posting-from-OHD-redacted.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — both of those still redacted, seventeen years later. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### FDA continues investigations of several outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-continues-investigations-of-several-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T04:04:11.000Z An outbreak of Salmonella infections has doubled in size during the past week. The Food and Drug Administration reports that the outbreak of Salmonella Javiana infections now has 212 patients, up from 106 a week ago. The agency is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. A source of the pathogen has not yet been determined, but the FDA has initiated traceback and testing. The agency has not reported what food it is tracing or what it is testing. In other outbreaks news, the FDA is investigating an outbreak of infections from Listeria monocytogenes. The patient count has increase to nine, up from eight a week ago. The FDA has not yet determined a source of the pathogen, but is has initiated testing. The agency is not reporting what it is testing. The FDA first reported the outbreak on July 22. For an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections, the patient count has increased to 90, up from 81 a week ago. The FDA is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. The agency has not determined a source of the pathogen. Traceback efforts have begun, but the FDA is not saying what food is being traced. The agency first posted the outbreak on July 8. An outbreak of infections from E. coli O157:H7 has been declared over. There were 14 patients confirmed in the outbreak. A source of the pathogen was not determined, but the FDA conducted traceback. The agency did not report what food it traced. The FDA first posted the outbreak on July 1\. ### Scientists analyze spread of Campylobacter URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/scientists-analyze-spread-of-campylobacter/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T04:03:35.000Z Industrial poultry farming has played a role in the spread of Campylobacter, according to researchers. Scientists from the Ineos Oxford Institute found that the chicken host environment may drive the evolution of strains that are more likely to cause human infections. Campylobacteris the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea worldwide. Rising rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when bacteria resist drugs designed to kill them, are making infections more difficult to treat. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Colorado posts double Salmonella cases compared to previous years URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/colorado-posts-double-salmonella-cases-compared-to-previous-years/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T04:01:22.000Z The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is alerting the public to a significant increase in Salmonella cases and asking people to be aware of the symptoms. As of July 28, there were 269 Salmonella cases reported in Colorado since July 1\. During the past five years, Colorado has averaged 125 cases during the month of July. Colorado has advanced foodborne illness surveillance capacity, and the Colorado Public Health Laboratory uses whole genome sequencing to compare the genetic fingerprints of Salmonella bacteria from people who test positive. This testing helps public health officials identify potentially connected cases and detect increases in illness early. The state health department is coordinating with local public health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and public health partners in other states to identify potential connections among the cases, and what food sources might be linked to an uptick in cases. Federal investigators have not confirmed a specific food, restaurant, supplier, or other source. Tracing to identify the source is underway now. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Australian agency denies horse meat claims URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/australian-agency-denies-horse-meat-claims/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T04:00:12.000Z Authorities in an Australian state have rejected claims made in a TV program that horse meat has been detected in food. The New South Wales (NSW) Food Authority said it has not found horse meat in beef, lamb or any food for human consumption. Comments were made by NSW Greens politician Abigail Boyd in a Four Corners program broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), based on documents showing food safety breaches. She said horse meat may have been put into ground (minced) beef and lamb. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Burritos distributed to Costco recalled for undeclared allergen URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/burritos-distributed-to-costco-recalled-for-undeclared-allergen/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T00:04:39.000Z The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for a Steak, Cilantro, Lime Burrito product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The product contains egg, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers with allergies to egg products are aware that this product should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because the affected product is no longer available for purchase. The Steak, Cilantro, Lime Burrito product was produced on Jun 19, 2026\. The following product is subject to the public health alert: - 3-lb 2-oz. carton containing 10 individually wrapped "RED'S STEAK CILANTRO AND LIME BURRITO" on the front package label with production lots, L1 SD6170 1503, L1 SD6170 1535, L1 SD6170 1606, L1 SD6170 1639, L1 SD6170 1717, L1 SD6170 1750, L1 SD6170 1831, L1 SD6170 1908, L1 SD6170 1954, L1 SD6170 2031, L1 SD6170 2108, L1 SD6170 2130 on the side of the package label. The individual products bear the establishment number "EST. 46069" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to Costco distribution locations in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. The problem was discovered by a consumer that identified the product contained in the carton of "RED'S STEAK CILANTRO AND LIME BURRITO" was a different product, which contains egg, and had been incorrectly labeled. The consumer reported the issue to the producing establishment, and the establishment notified FSIS. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' freezers. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it. The product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Publisher's Platform: The FDA closed the 2024 romaine E. coli outbreak without naming Taylor Farms. Sixteen months later we are counting 18,000 Cyclospora cases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/pu/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T17:46:37.000Z On January 15, 2025, the FDA and the CDC closed the investigation into a November 2024 *E. coli* O157:H7 outbreak in romaine lettuce. Eighty-nine people sick in fifteen states. Thirty-six of them hospitalized. Seven with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is the clinical way of saying a child's kidneys shut down. One person dead. The agencies recorded the vehicle as romaine lettuce from a common supplier and published nothing further. No processor. No grower. No ranch. No lot. The public advisory that had gone out for every comparable romaine outbreak since 2010 was simply never written for this one. When NBC News surfaced the agency's own internal report that April, FDA's explanation was that it names a firm when the evidence supports it and when there is actionable advice to give consumers, and that by the time investigators confirmed the likely source the outbreak was already over and there was nothing left for anyone to act on. That reasoning has been [reported and re-reported](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10329-uncovered-fda-did-not-disclose-fatal-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-lettuce-in-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ever since, and [the agency has never walked it back](https://www.foxnews.com/health/e-coli-outbreak-went-unpublicized-fda-despite-affecting-15-states-report?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The name existed the whole time. It was in the traceback summary FDA itself wrote, sitting behind gray boxes the agency claimed as trade secret. Our own epidemiologist found the thread running through clients who were whole-genome-sequencing matches to one another, and the name reached the public in April 2025 through [federal court filings](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/marler-clark-files-multiple-e-coli-o157h7-lawsuits-against-taylor-farms/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) rather than through a government press release: one processor, Taylor Farms of California in Salinas, and one grower, Anthony Costa & Sons in Soledad, with the lettuce at four of the five points of service running back to the same ranch and the same lot. It took me the better part of a year after that to pry the redactions off. [You can read the unredacted traceback summary yourself](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FDA-TF-ANDRES-COSTA-UNREDACTED-Traceback-Investigation-Summary-Romaine-2024-E.-Coli-Outbreak.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and I have already written at length about [what those pages say and what the boxes were hiding](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/the-2024-romaine-e-coli-outbreak-had-a-name-the-whole-time-the-fda-just-would-not-say-it-transparency-should-not-be-an-option/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Taylor Farms denied it then and [denies it now](https://www.thepacker.com/taylor-farms-sued-failure-report-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com): its position is that its product was not the source and that its own raw and finished product testing showed nothing — sound familiar? Here is my quarrel with no actionable advice for consumers. It defines the audience as one person, a shopper holding a bag of lettuce, and that person was in fact past helping, because the romaine was eaten in November. But the shopper was never the only one who needed the name. Sysco needed it. US Foods needed it, and Performance Food Group, Markon, Walmart, Yum Brands, Subway and Jack in the Box, every one of them a buyer with a supplier decision in front of them and a contract with terms in it. A food service director at a hospital in Keene, New Hampshire needed it. A state epidemiologist deciding which supplier names belong on a questionnaire needed it. A member of Congress with a traceability rule sitting on the calendar needed it. And Taylor Farms needed it, because a company answering questions in public is a different company than one that is not. The obvious objection is worth meeting head on. Taylor Farms had already been named in public eight weeks earlier, in the [October 2024 slivered onion outbreak](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-onions-october-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that ran through McDonald's Quarter Pounders and sickened 104 people in fourteen states, hospitalized thirty-four, gave four of them HUS and killed one, and the buying went right on. True. But that outbreak was framed as an onion problem at one plant in Colorado Springs, and the company handled it that way, with a recall that went to foodservice customers by direct notice, no consumer-facing announcement at all, and [a Form 483](https://www.fda.gov/media/185084/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that almost nobody read. One outbreak is an incident. Two fatal outbreaks eight weeks apart, at two different plants, in two different commodities, is a company. The second name is what turns an incident into a pattern, and the second name is the one the FDA kept from the public. A company-level record does something to a regulator that a commodity-level record does not. It makes the next question obvious: what else does this firm run, and where. FDA already had an answer on file. In 2013 the same corporate family's plant at Doctor Mora, in Guanajuato, was at the center of a *Cyclospora* outbreak that sickened 631 people in twenty-five states, and [FDA's own environmental assessment](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Environmental-Assessment--2013-Cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-Iowa-and-Nebraska-%E2%80%93-Findings-and-Recommendations.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) recommended finding out whether *Cyclospora* is a reasonably likely hazard in that growing region and, if it is, re-evaluating the salad mix wash step. The agency let the plant go back to work partly on the company's promise to test its water, and [thirteen years later I cannot find a single public result](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/in-2013-taylor-farms-said-it-was-testing-the-water-at-doctor-mora-and-fda-reopened-the-plant-on-that-promise-thirteen-years-later-there-is-not-one-public-result-i-could-find/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). A disclosure in January 2025 would not by itself have found a parasite in Mexico. It would have made go look at the rest of Taylor Farms a question somebody had to answer in writing. Congress is the other place the name would have landed. Rosa DeLauro [demanded answers about the 2013 outbreak](https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-wants-answers-stomach-bug-outbreak-caused-cyclospora?ref=foodsafetynews.com) while it was still running, and asked the same questions again in 2018, and she is the senior Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee that funds the FDA. In November 2025 Congress directed the agency not to enforce the Food Traceability Rule before July 20, 2028\. That is the rule whose compliance date, January 20, 2026, arrived four months before the first illness in the outbreak we are living through now. I cannot tell you that a disclosure ten months earlier would have changed one vote. I would have liked to watch somebody defend that rider with a fatal, unnamed, unannounced romaine outbreak on the record behind them. I am not going to claim that the silence of January 2025 caused the outbreak of May 2026\. Different plant, different country, different commodity, a different organism with a different biology, and I have spent thirty years telling other people not to overreach on causation. What I will say is this. Every mechanism that might have caught this one early, a buyer asking harder questions before it signed, a regulator taking a second look at the rest of the company's facilities, a traceability rule actually in force, a state health department that already had a supplier name in its head when the interviews started, was weaker on May 13, 2026, than it would have been if the FDA had done in January 2025 the plain thing it chose not to do. That is my opinion. I hold it, and I think the record supports it. Look at where that leaves us. CDC confirms [1,947 cases in nine states](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and every one of those cases is defined by having eaten at a Taco Bell. Add up what the fifty states report on their own and [the floor is 18,209](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/michigan-crossed-ten-thousand-cyclospora-cases-this-morning-add-up-all-fifty-states-and-the-head-count-is-18209-cdc-still-confirms-1947/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [Michigan crossed ten thousand this morning](https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/07/29/cyclosporiasis-cases-in-michigan-reach-10000/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with 160 people hospitalized. New Hampshire's health department [tied seventeen cases to recalled Taylor Farms lettuce](https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/news-and-media/nh-dhhs-confirms-nine-people-cyclosporiasis-linked-consuming-taylor-fresh-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at a hospital cafeteria salad bar in Keene, and it is still the only state in the country that has named a place. Set all of that against [the company's outbreak and recall record going back to 2009](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/taylor-farms-2009-to-2026-the-outbreaks-and-the-recalls-that-did-and-did-not-follow/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and tell me the ledger did not matter. There is something to do about this, and it has been sitting at the FDA since February. Stop Foodborne Illness filed a [citizen petition](https://stopfoodborneillness.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/STOP-FDA-HHS-CCI-Petition-Final-2.4.2026.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on February 4 asking the agency to adopt a policy of publicly disclosing the names of every company associated with a foodborne illness outbreak, whether or not there is a recall attached. The legal argument is clean. The Trade Secrets Act protects sales figures and proprietary processes, not the factual identity of a company that sells food to the public, and the D.C. Circuit has held that a company name is not commercial information in and of itself. If the agency insists on reading the statute its own way, the petition asks it to disclose anyway under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or by revising its own regulation at 21 C.F.R. 20.91\. None of that requires a rulemaking. The Commissioner could grant it this week with a memorandum. [I said the petition was right in June](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/publishers-platform-25/) and I will say it again today. Now read the petition's own reasoning against the file the agency closed in January 2025\. Disclosure prompts people who got sick and never reported it to go get counted. It tells anyone still holding the product not to eat it. And it gives a company whose name is in the newspaper a reason to redouble the work. Not one of those three things happened in 2025, because there was no name to attach them to. The petition also makes the produce point better than I have managed to. Fresh produce is perishable, so a produce outbreak often ends without a recall, and a policy that releases names only when there is a recall therefore falls hardest on precisely the commodity that causes the most outbreaks. That is not an unfortunate side effect. That is the entire mechanism of the gray box, and it is why leafy greens keep coming up nameless. The petition's lead example is the November 2024 romaine outbreak, and the child it describes is my client. Colton George, nine years old, eighteen days in the hospital, nine days of continuous dialysis and five more of intermittent dialysis, five transfusions, and a nephrologist he is still seeing. His father spent months trying to learn the name of the company that sold the lettuce that did that to his son, and finally [wrote about it himself](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/02/fda-must-be-more-transparent-about-outbreak-investigations/) because nobody at the agency would tell him. A father should not have to run his own traceback. My one addition to the petition is this: it speaks of the consumer-facing company, and in this outbreak, there was no such thing. The lettuce moved from a grower to a processor to a distributor to a caterer and onto a banquet plate with no brand on it anywhere. Disclosure has to reach the processor and the grower, too, or produce outbreaks will keep ending in gray boxes for the simple reason that nobody's logo was on the bag. Transparency is not a courtesy the government extends to a consumer standing in a produce aisle when it happens to be convenient. It is a record. It is what a buyer reads before it signs, what a regulator reads before it schedules an inspection, what a member of Congress reads before voting on a rider, and what a jury reads years later when the people who got sick finally get their day. FDA's rule is that it names a firm when consumers can act on it. The November 2024 romaine outbreak is the proof that the rule is written for the wrong audience. Eighty-nine people got sick, one of them died, seven children's kidneys failed, and the only reason anybody knows who it did is that I sued and made the government hand over the pages it had blacked out. Since 1993 I have been saying that is a terrible way to run a food safety system. It still is. One last thing, for the record. Below is every Taylor Farms outbreak I could find that has a public federal or state document attached to it. Read the list and then notice what is missing from it. The November 2024 romaine outbreak, the one this whole post is about, is not there. No CDC investigation page. No FDA outbreak page. No public notice of any kind. It exists in the public record only because we sued and put an unredacted PDF on this blog. That is what a gray box actually does. It does not hide a name for a season. It keeps an entire outbreak out of the ledger permanently, and eighty-nine people disappear with it. **2026, *Cyclospora*, iceberg lettuce.** [FDA investigation page](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [CDC investigation update](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2024, *E. coli* O157:H7, onions served at McDonald's.** [CDC investigation update](https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/investigation-update-e-coli-o157-2024.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [FDA outbreak investigation](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-onions-october-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2021, *E. coli* O121:H19, romaine lettuce.** [The NORS report](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2021-Multistate-Outbreak-of-E.-coli-O121-Infections-NORS-report.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [outbreak summary slides](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/E.%5Fcoli%5FO121%5FDec%5F2021%5FOutbreak%5Fsummary%5Fslides.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2015, *E. coli* O157:H7, Costco rotisserie chicken salad.** [CDC's final update](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2015%5FCostco%5FChicken%5FSalad%5FCDC%5FFinal%5FUpdate%5F12-22-2015.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Never officially attributed to a common source, though Taylor Farms recalled the celery and onion diced blend that went into the salad, and the FDA recall notice is no longer available online. **2013, *Cyclospora*, bagged salad mix.** [MMWR Notes from the Field](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6243a5.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [CDC's 2013 outbreak investigation page](http://medbox.iiab.me/modules/en-cdc/www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/investigation-2013.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), [FDA's environmental assessment](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Environmental-Assessment--2013-Cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-Iowa-and-Nebraska-%E2%80%93-Findings-and-Recommendations.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and the [Nebraska and Iowa regional investigation](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9150646/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **2009, *Salmonella* Typhimurium, shredded lettuce.** [The Oregonian's contemporaneous report](https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2009/09/salmonella%5Foutbreak%5Fmay%5Fbe%5Flin.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), plus the [traceback](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2009-TF-Traceback-redacted.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and the [Oregon health alert](https://outbreakdatabase-com.s3.amazonaws.com/2009-TF-HAN-posting-from-OHD-redacted.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — both of those still redacted, seventeen years later. ### Publisher's Platform: The lettuce pitchforks are out -- 7 letters in 14 days URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-lettuce-pitchforks-are-out-7-letters-in-14-days/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T17:45:32.000Z Seven members of Congress have written seven letters about this outbreak in the last fourteen days. Not one of them has been publicly answered. The most recent went out Monday morning, and it is the first one addressed to a company rather than to the government: Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, [wrote to Bruce Taylor](https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-07-27garciatotaylorfarmsrecyclosporacontaminatedlettuce.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the chief executive of Taylor Fresh Foods. Michigan [reported 9,253 cases](https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-07-27/michigan-reports-9-253-cyclosporiasis-cases-in-ongoing-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) the same morning. Here is the whole file, in order, and what each letter is asking for. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota went first on [July 14](https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2026/7/klobuchar-urges-administration-to-reinstate-food-safety-staff-and-program-funding-to-address-cyclospora-parasite-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com), writing to both acting agency heads. Her ask is a restoration list: FoodNet, the Food Emergency Response Network, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Public Health Infrastructure Grants and the Preventive Services Block Grant. “As a currently uncontrolled large foodborne outbreak across the country continues, cuts to these programs are impacting our nation’s ability to prevent, detect, and contain foodborne illnesses,” she wrote. The line in her letter that has aged best is the one about what was lost structurally rather than financially: there is no longer a central location for reporting and comparing data across state lines. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona wrote to Secretary Kennedy on [July 15](https://stanton.house.gov/2026/7/stanton-demands-answers-on-cyclospora-outbreak-raises-concerns-over-food-safety-surveillance-cuts?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and asked the six questions an investigator would ask. Who directed the decision to cut [FoodNet’s required surveillance](https://www.statnews.com/2025/12/22/american-food-safety-funding-cuts-foodnet?ref=foodsafetynews.com) from eight pathogens to two, and what scientific or budget analysis supported it. What funding has been reduced or redirected since January 2025\. How many people working on foodborne and parasitic disease surveillance have been terminated, reassigned, or left vacant. Which system now performs the active laboratory outreach FoodNet used to do. How many personnel are on the federal *Cyclospora*response right now. And what evidence supports the department’s claim that none of this affected the investigation. He wants answers by August 3\. He is a Representative, not a senator, which some of the coverage has gotten wrong. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia wrote on [July 16](https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/July-16-2026-Cyclosporiasis-Outbreak-Response.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and did not bury the thesis. “Your foolish and self-indulgent demolition of critical public health programs puts Americans at risk,” he told the Secretary. He asked three questions — has FoodNet been restored to require tracking of *Cyclospora cayetanensis*, why was it terminated, and where do the investigations stand — and gave HHS seventy-two hours. That window closed on July 19\. HHS told reporters his criticism was inaccurate and that CDC never stopped monitoring cyclosporiasis. Four members of the Michigan delegation — Debbie Dingell, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Hillary Scholten and Rashida Tlaib — wrote to both acting agency heads on [July 17](https://debbiedingell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7116&ref=foodsafetynews.com) under the headline “Cut the Crap.” Theirs is the longest and, for my money, the best of the seven, because it is the only one written from inside the outbreak. It asks what CDC’s actual assessment of the scope is by state and what is limiting the count. It asks whether CDC and FDA have met with the Michigan health department at all. It asks whether the federal agencies agree with Michigan’s own investigators that lettuce or salad greens are the source — a question they had to ask because on July 17 the federal government had not yet said so. It asks what barriers are preventing the agencies from acting on leads Michigan investigators had already developed, how many federal personnel are on this outbreak compared with comparable outbreaks over the past five years, and whether there is any plan to restore mandatory FoodNet participation. They asked for a response by July 24\. Their letter cites Michigan at more than 3,700 cases. The state is at 9,253 today. Michigan’s two senators, Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, did not sign it, and I could not find a separate letter from either one. Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey announced three things at a hospital in Teaneck on [July 20](https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-new-federal-actions-to-combat-cyclospora-other-foodborne-parasites-to-promote-food-safety?ref=foodsafetynews.com): a letter to CDC demanding FoodNet be restored to mandatory active surveillance, a bipartisan bill with Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska — the Foodborne Illness Rapid Response Act, which would bar staff cuts and hiring freezes at CDC’s foodborne-illness divisions for a full year after an outbreak is detected — and his support for the Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act, which would let FDA hand unredacted inspection findings to the state and local inspectors who do roughly sixty percent of the food-processing inspections in this country. That last bill is the one nobody is covering and the one that would change the most. Neither has a bill number yet. His release that day put the outbreak at about seven thousand cases across thirty-four states; Michigan alone passed that figure inside of a week. One caution on his remarks: he told the room that because FDA’s positive sample turned out to be a false positive, “we don’t even know where it’s coming from.” FDA has said the opposite, in capital letters, [on its own page](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — the retracted sample does not change the basis of the investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data behind the recall. Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Cory Booker of New Jersey wrote to CDC the same week, asking for a briefing on how the outbreak was tracked and whether federal staffing cuts caused the delay. Blumenthal put it to [Connecticut reporters](https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/blumenthal-demands-answers-from-cdc-over-cyclospora-outbreak-response/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) as a demand to know about “the apparent incompetence in tracking and tracing.” They asked for answers by the end of the following week. Which brings the file back to Monday, and to Rep. Garcia. What he wants [by August 10](https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-member-robert-garcia-demands-answers-from-taylor-farms-on-national-cyclospora-outbreak-and-attempts-to-influence-fda-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is five categories of documents and five written answers: every communication with FDA, CDC and USDA about cyclospora since May 1; every communication with the White House since January 21, 2025; all internal cyclospora communications; everything on the July 17 recall; and every inspection, audit or contamination record for the Taylor Farms de Mexico facilities going back to January 1, 2013 — 2013 being the year the same Guanajuato operation was tied to a *Cyclospora* outbreak that [sickened more than six hundred people in twenty-five states](https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/54754/cdc%5F54754%5FDS1.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The written questions are the plainest anybody has put to this company in three weeks, starting with the full list of retailers and restaurants that received recalled produce. The paragraph in his letter that will travel farthest is about timing. Taylor Farms gave $1 million to MAGA Inc. in March 2025, and Garcia writes that the donation landed less than one week after the administration agreed to delay FSMA 204, the lot-level Traceability Rule that would make it possible to trace a bag of shredded lettuce back to the field in twenty-four hours instead of three weeks. FDA announced that thirty-month delay on March 20, 2025, and Congress made it binding that November. Two figures in the letter need checking before anyone repeats them — it says Taylor Farms spent over $810 million on lobbying, which is off by orders of magnitude against the [*Wired* reporting](https://www.wired.com/story/diarrhea-outbreak-taylor-farms-maga-donations-lobbying/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) it cites, and the footnote behind the $1 million contribution is dated March 2024 while the text says March 2025\. A [Taylor Farms spokesman](https://taylorfarms.com/newsroom/taylor-fresh-foods-statement-regarding-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) told CBS News the safety of its food is paramount and pointed again to the absence of any confirmed positive product test. White House spokesman Kush Desai called the notion that this administration would compromise on public health “absolutely false,” and [defended FDA](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-farms-cyclospora-outbreak-white-house-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), saying the agency has never walked back the epidemiological evidence pointing at the Taylor Farms de Mexico shipment. People ate the evidence, which is the answer to the no-positive-sample point: shredded iceberg has about a two-week shelf life, and the first illnesses began in mid-May. There is one more piece of congressional pressure that is not a letter. On July 15 the Senate health committee held the confirmation hearing for Dr. Erica Schwartz, the nominee to run CDC. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington asked her whether there was any “scientific or medical justification” for eliminating mandatory reporting of the parasite and asked her to commit to reinstating it. Schwartz would not commit; she [offered instead](https://cen.acs.org/policy/cdc-nominee-schwartz-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/104/web/2026/07?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to work with Murray’s staff and CDC scientists to understand what happened and what could be done. Chairman Bill Cassidy of Louisiana named the outbreak in his opening statement as one of the things the nominee would have to rebuild public trust on. Schwartz is still awaiting a vote. CDC has had no confirmed director since Susan Monarez was fired after twenty-nine days last August. Against seven letters and a confirmation hearing, here is everything the top of this administration has said. On July 16, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration “has a handle” on it and that CDC and FDA have the resources they need. On July 21, at a health care fraud briefing, Secretary Kennedy said [“We do have the outbreak under control”](https://abcnews.com/Health/rfk-jr-cyclosporiasis-outbreak-control-amid-1600-cases/story?id=134959106&ref=foodsafetynews.com)and, of the surveillance criticism, that [“those criticisms are invalid.”](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/23/cyclospora-outbreak-tests-rfk-jr-response-funding-cuts.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) On July 24, asked at a press conference when it would be safe to eat lettuce again, President Trump [said](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-laughs-off-fox-news-reporters-question-on-cyclospora-outbreak-12242570?ref=foodsafetynews.com), “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it,” said it was the first time he had been asked, and then proposed a tariff on Mexico over the lettuce. On July 27, the White House called the collusion claim absolutely false. That is the complete list. The career staff have been more useful than the principals. Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas stressed on July 20 that the investigation continues, including into other potential sources and commodities. Kari Irvin, deputy director of FDA’s outbreak response network, told NBC News on July 24 that FDA has multiple *Cyclospora* investigations open. Gwen Biggerstaff, a deputy director at CDC, has been the only person at that agency speaking publicly through the entire outbreak. I searched for a public statement on this outbreak from Jay Bhattacharya, who has been performing the duties of CDC director since February while also running NIH, and could not find one. Three things about this record are worth saying plainly. The first is that all seven letters were written by Democrats. The only Republican names anywhere in this file are Don Bacon, who cosponsored Gottheimer’s bill, and Bill Cassidy, who mentioned the outbreak in a hearing he was chairing. Nobody in the majority has sent a letter. Foodborne illness has historically been the least partisan subject in Washington — the Food Safety Modernization Act passed a Democratic House and was signed by a Democratic president after being written with Republican senators, and the program whose destruction everybody is now writing about, the USDA Microbiological Data Program, [was killed under President Obama](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/letter-from-the-editor-blood/). The second is that six of the seven letters are aimed at FoodNet, and FoodNet is not the instrument that finds outbreaks. It is a ten-state active surveillance network built to measure trends. NNDSS and PulseNet are the detection systems. My friend Barbara Kowalcyk has made this point publicly and she is right: the FoodNet cut did not cause this outbreak. What it cost is the trend data you would need to say how bad this year is compared with last year, which is exactly the argument everybody is now having without the data to settle it. The FoodNet cut belongs on the list. It is not the list. Garcia’s letter is the first of the seven to name the traceability rule, which is the thing that would actually have shortened this month. The third is that not one of these letters has been publicly answered. Ossoff’s seventy-two hours expired on July 19\. The Michigan delegation’s deadline expired on July 24\. Stanton’s expires next Monday and Garcia’s two weeks after that. The administration has responded to the letters the way it has responded to the outbreak, which is through spokespeople, in the past tense, and to reporters rather than to Congress. None of this is new. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing on *Cyclospora* and imported raspberries in [July 1998](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/?p=109365&ref=foodsafetynews.com) and called a CDC epidemiologist and a patient to testify about it. Rosa DeLauro wrote to FDA and CDC in [August 2013](https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-wants-answers-stomach-bug-outbreak-caused-cyclospora?ref=foodsafetynews.com), during the outbreak that traced to this same Mexican facility, asking whether the agencies considered it acceptable to identify the source of an outbreak and withhold that information from the public. She wrote again in [August 2018](https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-pushes-specifics-fda-cyclospora-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com), about the Fresh Express outbreak, complaining that the timeline did not instill confidence that FDA had acted in consumers’ interest. Thirteen years and eight years later, the questions in the mail this month are the same questions. There is a version of this where the letters are theater, and I have watched enough of them to know it happens. This is not that. Stanton is asking who signed the decision. The Michigan delegation is asking why the federal government would not act on leads its own state investigators had already developed. Garcia is asking for the emails. Those are answerable questions with documents behind them, and the reason to answer them is not that a member of Congress asked. It is that 9,253 people in one state are sick, the count is still climbing past 16,000, and the government cannot yet tell anybody how the parasite got into the lettuce. ### Study flags risks of raw fish consumption URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/study-flags-risks-of-raw-fish-consumption/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T04:02:48.000Z Researchers have highlighted the key role played by eating raw fish at restaurants in the transmission of a parasite. Kudoa septempunctata is a parasite that causes gastroenteritis within hours of consuming raw infected fish. It is best known from farmed olive flounder but has also been reported from black scraper, wild grass puffer, and Japanese whiting. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Poultry firm reveals Salmonella contamination cost URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/poultry-firm-reveals-salmonella-contamination-cost/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T04:01:58.000Z A poultry company in England has disclosed how a Salmonella contamination incident will likely cost it £2.1 million ($2.8 million). Between March 23 and April 10 this year, there was Salmonella contamination in Joice and Hill Poultry’s hatchery and the site was closed from April 13 to 27\. Deliveries were suspended and compensation paid to customers. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### CDC reports more than 2,000 more patients in Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cdc-reports-more-than-2-000-more-patients-in-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T14:13:41.000Z Federal public health officials have updated their reports on the huge Cyclospora parasite outbreak that is sweeping the country, with more than 2,000 more patients logged in the past week. The count now stands at 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency is aware of more than 11,500 additional cases that require more investigation or confirmation testing. A week ago the CDC reported 4,173 infected people across 41 states. In a separate outbreak, the CDC has not updated its count since July 24\. At that time the agency was reporting 1,947 patients across nine states. Those illnesses are related to Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce grown in Central Mexico. The company initiated a recall on July 17, but most if not all of the implicated lettuce would have been either consumed of out of date by then. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/timeline-Taco-Bell-cyclospora-outbreak-07-24-26.png) This is the timeline, as of July 24, showing when people became ill in the smaller of the two outbreaks reported by the CDC. The CDC reported that some of the sick people reported eating iceberg lettuce on menu items bought at Taco Bell restaurants in the nine states. Taco Bell stopped using Taylor Farms lettuce. The nine states involved in this outbreak are Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Overall, Michigan was reporting 9,680 on July 28, up from 9,253 on July 27\. Ohio has not updated its count in several days, but in its last update it reported more than 2,000 sick people. The state health department in Indiana reported on July 28 that the count in the state was at 954\. It is not clear whether all of the illnesses reported by states in the nine-state outbreak are related to the TacoBell outbreak or the other outbreaks the CDC is tracking. The CDC says the discrepancy between its patient count and that of the states is because of the lag time it takes between when a state confirms an illness and when that illness is added to the CDC’s count. Another reason for the difference in the counts is because the CDC stopped tracking Cyclospora illnesses beginning July 1, 2025. **Consumer groups ask for congressional action** In relation to the FoodNet cut, a coalition of consumer and industry groups has asked the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Education, and Related Agencies to restore the FoodNet tracking of the illnesses cut on July 1, 2025. Those illnesses are Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio and Yersinia. In accordance with cuts dictated by the Department of Health and Human Services, only Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli remain within the FoodNet system. The coalition cites static funding as another problem the committee should address. “For years, FoodNet has taken on more tasks without corresponding budgetary increases. For the past decade, FoodNet funding levels have been flat at $5 to $6 million per year, despite increasing salary and laboratory costs. To address this funding discrepancy, CDC has sought to realign expectations of its partners at FDA, USDA, and the FoodNet sites with respect to FoodNet,” the coalition letter states. “. . . FoodNet offers a return on investment that justifies its price tag. Total funding for FoodNet surveillance sites and CDC, estimated in 2015 to cost less than $7 million, is several orders of magnitude lower than the economic impacts of the illnesses monitored by the program. Campylobacterinfections alone are estimated to cause up to $6.8 billion in economic damages every year. By curtailing active surveillance of these infections and those from the six other pathogens recently removed from FoodNet’s reporting requirements— which collectively cause an estimated 2.1 million illnesses each year, including 11,000 hospitalizations and 418 deaths — regulatory agencies and industry alike will lose a critical tool to evaluate their prevention efforts and reduce the overall burden of foodborne disease.” The coalition includes: Active Food Safety Alliance for Advanced Sanitation American Bakers Association American Frozen Food Institute American Spice Trade Association Antibiotic Resistance Action Center, George Washington University Beyond Celiac Center for Food Safety Center for Science in the Public Interest Consumer Federation of America Consumer Reports Creme Global FMI Food Animal Concerns Trust Food & Water Watch Food Safety Strategy, LLC Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security, George Washington University Government Accountability Project’s Food Integrity Campaign International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Meat Institute Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University National Confectioners Association National Consumers League National Environmental Health Association Stop Foodborne Illness **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last for a month or more and can reoccur for several more months if not treated. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread through microscopic amounts of human waste. Unlike E. coli and Salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter, Cyclospora can only be spread by human waste. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including lettuce, basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite because it becomes embedded in the flesh of the produce. ### Cookies recalled because of multiple undeclared allergens URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cookies-recalled-because-of-multiple-undeclared-allergens/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T22:55:54.000Z Lidl US is recalling all units of Eridanous Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Truffle Coating & Apricot Filling in 11.6-ounce boxes with the UPC number 4056489125839 with foreign language ingredients and nutrition facts panel because of undeclared wheat, soy, milk, and egg allergens. People who have an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, soy, milk, or eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. The products were distributed between July 15 and July 22 to all Lidl US retail store locations in Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. No illnesses have been reported to date. This recall was initiated after foreign language packaging was discovered that did not contain English ingredients, nutrition facts, or allergen declarations. Customers with an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, soy, milk, or eggs should not consume this product. ### Lead warning after infant formula testing results URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/lead-warning-after-infant-formula-testing-results/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T08:25:13.000Z Two agencies in Macao have expressed major concern after findings of lead in infant formula. TheMunicipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) was notified by the Pharmaceutical Administration Bureau (ISAF) that the amount of lead in a sample of Frisolac Prestige infant formula exceeded food safety standards. IAM and ISAF said they were “highly concerned” about the incident and urged the public to stop using the product and to seek medical assistance as soon as possible if their infants showed discomfort after consumption of the product. Long term excessive exposure to lead in children can cause neurological impairment and affect brain development. The affected formula is Frisolac Prestige Infant Formula Stage 1, with a net weight of 800-grams. The batch concerned is 1W07KPJ with production date Sept. 30, 2025, and expiry date Sept. 30, 2027. This batch has not been supplied to hospitals but industry has been told to remove it from sale, issue a recall and stop selling it. Testing of formulas on the market has increased but no additional non-compliant products have been found. **Producer’s tests show compliance** The amount of lead detected in the product was 0.2mg/kg, which exceeds the maximum limit of 0.02mg/kg in formula products for infants and young children. FrieslandCampina said in response to the alert issued by authorities in Macao, additional third-party testing on the affected batch showed the product complies with Hong Kong and Macao standards. The company added that lead is not used in the manufacturing process. "The safety and quality of all our products are our highest priority. This commitment applies especially to our infant and young child nutrition products, as they are intended for a particularly vulnerable consumer group. All Friso products are subject to rigorous quality and safety testing before entering the market and must comply with the regulatory requirements and food safety standards of the markets in which they are sold. We understand that this matter may raise questions among consumers. We take these concerns seriously. If consumers have any enquiries, they can contact us through the local customer service for assistance. "We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities in Macao and are engaging with them in technical discussions regarding the testing methodology, technical standards, and underlying data to better understand the reported findings." The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong also warned about consuming the powdered infant formula. A preliminary investigation confirmed the product had been imported into Hong Kong. “The importer concerned has also arranged testing on two samples of the same batch, and the results showed that they complied with the standards of Hong Kong and Macao. For the sake of prudence, the importer concerned has already stopped sales and removed the affected product from shelves, and the CFS has instructed the importer to initiate a recall of the affected batch of product,” said a CFS spokesman. CFS has been testing powdered infant and young children formula samples from retail outlets as part of its Food Surveillance Programme. From 2023 to June 2026, CFS collected 2,000 samples for chemical and microbiological testing, including lead content. No unsatisfactory samples for lead were found. The Department of Health urged the public to immediately stop using the implicated batch of powdered infant formula, and to observe the health of infants who have consumed it. The agency has set up a telephone hotline to answer public enquiries relating to the health conditions of infants and the switching of formula. ### English E. coli infections steady despite fewer outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/english-e-coli-infections-steady-despite-reduced-outbreak-impact/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T04:03:46.000Z The number of E. coli O157 cases has remained stable but non-O157 infections went up in England in 2025 compared to the year before. Figures published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also revealed a small outbreak caused by a strain of E. coli responsible for major incidents in previous years. Overall, 2,457 cultured-confirmed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections were [reported in England in 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/escherichia-coli-e-coli-o157-annual-totals/shiga-toxin-producing-escherichia-coli-stec-data-2025?ref=foodsafetynews.com). This decrease of 3.4 percent from 2,544 cases was partly due to an outbreak with nearly 300 illnesses that occurred in 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### China records spike in mushroom poisoning cases with more than 2,100 patients reported URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/china-records-spike-in-mushroom-poisoning-cases-with-more-than-2-100-patients-reported/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T04:02:31.000Z China has reported a significant rise in mushroom poisonings and the number of people sick in them in 2025 compared to the year before. Poisoning incidents and patients reached a six-year high but the number of fatalities was the lowest over that period. The lower number of deaths can be attributed to greater public awareness, faster medical intervention, and more effective treatment, said experts. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Michigan posts more than 1,000 new Cyclospora cases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/michigan-posts-more-than-1-000-new-cyclospora-cases/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T02:04:29.000Z Confirmed patients in the massive Cyclospora outbreak plaguing the country increased over the weekend, with Michigan alone reporting more than 1,000 additional cases. The state is one among nine identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as being involved in an outbreak of infections from the parasite linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce. Taylor Farms has recalled iceberg lettuce products from its central Mexico growing operations that was distributed to retailers under a variety of brands, restaurants and foodservice supplier Sysco. In a statement, Taylor Farms officials said the company maintains “best-in-class Cyclospora prevention protocols and invests more than $200 million annually into our independently audited and verified food safety protocols.” With $7 billion in annual revenue, the $200 million represents less than 3 percent of the company’s sales and is spread across all food safety efforts for all of its products. **Political influence questioned** The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is investigating whether Taylor Farms used its ties to the White House to influence the federal response cyclospora outbreak, according to CBS News. Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia of California on Monday sent a [letter](https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-07-27garciatotaylorfarmsrecyclosporacontaminatedlettuce.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor seeking answers about the lettuce producer's role in the outbreak, which has sickened thousands of people in dozens of states. The letter states: "This timeline of events raises concerns that your company may have attempted to leverage political donations and connections inside the Trump Administration to influence the scope, scale, and findings of FDA’s investigation. Further, your company’s series of contradictory and confusing statements appear to be deliberately worded to make customers think recalled products are safe. ". . . Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that the outbreak is “under control,” yet that seems far from true as cases continue to rise. Evidence points to Taylor Farms products as a source of the outbreak, but reports indicate that your company may have attempted to influence the ongoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into the matter, obfuscate Taylor Farms’ role in a public health crisis, and mislead consumers trying to keep their families safe." In 2025, Taylor Farms contributed $1 million to President Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., a Federal Election Commission [filing](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202507319789366251&ref=foodsafetynews.com) shows. The company last year also contributed more than $1 million to other Republican political action committees, [according](https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor%5Fname=Taylor+Fresh+Foods+inc&ref=foodsafetynews.com) to other FEC filings. **Patient counts** The Michigan patient count — which now stands at 9,253 patients, up from 8,176 reported on July 24 — is markedly higher than the CDC number, which was 1,947 as of July 24\. The federal agency believes many of the Michigan patients, as well as a number of more than 2,000 patients reported by Ohio, are part of a larger outbreak. The CDC says the discrepancy between its patient count and that of the states is because of the lag time it takes between when a state confirms an illness and when that illness is added to the CDC’s count. Another reason for the difference in the counts is because the CDC stopped tracking Cyclospora illnesses beginning July 1, 2025. A separate outbreak being tracked by the CDC has infected 4,173 people across 41 states. The agency reports that it is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory confirmed and require further investigation and analysis. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Symptoms can last up to a month and then reoccur for several more months. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste. Only microscopic amounts of feces are necessary for the parasite to be transmitted. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/cyclospora-life-cycle-1.png) ### Publisher's Platform: There is no kill step for Cyclospora URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-there-is-no-kill-step-for-cyclospora/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T17:45:21.000Z Yesterday I flew to New Orleans for [IAFP 2026](https://www.foodprotection.org/annualmeeting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection, July 26 through 29 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. It is the largest food safety conference in the world — thousands of microbiologists, regulators, quality assurance directors and academics from more than sixty countries. I am going with one message, and it is about *Cyclospora*. **Start with the numbers.** [CDC’s surveillance page](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), now updated weekly, counted 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases as of July 21, across 41 states, with 308 hospitalizations. CDC is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory confirmed, most of them from Michigan and Ohio, which puts the national figure above 11,500\. The median illness onset is June 26\. CDC assumes a six-week reporting lag between onset and reporting, so every one of those numbers is going to grow. **Now the comparison.** Over the comparable window last year — May 1 through mid-July — CDC recorded [249 domestically acquired cases](https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/notices/han00531.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). For all of 2025 it had 1,180, with 105 hospitalizations. For all of 2021 it had 1,024\. Counting every reported case, including travel-associated illness, CDC’s full-year totals were 2,707 in 2022, 4,200 in 2023, 3,719 in 2024 and 3,955 in 2025\. This year’s laboratory-confirmed total, domestic plus travel, was already about 4,940 on July 21\. We passed a normal full year in early July with the season still running. [Michigan alone](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has reported 8,176 cases and 160 hospitalizations. Michigan normally sees about fifty a year. The [nine-state outbreak](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-9-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that CDC and FDA have named — the Taco Bell cluster traced to Taylor Farms de Mexico shredded iceberg — accounts for 1,947 of those illnesses and 98 hospitalizations. Add up what the fifty states are reporting on their own dashboards tonight and the floor is somewhere near 14,800\. The named recall does not describe the outbreak. There will be a great deal of good science presented in New Orleans this week on interventions, wash-water chemistry, sanitizer efficacy and process validation. Here is what I have found the published science says about *Cyclospora*. **Washing does not do it.** Ortega and Sanchez wrote in [Clinical Microbiology Reviews](https://journals.asm.org/doi/abs/10.1128/cmr.00026-09?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that washing and sanitizing may reduce but would not be expected to eliminate the risk, and that these practices have been demonstrated not to completely remove oocysts from contaminated produce. The best consumer-level data is [a 2021 study in Foods](https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/2/481?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that contaminated raspberries and blueberries with three parasites and washed them three ways. A minute under cold running water removed at least eighty percent of the other two parasites. For *Cyclospora* on raspberries it removed thirty-nine percent. A vinegar soak or a salad spinner brought that to roughly eighty-five percent. Nothing removed all of it. These oocysts are stickier than *Cryptosporidium* and *Giardia*. **Chlorine does not do it, and that is not my opinion.** It is [FDA’s](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclosporiasis-and-fresh-produce?ref=foodsafetynews.com), in a fact sheet the agency wrote for farmers: chlorine and other common anti-microbial chemical treatments are not effective against *C. cayetanensis*. The field evidence is thirty years old. In Pokhara, Nepal, an outbreak among British soldiers was traced to drinking water that was chlorinated and filtered and carried a normal residual, and the parasite came through anyway ([Rabold, Lancet, 1994](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7968039/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)). Gaseous chlorine dioxide at 4.1 milligrams per liter for twenty minutes produced no reduction in sporulation at all. **Municipal wastewater treatment is no guarantee.** FDA’s own language is that treatment may render the parasite inactive, that conflicting evidence suggests it may remain viable after treatment, and that little conclusive data exists either way. What we do have is this. *Cyclospora* was [detected in wastewater](https://pure.johnshopkins.edu/en/publications/detection-of-cyclospora-cayetanensis-in-wastewater-3/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in 1998\. Charles Gerba’s group sampled two Arizona treatment plants monthly for a year and concluded that conventional treatment’s ability to remove oocysts is [limited](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24695096/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). A two-year study in southeastern Georgia found the parasite [confirmed by sequencing in nine percent of municipal wastewater sludge samples](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24000930?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Conventional treatment was never designed against this organism and has never been validated against it. That is the accurate sentence, and it is bad enough. **There is no validated kill step for *Cyclospora* on ready-to-eat produce.** The parasite cannot be grown in culture. Heat works — [seventy degrees Celsius for fifteen minutes prevents sporulation](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16729675/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — and heat also destroys lettuce and raspberries. Every control this industry has built for leafy greens points at bacteria and ends in a chemical intervention. This parasite swims through it. *Cyclospora* has one reservoir and it is the human gut. When it turns up on lettuce, [human feces reached that lettuce or the water that grew it](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-does-a-public-swimming-complex-adjacent-to-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation-pose-a-cyclospora-threat-probably/). Nothing that happens after harvest changes that. **A retired FDA food safety director said the quiet part out loud this week.** Mark Moorman, until recently the director of FDA’s Office of Food Safety, [told CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/25/health/cyclospora-outbreak-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that investigators have never definitively identified the cause of a *Cyclospora* outbreak. Not one, in thirty years. Asked whether anyone is obliged to look, he was blunt: no law or rule requires a farm to test its irrigation water or its produce for this parasite. It is voluntary, and he said FDA does not have that lever. He suggested the big buyers could pull it — he named Kroger, Food Lion and Costco — and that Congress could write the requirement and fund the research. In the same piece Jennifer McEntire, the microbiologist, put the mechanism plainly. “Water is number one,” she said, and the open question is how human waste gets into it. Her candidates are the ones you would expect. Waste emptied from portable toilets. A septic tank that leaked. A sewer that overflowed after heavy rain. **One disclosure before the next paragraph.** My firm represents people sickened in this outbreak, and we have filed cases naming Taylor Farms entities as defendants. The record below is public either way. You should still know where I sit. **And the 2013 investigation found something worth sitting with.** Goodman reports a detail from FDA’s investigation of the 2013 *Cyclospora* outbreak traced to salad mix from Taylor Farms de Mexico: when investigators pulled the medical records of harvesting workers, they found antidiarrheal medications and the combination antibiotic used to treat cyclosporiasis. No diagnoses were recorded in the records FDA inspected, and those drugs are prescribed for other things, so it proves nothing on its own. But the plant is at Doctor Mora, in Guanajuato — the same facility at the center of this summer’s outbreak. And [roughly eight hundred feet from that processing building](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-does-a-public-swimming-complex-adjacent-to-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation-pose-a-cyclospora-threat-probably/) sits Balneario Las Fajanas, a public thermal-water bathing complex with pools, slides, showers and changing rooms, open every day of the year and listed by the state of Guanajuato’s own tourism office. Google Earth imagery shows it built and operating in March 2010, more than three years before FDA and COFEPRIS conducted their environmental assessment at the plant. That published assessment covers the processing facility and five ranches. Its second recommendation told the firm to determine whether *Cyclospora* is a reasonably likely hazard in that growing region and, if so, to re-evaluate the wash step. Thirteen years later, no one has produced a document showing that determination was ever made — and the whole of this post is the reason the wash step was never going to be the answer. **None of this is news to the government, or to the industry.** In 2021 FDA released a [Cyclospora Prevention, Response and Research Action Plan](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclospora-prevention-response-and-research-action-plan?ref=foodsafetynews.com), written by a task force the agency created in 2019\. In 2023 the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods delivered FDA [a full report on Cyclospora cayetanensis in produce](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media%5Ffile/documents/NACMCF%5FCyclospora%5FReport%5F2023%5FFinal.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with sections on preventive measures, surrogates, the maintenance and conveyance of wastewater, and prevention in food. That report states that the oocysts are resistant to many of the common chemical treatments used against bacterial pathogens in the produce production environment and in agricultural inputs, agricultural water among them. Its subcommittee was co-chaired by Peggy Cook and by Max Teplitski, now the chief science officer of the International Fresh Produce Association. None of the science in this post is contested. It has been sitting in a federal advisory committee report for three years. **Which is why the fix is upstream, and it is not mysterious.** Treat the water. FDA says so in the same fact sheet: in regions where cyclosporiasis is endemic, microfiltration, ozone or ultraviolet treatment may be necessary to decrease the parasite in irrigation water. Read the footnote listing which regions those are and you find a roster running from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe with Puerto Rico sitting in the middle of it. The data behind the interventions is real, with one caveat that matters: because the parasite cannot be propagated in a laboratory, most of this work uses a poultry coccidian, *Eimeria acervulina*, as a surrogate. [Ozonated water](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24000449?ref=foodsafetynews.com) acidified with citric acid inactivated ninety-three percent of sporulation in that surrogate. [Ultraviolet light](https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/spectrum.02439-24?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at 222, 254 and 282 nanometers each cut sporulation and produced close to a three-log reduction in its infectivity. [Zero-valent iron sand filtration](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11409009/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — tested on actual *C. cayetanensis* oocysts rather than a stand-in — retained ninety-seven percent of them. **Water treatment is already mandatory. It is just aimed at the wrong organism.** The California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements, which cover better than ninety percent of the leafy greens grown in this country, [require growers](https://www.wga.com/news/new-water-management-standards-for-leafy-greens/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) who use surface water for overhead irrigation to [treat that water in the twenty-one days before harvest](https://www.nal.usda.gov/research-tools/food-safety-research-projects/agriculture-water-treatment-southwest-region?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Then read what the requirement asks for. An EPA-registered antimicrobial, validated and verified, with success measured by generic *E. coli*. That is chlorine-family chemistry, selected for bacteria and scored by a bacterial indicator — the exact chemistry FDA says does not work on this parasite. The mandate exists and it points at the wrong organism. Microfiltration, ozone and ultraviolet are required of no one. And the field at the center of this outbreak is in Guanajuato, which no LGMA metric reaches at all. **Test for the right thing.** FDA states plainly that testing for generic *E. coli* and fecal coliforms will not identify *C. cayetanensis*. Human-specific markers will. That same [Georgia study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24000930?ref=foodsafetynews.com) found the human fecal marker HF183 in thirty-three percent of irrigation pond samples. If your irrigation water carries a human sewage signal, you have a *Cyclospora* exposure whether or not anyone ever finds an oocyst. The Center for Produce Safety has spent [more than $1.6 million](https://www.centerforproducesafety.org/research-database/Determination-of-physical-and-chemical-mechanisms-to-prevent-Cyclospora-infection?ref=foodsafetynews.com) since 2014 establishing that this parasite is endemic in the United States and recoverable from wastewater and irrigation water, and it [published a Cyclospora resource page this week](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11664-center-for-produce-safety-releases-cyclospora-resources-for-industry?ref=foodsafetynews.com) collecting the literature on agricultural water monitoring and mitigation. The industry funded the finding. It needs to act on it. **Write the parasite into the rule that already exists.** The [pre-harvest agricultural water rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-pre-harvest-agricultural-water?ref=foodsafetynews.com) became final on May 6, 2024 and requires covered farms to conduct an annual systems-based assessment of their water — the system, the practices, the crop, the environment, and adjacent land uses including sewage. The [only numeric microbial criterion in Subpart E](https://www.fda.gov/media/164540/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is generic *E. coli*, the same indicator FDA says will not identify this parasite. For leafy greens and berries the rule should name *Cyclospora* outright, and the Foreign Supplier Verification Program should require importers to document treatment that works on protozoa rather than chlorination that does not. **Fix field sanitation.** [OSHA’s standard](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/agriculture/field-sanitation/osha-field-sanitation-for-ag-workers?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has required agricultural employers to provide one toilet and one handwashing station for every twenty hand laborers, within a quarter mile, since 1987\. Operations with fewer than eleven workers are exempt outright. Inspectors are thin on the ground. Workers paid by the piece and worried about their immigration status do not file complaints. For an organism whose only reservoir is a human being, that exemption is the hazard. **And count it, trace it and test for it.** *Cyclospora* [came out of FoodNet last July](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The [Food Traceability Rule](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10245-fda-delays-fsma-204-traceability-rule-compliance-date-by-30-months?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that would have put lot-level records in FDA’s hands within twenty-four hours was supposed to be in force this January and now cannot be enforced before July 2028\. The methods to watch for this parasite in wastewater have been published for more than a decade. CDC built a [National Wastewater Surveillance System](https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com)that takes data from about fifteen hundred sites and covers roughly half the country. It reports SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, RSV, mpox and measles. *Cyclospora* is not among its targets, and it is not on the academic [WastewaterSCAN panel](https://data.wastewaterscan.org/about/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) either. Meanwhile a diagnostics company watching its own clinical panels [reported national positivity jumping from one or two percent to ten or twelve](https://www.biomerieux.com/us/en/blog/news-trends-diagnostics/tracking-cyclospora-cayetanensis-outbreak-us.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) this spring. Frank Yiannas, who ran FDA’s foods program under two administrations and is a past president of this association, told POLITICO this week that the federal response is approaching a catastrophic level of mismanagement and [should get an independent review](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5989772-ex-fda-criticizes-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). He has been proposing an NTSB-style board for foodborne outbreaks since last November. Restore the [Microbiological Data Program](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/letter-from-the-editor-blood/), which for eleven years pulled high-risk produce off the shelf and tested it, and which the industry lobbied to death in 2012. **A tip of the pen.** The Moorman and McEntire interviews and that 2013 record are [Brenda Goodman’s reporting for CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/25/health/cyclospora-outbreak-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com). She has been on this story for weeks. It was also her [July 20 piece](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/20/health/taylor-farms-lettuce-cyclospora-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that carried Frank Yiannas on the withdrawn laboratory result — he called it unfortunate and consequential, warned that consumers would wrongly read a false positive as proof the recall was unnecessary, credited FDA for disclosing the error promptly, and then said the thing that matters: “transparency alone is not enough.” The agency still owes the public a root cause for the laboratory failure and the corrective actions that follow from it. Goodman went and asked the people who actually ran these investigations the one question the trade press has spent a month stepping around — how does human waste get into the water in the first place — and got them to answer on the record. It is the piece I wish had run three weeks ago. **See you in the “Big Easy.”** I will be in New Orleans through Wednesday. If the honest sentence is that we cannot make contaminated lettuce safe, then the whole of the answer is keeping it from being contaminated — and what we require today is aimed at a different organism. ### Signs of the Times URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/signs-of-the-times/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T17:47:31.000Z Walking along Magazine Street in New Orleans while in town for the 2026 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual meeting, I wasn’t expecting to encounter one of the week’s most revealing commentaries on food safety. Sure, cities often promote concerts, festivals, or sporting events. But tucked among the boutiques, bars, and novelty shops were storefront signs that had nothing to do with tourism and everything to do with the national conversation surrounding food safety. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/Darin-Detweiler-in-New-Orleans.jpeg) One read: *“Just a girl trying to survive the heat wave, big storms, & lettuce diarrhea.”* Another reassured patrons: *“Booze never made you poop all week! Stay safe, stay drunk!”* They’re witty. They’re sarcastic. They invite a laugh. They also reveal something worth noticing. The art of storytelling is alive and well in New Orleans. These signs demonstrate one of the oldest principles of communication: people tell stories they believe others will immediately understand. The business owners who created these messages invested time, creativity, and storefront space because they expected passersby to recognize the references. The humor succeeds because recent outbreaks and recalls have become part of our shared cultural vocabulary. That observation deserves our attention. The month began with celebrations of America’s 250th birthday. It now seems to be ending with a different national narrative…one shaped by outbreaks, recalls, uncertainty, frustration, and growing questions about the safety of our food supply. Brands and restaurants have become linked in the public imagination through headlines that many consumers struggle to separate. Few people distinguish among pathogens, supply chains, regulatory agencies, or individual companies. They simply see another food safety headline and wonder whether the next meal they serve their families will be safe. In that environment, these sidewalk signs function much like today’s viral memes. Humor becomes a way to process uncertainty. A joke becomes shorthand for a shared experience. We’ve seen this before. In the months following the landmark 1993 Jack in the Box *E. coli* outbreak (which sickened hundreds across the Pacific Northwest, hospitalized more than 170 people, and claimed the lives of four young children, including my son, Riley) I encountered street vendors in California that were selling parody T-shirts featuring an altered version of the familiar Jack in the Box logo. The shirts read, “Crap in the Box,” an unmistakable reference to the fecal contamination associated with *E. coli*. There was no social media. No viral videos. No memes. Yet the communication was remarkably similar. People processed fear through humor. They expressed shared understanding through parody. They spread common cultural references through T-shirts, conversations, bumper stickers, and word of mouth. The technology has changed. Human nature has not. For those of us gathered in New Orleans to discuss food protection, these signs represent more than clever marketing. They remind us that food safety no longer resides only in scientific meetings, regulatory actions, or outbreak investigations. It has entered everyday conversation. It has become recognizable enough that a joke on a sidewalk chalkboard or a novelty sign requires no explanation. That carries an important message. When food safety becomes part of popular culture, public awareness has reached a new level. Consumers are no longer responding only to a single recall or outbreak. They are connecting a series of events into a broader perception of risk. Trust follows the same path. Confidence in the food system is built over years and can erode one headline at a time. Rebuilding that confidence requires more than ending an outbreak or closing a recall. It requires demonstrating, consistently and visibly, that the systems responsible for protecting public health are worthy of the trust consumers place in them every day. **About the author: Darin Detwiler** is an internationally recognized food safety advocate, author, and professor. He is the author of *Food Safety: Past, Present, and Prediction*, a featured expert in the Emmy Award-winning 2023 Netflix documentary *Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food*, and a two-time TEDx speaker whose 2026 talk, *Why Didn’t Someone Stop This? How Leaders Fall Into the Certainty Gap*, examines leadership and preventable risk. He also co-hosts the podcast *Confessions of a Food Safety A\*\*hole*. ### U.S. university involved in international food safety project URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/u-s-university-involved-in-international-food-safety-project/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T04:04:02.000Z Ten Latin American countries are taking part in a project to strengthen their national food safety systems through risk analysis, with one of the leading entities being a U.S. university The effort is led by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the University of Minnesota. The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is providing financial support. It includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FSA warns of growing complexity as incidents pass 2,000 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fsa-warns-of-growing-complexity-as-incidents-pass-2-000/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T04:02:52.000Z Global supply chains and online marketplaces are adding to incident complexity, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). FSA was notified of 2,073 food and feed safety incidents in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales during 2025-2026; this is an increase of 14 percent from 1,825 in the previous year. There has also been a rise in high and medium priority incidents with the potential for severe public health impact, continuing a trend seen in recent years. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns Texas seafood importer about repeat HACCP verification failures URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-warns-texas-seafood-importer-about-repeat-haccp-verification-failures/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T04:01:33.000Z As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view. --- **AF Import & Wholesale Co.** **Houston, TX** The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to AF Import & Wholesale Co. in Houston, TX, after inspectors found the company failed to verify that imported seafood products were processed in compliance with U.S. seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) requirements. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Italian data shows HUS decline in 2025 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/italian-data-shows-hus-decline-in-2025/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T04:00:16.000Z More than 40 cases of a serious condition that can develop after an E. coli infection were reported in 2025 in Italy. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a severe complication associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections that can cause kidney failure, brain damage and death. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Sunday Edition: A Directory of Foodborne Diseases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/todays-topic-a-directory-of-foodborne-diseases/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:51:52.000Z Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week - The scope of Cyclospora outbreaks nationwide [continues to grow as more cases are confirmed](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cdc-fda-say-cyclospora-outbreak-more-widespread-that-originally-thought/). In relation to one outbreak, Taylor Farms has [recalled](https://www.taylorfarms.com/recall/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) all iceberg lettuce sold in the U.S. that was sourced from [a processing plant in central Mexico](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-does-a-public-swimming-complex-adjacent-to-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation-pose-a-cyclospora-threat-probably/). - FSN reporter Joe Whitworth is reporting on research into foodborne illness outbreaks in the south Pacific. In part one of his series, he looks at the cause of [a salmonella outbreak in Australia in 2023](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/dried-meat-behind-australian-salmonella-outbreak/). Part two examines [four Vibrio outbreaks from 2019 to 2022 in New Zealand](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/dried-meat-behind-australian-salmonella-outbreak/). Forensic research helps scientists and public health officials develop preventive plans and improve their response to foodborne illness outbreaks. - About two million people in the Netherlands were affected by food-related pathogens in 2025\. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment [tracked 1,142 outbreaks and 12 large epidemics involving at least 25 people](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/netherlands-records-more-than-1-000-outbreaks-in-2025/). Salmonella Enteritidis infections are at their highest level in 20 years due to an increase in in the number of Dutch people keeping laying hens and consuming contaminated eggs. - Midwest Poultry Services [recalled more than 1.5 million eggs](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/more-than-1-5-million-eggs-recalled-because-of-salmonella-risk/) because of the risk of Salmonella contamination. The eggs had been sold in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and New Mexico. It now appears that since late 2025 [nearly 100 people may have been sickened](https://apnews.com/article/eggs-salmonella-kroger-c87e38a203f71c16d7db61a40435db38?ref=foodsafetynews.com) by the same Salmonella strain found in the recalled eggs. --- **Today’s Topic: A Directory of Foodborne Illnesses** Foodborne illness outbreaks that are either very large or very deadly capture the public’s imagination. Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis affecting 15,000 people across at least 41 states is certainly an attention-getter, especially when one involves a national fast-food chain (Taco Bell) and a multinational produce supplier (Taylor Farms). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Two bacon brands recalled for lack of reinspection at the Canadian border URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/two-bacon-brands-recalled-for-lack-of-reinspection-at-the-canadian-border/ Last updated: 2026-07-25T02:23:34.000Z Maple Leaf Foods Inc. of Lisle, IL, is recalling 12,036 pounds of not ready-to-eat smoked bacon products that were imported from Canada without the benefit of import reinspection into the United States, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The refrigerated smoked bacon products were produced June 9, June 10, June 12, June 13 and June 15\. The following products are subject to recall: - 12-oz vacuum package of "Royale Natural Applewood Smoked ALL NATURAL Uncured Bacon Product of Canada" with sell by dates of "SEP 01 2026" and "SEP 07 2026" printed on the side of the package - 12-oz vacuum package of "TOP VALU Uncured Hardwood Smoked Bacon PRODUCT OF CANADA" with various sell by dates of "SEP 01 2026", "SEP 02 2026", "SEP 04 2026", "SEP 05 2026", and "SEP 07 2026" printed on the side of the package The products subject to recall bear Canadian establishment number "EST. 1" printed on the side the package, and health certificate "2026-S732971612" on master case boxes. This item was further distributed to Grocery Outlet distributors and retailers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators and freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### CDC, FDA say Cyclospora outbreak more widespread that originally thought URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cdc-fda-say-cyclospora-outbreak-more-widespread-that-originally-thought/ Last updated: 2026-07-25T02:08:23.000Z The CDC and FDA are tracking at least two major outbreaks of infections from the Cyclospora parasite with a combined number of confirmed patients approaching 7,000. The first outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products and associated with Taco Bell restaurants. It has 1,947 patients spread across nine states. The Food and Drug Administration is reporting the same numbers. There have been 98 documented cases of hospitalizations and no deaths. The most recent date of illness onset was July 20\. Taylor Farms has recalled iceberg lettuce products from its central Mexico growing operations and Taco Bell stopped using Taylor Farms lettuce last week. States with patients are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The lettuce products were distributed in the United States and Mexico. In the United States the recalled iceberg lettuce products were sold to a variety of restaurants in addition to Taco Bell and retailers including Walmart. Taco Bell is the only U.S. customer to issue a statement about its use or sale of Taylor Farms lettuce. The U.S. distribution states are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia. According to the Food and Drug Administration the products may have been distributed further, reaching additional states. For the second outbreak, the CDC is reporting 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory confirmed and require further investigation and analysis. Many of the additional cases have been reported by Michigan and Ohio. As of July 24, Michigan is reporting 8,176 with160 patients indicating they had been hospitalized. More hospitalizations will likely be reported as state officials continue to gather complete information from patients. Ohio is reporting more than 2,000 patients. It is not clear whether all of the Michigan and Ohio cases are from Taylor Farms lettuce. A specific source of the parasite in the second outbreak has not yet been identified. Both the FDA and the CDC are now reporting that the outbreaks began June 22 and ran through July 20\. Until today both said May 13 through July 13\. You can watch it happen on a single FDA page: the current update reads June 22, and the preserved July 16 entry three screens below it still reads May 13\. Roughly six weeks of illnesses were inside the outbreak definition yesterday and are outside it today. The FDA attributes the rise in cases in part to the four new states, and says it can take as long as six weeks to determine whether a sick person belongs to this outbreak. The discrepancies between the state numbers and the number of sick people being reported by the CDC is in part because the agency — under the direction of the Trump Administration — stopped counting Cyclospora infections as of July 1, 2025. The FDA now says that the Taylor Farms [recall](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-iceberg-lettuce-central-mexico-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com) reaches outside the United States, and that the firm’s own customer records show recalled product was sold to consumers in Mexico — the day after Mexico’s health ministry announced that its samples from the plant were negative. On July 18 the FDA reported that a sample of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce product tested positive for Cyclospora. On the following day the agency retracted that statement, saying the test showed a false positive. However, the FDA says the false positive does not change the basis for its investigation or the epidemiological data supporting the recall, and traceback and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from central Mexican growers. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. ### Recalled eggs linked to Salmonella outbreak spanning 17 states URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/recalled-eggs-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak-spanning-17-states/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:52:21.000Z A new outbreak of Salmonella infections is under investigation with eggs having been identified as the likely source of the pathogen. As of the evening of July 24 there are 98 patients in the outbreak that stretches across 17 states coast to coast. Of those patients with complete information available, 26 have been hospitalized. None of the patients have died. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/outbreak-Salmonella-eggs-map-1.png) Midwest Poultry Services L.P. has been identified as the producer of the implicated eggs. On July 21 the company initiated a [recall](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/more-than-1-5-million-eggs-recalled-because-of-salmonella-risk/) of more than 1.5 million white shell eggs and brown cage free shell eggs produced and distributed from farms in Texas between June 6 and July 3 with sell by or best by dates between July 20 and Aug.17. The recalled eggs were sold under a variety of brand names and were available at a number of retailers including Kroger stores. The recalled eggs have an identifying code number printed on the left or right sides of the carton in date-coding ink only. Only codes P-1950 or 0840962 with a Julian Date between 157 and 184 printed on the side of the carton are recalled. For photos of some of the cartons of the recalled eggs, [click here](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/midwest-poultry-services-lp-recalls-shell-eggs-due-possible-salmonella-enteritidis-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The eggs were distributed in Arkansas Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Distribution of recalled products has been confirmed for states listed, but the eggs could have been distributed further, reaching additional states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from Nov. 21, 2025, to June 30, 2026\. Forty of 44 outbreak patients with information available reported eating eggs before becoming ill. Consumers, restaurants, and retailers that purchased or received recalled eggs should throw them away or return them to their place of purchase for a refund and disinfect any areas that could have come in contact with recalled eggs. Laboratory, epidemiological and traceback data have determined that shell eggs recalled by Midwest Poultry Services L.P are a likely source of illnesses in this outbreak. As part of this investigation, FDA conducted a traceback investigation based on where ill people reported purchasing or eating eggs during the timeframe of interest, and Midwest Poultry Services L.P. was identified as a common egg source; however, this producer does not account for all the illnesses in this outbreak. Additional investigation is ongoing to determine if there are other sources of illness. Midwest Poultry Services L.P. collected samples at farms in Texas. Certain samples collected by the firm tested positive for Salmonella, and [whole genome sequencing](https://www.fda.gov/food/microbiology-research-food/whole-genome-sequencing-wgs-program?ref=foodsafetynews.com) performed by the firm’s third-party lab revealed that some samples match the strain of Salmonellain this outbreak. Consumers, restaurants, and retailers that purchased or received recalled eggs should throw them away or return them to their place or purchase for a refund and disinfect any areas that could have come in contact with recalled eggs. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Publisher's Platform: Does a public swimming complex adjacent to Taylor Farms lettuce operation pose a Cyclospora threat? Probably. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-does-a-public-swimming-complex-adjacent-to-taylor-farms-lettuce-operation-pose-a-cyclospora-threat-probably/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:52:45.000Z In November 2013, after *Cyclospora cayetanensis* sickened hundreds of people in Iowa and Nebraska, FDA published an [environmental assessment](https://www.fda.gov/files/food/published/Environmental-Assessment--2013-Cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-Iowa-and-Nebraska-%E2%80%93-Findings-and-Recommendations.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) of the Taylor Farms de México processing plant at Doctor Mora, Guanajuato. The report closed with recommendations. The second told the firm to determine whether *Cyclospora* is a reasonably likely hazard in the Guanajuato leafy green growing region and, if it is, to re-evaluate the wash step used on salad mix. Thirteen years later the same region sits at the center of the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak in American history, and no one has produced a document showing that determination was ever made. Here is what a hazard analysis would have found, had anyone performed one. Two hundred and thirty-five meters from the processing building — roughly eight hundred feet, a three-minute walk — sits Balneario Las Fajanas, a public thermal-water bathing complex with pools, water slides, changing rooms, showers, grills and picnic shelters, open every day of the year. It is the largest concentration of human fecal loading anywhere near that plant. And satellite imagery establishes that it was already built, filled and operating in March 2010, more than three years before FDA and COFEPRIS ever set foot on the property. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/Taylor-Farms-Mexico-image-1.png) That image forecloses the only innocent explanation. Nobody can now say the balneario came later, or that the environment changed after the inspectors left. When FDA and COFEPRIS walked that site in August 2013, a public bathing facility with filled pools stood across the highway in plain view and had stood there for years. The published assessment describes the processing plant and five ranches. It does not describe a bathing complex. It is worth setting out what is actually on that property, because the detail matters. The [Guanajuato Secretariat of Tourism](https://guanajuato.mx/guia-turistica/balnearios-y-o-parques-acuaticos/balneario-las-fajanas/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) lists Las Fajanas in its official state guide under balnearios and water parks, at Km 16 of the San Miguel de Allende–Doctor Mora highway, locality of Cruz de la Maza, with state-published coordinates of 21.10266, -100.45159\. The state describes thermal-water pools, extensive lawns, parking, water slides, palapas, grills, restrooms, showers, changing rooms and a snack shop, and flags the site as accessible. Other listings add a soda fountain, a store, sports courts and a bar. The operator advertises thermal water held at 40 degrees Celsius and promotes that the facility is open 365 days a year. Admission has climbed steadily — 80 pesos for adults and 40 for children in earlier listings, 100 and 40 after that, 120 and 60 from the first of February, and 150 adults and 80 children from the twenty-third of March. Prices rise like that when demand supports it. The Google listing carries 897 reviews. There is no website; the business runs on Facebook. Water slides produce high water ingestion, particularly among children. Grills and picnic shelters mean families stay all day rather than an hour, which multiplies restroom use per visitor. Thermal water at 40 degrees means the facility is drawing from a deep geothermal source and moving large volumes of it — and every liter that goes into a pool eventually comes out of one. Where it goes when it leaves is the entire question, and no public listing answers it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/Taylor-Farms-Mexico-inage-2.png) Put the two frames side by side and a second argument appears, one that has nothing to do with the balneario. The bathing complex in 2023 looks much as it did in 2010\. The Taylor Farms facility does not. The 2010 image shows a moderate plant: one main building, blue-roofed outbuildings, a large unpaved graded area to the north. The 2023 image shows a substantially larger processing building, a solar array along the western boundary, hundreds of employee vehicles in formal parking rows, and a trailer yard holding well over a hundred units. That is not incremental growth. That is a different scale of operation — more throughput, more wash water, more workers, more waste. One more feature is visible in both frames and deserves attention from someone qualified to identify it. A linear channel runs east to west immediately north of the highway, between the plant and the balneario, and appears to hold water in both images. The 2023 frame also shows a standing water body along that channel southwest of the plant. If that is an irrigation canal or a drainage ditch, it is a surface pathway between the two properties — and surface connection is far easier to establish than aquifer connection. It would also have been visible from the plant yard in 2013\. Separately, the 2010 frame shows a dark oval pond immediately southwest of the main building that I cannot find in the 2023 frame. If that was a retention or process-water lagoon, its disappearance during the expansion is a records question worth asking. *Cyclospora cayetanensis* has no animal reservoir. Cattle do not carry it, wildlife does not carry it, birds do not carry it. It completes its life cycle in human beings and nowhere else. Every oocyst that ends up on a leaf of iceberg lettuce came out of a person. With *E. coli* O157:H7 you go looking for a feedlot upgradient of the field. With *Cyclospora* you go looking for human sewage. *Cyclospora* Oocysts are shed unsporulated and non-infectious. They must sit in the environment for roughly one to two weeks at temperatures between about 22 and 32 degrees Celsius before they can infect anyone, which is why [CDC says](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) direct person-to-person transmission is unlikely. A sick person cannot hand this parasite to the person beside them. What that person can do is deposit inert oocysts into soil or water, walk away, and leave them to ripen. And northeastern Guanajuato is close to ideal for that ripening: mean daily maximum temperatures at San José Iturbide run from about 23 to 31 degrees Celsius across the entire year, sitting inside the sporulation window in every month. I want to be careful here, because there is a version of this argument that is wrong. On July 15 the International Fresh Produce Association [faulted Michigan’s health department](https://www.freshproduce.com/who-we-are/commentary/ifpa-statement-on-the-2026-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for saying recreational water is not a recognized risk factor, cited three papers for the proposition, and [told The Packer](https://www.thepacker.com/news/cyclospora-cases-spike-ifpa-urges-officials-partner-produce-not-assign-blame?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that Michigan was defying reputable science. Its [consumer FAQ](https://www.freshproduce.com/who-we-are/commentary/cyclospora-faqs/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) still tells readers that pool chlorine will not kill *Cyclospora* and that people who swallow pool water are not protected the way they would be from other waterborne illnesses. County health departments in [Ohio](https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/07/15/cyclosporas-chlorine-resistance-raises-concerns-about-pools-splash-pads-amid-nearly-400-ohio-cases/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [Arizona](https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/14/explosive-diarrhea-sickness-linked-pools-splash-pads-spreading-arizona/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) have said much the same thing. The implication running through all of it is that swimmers are catching this. They are not. The most recent global review of waterborne protozoan outbreaks, [published by Bourli and colleagues](https://iwaponline.com/jwh/article/21/10/1421/97388/Waterborne-transmission-of-protozoan-parasites-a?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in the Journal of Water and Health in 2023 and the fifth in a series running since 2007, catalogued 416 outbreaks worldwide between 2017 and 2022\. Recreational water and swimming pools were the suspected source in 313 of them — three quarters of the total — and 92 percent of those were *Cryptosporidium*. *Cyclospora* caused three outbreaks in the entire six-year window, and the review lists each one by name: drinking water in Poland traced to travelers from Indonesia, drinking water in South Korea traced to travelers who drank at a church in Nepal, and a British cluster among travelers returning from Mexico whose recorded exposures were fruit, salad vegetables, fresh herbs, bottled water and ice. Not one of them is a pool. *Cryptosporidium* owns that category, because *Cryptosporidium* is infectious the moment it leaves the body. *Cyclospora* is not. A health department urging caution about pools is being careful. A trade association telling you recreational water is a live risk factor in this outbreak is doing something else. It is moving the story off lettuce. The defensible argument is not that the balneario infected swimmers. It is that the balneario is a fecal loading point into the environmental water system surrounding a ready-to-eat produce plant. And that mechanism is not my invention. It is the express premise of the research the produce industry has been funding for a decade. The Center for Produce Safety [states plainly](https://www.centerforproducesafety.org/research-database/determination-of-physical-and-chemical-mechanisms-to-prevent-cyclospora-infection?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that it has invested 1.6 million dollars in *Cyclospora* research since 2014, and that the results confirmed the parasite is endemic in the United States and can be recovered from wastewater and irrigation water, which it calls a significant risk for produce contamination. That is the industry’s own research arm saying the parasite lives in sewage and reaches crops through water. Go one level down and the mechanism gets named outright: a CPS and USDA-listed project led by Charles Gerba, Kelly Bright, Paula Rivadeneira and Walter Betancourt at Arizona was built to determine whether American produce is at risk from irrigation water contaminated by human sewage, and it [specifies the sources](https://www.centerforproducesafety.org/research-database/cyclospora-potential-reservoirs-and-occurrence-in-irrigation-waters?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — faulty and leaking septic systems, compromised sewer pipes, and treated wastewater effluent discharged into surface waters used to irrigate food crops. The [USDA National Agricultural Library listing](https://www.nal.usda.gov/research-tools/food-safety-research-projects/cyclospora-potential-reservoirs-and-occurrence?ref=foodsafetynews.com) carries the identical framing. Faulty septic near produce ground is not a theory I am floating. It is a funded federal research question. The surveillance results tell you where the parasite actually is. A two-year study in a Southeastern Georgia growing region, [published in the Journal of Food Protection](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24000930?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and [funded through CPS](https://www.centerforproducesafety.org/research-database/sources-and-prevalence-of-cyclospora-cayetanensis-in-southeastern-us-water-sources-and-growing-environments?ref=foodsafetynews.com), sampled municipal wastewater sludge, on-farm portable toilets, irrigation pond water and spent packinghouse dump tank water. The parasite lives in human sewage, reliably. And an unconfirmed molecular positive on agricultural water is a known published artifact — precisely what happened at the border in July, and why that false positive proved nothing about whether the lettuce was contaminated. Treatment does not solve it. Kitajima, Haramoto, Iker and Gerba [sampled two Arizona wastewater treatment plants](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24695096/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)monthly for a year, detected *Cyclospora* in wastewater with a purpose-built assay, and concluded that conventional treatment is limited in its ability to remove protozoan oocysts and cysts. That is a functioning municipal plant. A rural recreational facility is not going to do better. Nor is any of this new: Sterling and Ortega reported in [Emerging Infectious Diseases](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2627696/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that *Cyclospora* oocysts were recovered from sewage lagoons beside an endemic area of Lima, and that water from those lagoons irrigates pasture, corn, and elsewhere in the city, vegetable crops. That was 1999. Taylor Farms will argue it cannot control what its neighbors put into the ground. That argument fails on the 2013 record. FDA told Taylor Farm, in writing, to determine whether *Cyclospora* is a reasonably likely hazard in this growing region, and if it is, to re-evaluate the wash step. A hazard analysis worth the paper it is printed on would have identified a public bathing complex eight hundred feet from the intake — a bathing complex that the satellite record now proves was sitting there, pools filled, three years before the inspectors arrived. The failure here is not that the balneario is there. The failure is that the federal government said look, and thirteen years and one record-breaking outbreak later, no one can show that anybody did. ### "Negligible" microbial risk from Dutch meat firm’s products URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/negligible-microbial-risk-from-dutch-meat-firms-products/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T04:01:59.000Z The health risk posed by meat processed by a company under investigation in the Netherlands is “negligible,” according to an assessment. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) asked the Office of Risk Assessment and Research (BuRO) to assess potential microbial risks from the activities of a meat processor suspected of fraud. A criminal investigation is being led by the National Office for Serious Fraud, Environmental Crime and Asset Confiscation (Functioneel Parket). After the company's accreditation was revoked, it filed for bankruptcy. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA continues special enforcement of import laws against seafood, mushrooms URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-continues-special-enforcement-of-import-laws-against-seafood-mushrooms/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T04:01:41.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. [Click here](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USFDA/2026/07/20/file%5Fattachments/3719154/Import%20Alerts%20Modified%20in%20the%20past%207%20days%202026-07-20%20%28002%29.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts. See chart below for a list of the most recent alerts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/import-alerts-07-23-26-1.png) Click on chart to enlarge. Use link above to go to FDA page with links to specific alerts. ### New Zealand shares experience of Vibrio outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/new-zealand-shares-experience-of-vibrio-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T04:00:44.000Z *This is Part 2 of a 3-part series* Researchers have detailed four Vibrio outbreaks in New Zealand that affected 117 people with 43 hospitalizations. In many places, including New Zealand, Vibrio parahaemolyticus acute gastroenteritis is a legally notifiable disease prompting public health action. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### More than 1.5 million eggs recalled because of Salmonella risk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/more-than-1-5-million-eggs-recalled-because-of-salmonella-risk/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:22:35.000Z Midwest Poultry Services L.P. is recalling 1,589,577 dozen white shell eggs and brown cage free shell eggs produced in Texas because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The eggs were produced and distributed from farms in Texas between June 6 and July 3 and have sell by or best by dates between July 20 and Aug. 17\. The eggs were shipped to foodservice and retail customers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. They were available to consumers at Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi, and other smaller retail outlets. No other Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. products are part of this recall. Midwest Poultry Services L.P. is not aware of any specific illnesses linked to its products. The recalled eggs will have an identifying code number printed on the left or right sides of the carton in date-coding ink only. Only codes P-1950 or 0840962 with a Julian Date between 157 and 184 printed on the side of the carton are recalled. Examples of this identifying plant and date information on retail cartons [can be found here](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/midwest-poultry-services-lp-recalls-shell-eggs-due-possible-salmonella-enteritidis-contamination?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Midwest Poultry Services identified the issue on its two Texas farms through proactive environmental monitoring practices and root cause analysis. Midwest Poultry Services is not distributing fresh eggs produced on its Texas farms at this time. Consumers who purchased products associated with this recall are urged to avoid consumption. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled eggs and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Chicken noodle soup recalled because of lack of import reinspection URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/chicken-noodle-soup-recalled-because-of-lack-of-import-reinspection/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:01:01.000Z BCI Foods Inc., the importer of record located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, is recalling 4,300 pounds of a chicken noodle soup product that was imported from Canada without the benefit of import reinspection into the United States. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reported that the canned condensed chicken noodle soup product was produced on Feb. 4, 2026\. Consumers can identify the recalled soup by looking for the following table information: 10.5-oz cans of "tasty KITCHEN Chicken Noodle Condensed Soup PRODUCT OF CANADA" with best by date of "2028 FE 04" and lot code "5 9 2 26 035.” The product subject to recall bears Canadian establishment number "EST. 142" printed on the can. This item was further distributed to food banks and food pantry locations in Oklahoma. The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that the canned chicken soup product imported from Canada was not presented for FSIS import reinspection. There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products or received them from a food bank of food pantry are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### Outbreak of infections from Cyclospora parasite reaches 41 states URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/outbreak-of-infections-from-cyclospora-parasite-reaches-41-states/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T20:24:34.000Z More patients have been identified in a nationwide outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite, with Michigan alone reporting almost 500 new cases overnight linked to iceberg lettuce products from Taylor Farms. As is stands today, there are 7,664 patients in Michigan, up from 7,171 on July 22\. Of those patients at least 160 have been hospitalized. Michigan is posting patient counts on a daily basis while other states are sporadically posting numbers. As of earlier this week, Ohio had 2,029 patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking several outbreaks, reporting a total of 4,173 laboratory confirmed patients and another 7,400 cases across 41 states under investigation. One reason the CDC’s numbers are lagging behind the total from the states is that the Trump Administration had the agency stop tracking Cyclospora infections beginning July 1, 2025\. Another reason for the discrepancies between the states and CDC counts is the lag time between when a state confirms a case and when it is included in the federal count. The Food and Drug Administration is tracking four active outbreaks of Cyclospora infections. Not counting the largest outbreak, the three others have a total of 100 patients. It is not clear whether that count is included in the CDC’s overall number of patients. As previously reported by [Food Safety News](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-investigating-3-new-outbreaks/), the FDA added a new Cyclospora outbreak to its investigations on July 22\. The agency is reporting 72 patients for that outbreak. **Link to Taylor Farms** Outbreak investigators have linked the Cycloapora infections to shredded iceberg lettuce and salad kits with iceberg lettuce produced by Taylor Farms. The lettuce in question comes from the company’s growing operation in central Mexico. The produce company recalled the implicated products on July 17\. Its customers include Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, McDonald's and Taco Bell, as well other fast food chains and Sysco, which is the country’s largest food service supplier. Sysco supplies a number of restaurant chains in addition to hospitals, schools, hotels and other foodservice operators. Taylor Farms is one of the world’s largest produce companies with annual revenue of $6 billion. ### Netherlands records more than 1,000 outbreaks in 2025 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/netherlands-records-more-than-1-000-outbreaks-in-2025/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:03:57.000Z The Netherlands has released figures on the number of people sickened by various pathogens and in outbreaks in 2025. There were 4,279 people sick in 1,142 outbreaks and 12 large epidemics involved at least 25 people. A pathogen was identified in 31 incidents. Ten were caused by Salmonella, seven by norovirus, and four by Campylobacter, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). It is estimated that almost 2 million people in the Netherlands were infected by food-related pathogens in 2025\. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA investigating 3 new outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-investigating-3-new-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:01:26.000Z The Food and Drug Administration is investigating three new outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The outbreaks involve the Cyclospora parasite, Salmonella and Listeria. For the Cyclospora outbreak, the FDA reports there are 72 patients. The outbreak apparently is not part of a larger [34-state Cyclospora outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/patient-count-in-parasitic-outbreak-continues-to-increase/) being investigated by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the new Cyclospora outbreak, the FDA reports that a specific source of the parasite has not been identified. The agency is not reporting where the patients live. The FDA has begun traceback efforts, but is not reporting what food is being traced. For the larger outbreak, which has sickened thousands, the FDA has identified iceberg lettuce products produced by Taylor Farms as the source. For the new outbreak of Salmonella Javiana infections, the FDA is reporting 106 confirmed patients. The agency is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. The FDA has begun traceback efforts but is not reporting what food it is tracing. For the new outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections, the FDA is reporting eight confirmed patients. The agency is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. The FDA has begun traceback and onsite inspections but is not reporting what food is being traced or what location is being inspected. **In other news,** the FDA is reporting that the patient count for another Cyclospora outbreak has increased from eight to 10 patients. The agency is not reporting the patients’ ages or where they live. The FDA has begun traceback efforts but is not reporting what food it is tracing. The agency first reported the outbreak on July 8. For outbreaks of Salmonella Oranienburg and Salmonella Enteritidis the patient counts have increased from 69 to 81 patients and from 91 to 96 patients, respectively. The source of the outbreaks has not been determined. For the Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak, first reported on July 8, the FDA has begun traceback efforts but has not revealed what food it is tracing. For the outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections, first reported June 10, the FDA has initiated traceback, onsite inspection and testing but it is not reporting what food is being traced, what location is being inspected, or what is being tested. ### Outbreak traced to moringa leaf powder declared over URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/outbreak-traced-to-moringa-leaf-powder-declared-over/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:00:26.000Z The CDC has declared an outbreak caused by various types of Salmonella and traced to a number of moringa leaf powder products to be over and the FDA has closed its investigation. As of July 22, 2026, a total of 131 people infected with one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella had been reported from 38 states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from Aug. 22, 2025, to June 14, 2026\. Of 121 people with information available, 36 were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. The implicated moringa leaf powder was imported from India. It was sold under a number of brands. A variety of [products were recalled](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-moringa-leaf-powder-january-2026?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery) in relation to the outbreak. Of the 84 ill people interviewed during the outbreak, 74 reported eating a product containing moringa leaf powder, including 63 who reported Live it Up Super Greens supplement powders only, five who reported Why Not Natural moringa powder capsules only, one person who reported consuming both Live it Up Super Greens supplement powder and Why Not Natural moringa powder capsules products, and five who reported TNVitamins moringa powder capsules only. The products linked to illnesses in this outbreak have a long shelf life. The FDA is reminding consumers and retailers to not eat, sell or serve recalled products containing moringa leaf powder. Consumers should throw these products away. As part of the investigation, the FDA and state partners from Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin collected finished product and ingredient samples from sick people’s homes and firms in the supply chain. A total of 12 samples tested positive for Salmonella, and 11 samples detected at least one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella during whole genome sequencing analysis. The FDA has increased screening of imported moringa powder from India for Salmonella. ### Burritos recalled because of undeclared soy URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/burritos-recalled-because-of-undeclared-soy/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T00:46:57.000Z Fresh & Ready Foods LLC is recalling Sprig & Sprout Spicy Breakfast Burritos and Fresh and Ready Spicy Breakfast Burritos because they may contain undeclared soy. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Consumers who do not consume meat should also not consume these products, as the recall was initiated after sausage was found in products labeled vegetarian. The recalled products were distributed in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia grab and go markets and vending machines. The recall is limited to the products identified below that were produced at the Charlotte, NC, facility between July 9 and July 12 with the “Fresh Thru” date of July 20\. All other products produced at the Charlotte facility are not impacted by this recall, and there is no impact on products produced at any other Fresh & Ready LLC facility. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date. The recall was initiated following two customer complaints reporting the presence of sausage in a product labeled as vegetarian. The inadvertent inclusion of sausage resulted in the presence of soy, a major food allergen, which is not declared on the product label. The recalled products can be identified by the following label information: | Product | Size | UPC Code | Fresh Thru: | | --------------------------------------- | ------------- | --------------- | ----------- | | Sprig & Sprout Spicy Breakfast Burrito | 8.3 oz (234g) | 1 00001 00029 7 | 07/20/26 | | Fresh and Ready Spicy Breakfast Burrito | 8.2 oz (232g) | 1 00001 00029 7 | 07/20/26 | ### State-by-state count in parasitic outbreak continues to increase URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/patient-count-in-parasitic-outbreak-continues-to-increase/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T20:26:58.000Z Michigan officials reported that another 600 cyclospora patients were identified overnight, bringing the total in the state to 7,171. The Michigan patients are part of a multistate outbreak related to iceberg lettuce products produced by Taylor Farms. The next closest state count is from Ohio where there are 2,029 patients. A number of patients in Michigan reported eating iceberg lettuce on items from Taco Bell. The restaurant chain has stopped using lettuce from Taylor Farms. The produce company recalled its shredded iceberg lettuce and salad kits containing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico on July 17\. Its customers include Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, McDonald's and Taco Bell, as well other fast food chains and Sysco, which is the country’s largest food service supplier. Sysco supplies a number of restaurant chains in addition to hospitals, schools, hotels and other foodservice operators. As of July 21, the CDC is reporting that since May 1 it has received reports of 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory confirmed and require further investigation and analysis. Many of the additional cases have been reported by Michigan and Ohio. The discrepancies in the state counts and the total being reported by the CDC come from the fact that the agency stopped counting cyclospora infections in 2025\. At that time the agency stopped tracking six out of eight foodborne pathogens. The Food and Drug Administration reported on July 18 that it had a positive result for the cyclospora parasite on a sample of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from Mexico. However, the agency walked back that announcement on July 19 saying that the test result was a false positive. Preliminary patient counts from the states are as follows: | **State** | **2026 cases reported** | **Part of the Taco Bell outbreak?** | **Source** | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alabama** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Alaska** | 5; 3 travel-related | No – AK DOH: no link to the outbreak | [AK DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Arizona** | 19 | Cases reported; not in cluster | [AZ DHS / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Arkansas** | 26 year-to-date | Under investigation for outbreak link | [AR DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **California** | 41 provisional (Jul 14); CDC lists 97 | No – CDPH: no local acquisition identified | [CDPH](https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR26-024.aspx?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Colorado** | 150; 4 hospitalized; 8 of 120 domestic | No – CDPHE: not part of the Midwest outbreak | [CDPHE / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Connecticut** | 35 (up from 19 in 2025) | Links its cases to the national outbreak | [CT DPH](https://portal.ct.gov/dph/newsroom/press-releases---2026/cyclosporiasis-cases-linked-to-national-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Delaware** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Florida** | 106 | No – FL DOH: seasonal disease Florida sees yearly | [FL DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Georgia** | 11-30 domestic since May 1; CDC lists 71 | No – GA DPH: no Georgia-specific cluster | [GA DPH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Hawaii** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Idaho** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Illinois** | 277 (Jul 16); 23 hospitalized; CDC lists 87 | No – IDPH: higher than average, no single cause | [IDPH / TODAY](https://www.today.com/health/disease/cyclospora-map-states-parasite-outbreak-diarrhea-2026-rcna385837?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Indiana** | 327 total; at least 47 tied to the outbreak | YES – fifth Taco Bell outbreak state; daily updates | [IN DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Iowa** | 57; about half domestic | No – IA HHS: not connected to national investigations | [IA HHS / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Kansas** | 55 (Jul 15); 37 domestic | Domestic cases rising; no Kansas source found | [KDHE](https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/2044?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Kentucky** | 192 (Jul 15); 108 confirmed; 7 hospitalized | YES – Taco Bell outbreak state; weekly updates | [KY DPH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Louisiana** | 1-10 | Not declared part; not in cluster | [LA DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Maine** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Maryland** | 69; some travel-related | No – no common link identified | [MD DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Massachusetts** | 18 (normal seasonal amount) | No – MA DPH: not affected by the Midwest outbreak | [MA DPH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Michigan** | 6,571 (Jul 21); 102 hospitalized (Jul 16); 23 out-of-state pending | YES – leads the outbreak; 2,408 new cases in the week to Jul 18 | [MDHHS](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Minnesota** | 41 since May 1 | No – MDH: no increase over expected | [MDH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Mississippi** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Missouri** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Montana** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Nebraska** | 49 | No – NE DHHS: none related to the wider outbreak | [NE DHHS / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Nevada** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **New Hampshire** | 1-10 | Cases reported; not in cluster | [NH DHHS / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **New Jersey** | 46 (May 1-Jul 11); within typical range | No – NJDOH: no clusters or outbreaks | [NJDOH](https://www.nj.gov/health/news/2026/approved/20260716a.shtml?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **New Mexico** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **New York** | 517 (May 1-Jul 13) incl. NYC; CDC lists 539 | No – NYSDOH: not a major deviation from the norm | [NYSDOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **North Carolina** | 307 (Jul 14); 13 hospitalized | No – NCDHHS: does not appear linked to the Taco Bell outbreak | [NCDHHS](https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2026/07/14/north-carolina-seeing-increase-cyclosporiasis-cases?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **North Dakota** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Ohio** | 1,316 statewide (Jul 16); 96 hospitalized. Northwest Ohio alone reports 2,029 (Jul 20) | YES – Taco Bell outbreak state; state updates weekly | [ODH / Toledo-Lucas](https://lucascountyhealth.com/cyclo/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Oklahoma** | 57; 6 hospitalized | Part of the national outbreak; no Oklahoma source | [OSDH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Oregon** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Pennsylvania** | 28; reporting is voluntary | No – mostly travel-related | [PA DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Rhode Island** | 4 since May 1 | Cases reported; not in cluster | [RI DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **South Carolina** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **South Dakota** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Tennessee** | 11-30 | Investigating; not in cluster | [TN DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Texas** | 68 (Jul 13); 15 hospitalized; all domestic | Meets CDC case definition; no source identified | [TX DSHS](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/foodborne-illness/cyclospora-infection-cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Utah** | 1-10 | No – UT DHHS: not related to the wider outbreak | [UT DHHS / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Vermont** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Virginia** | 37 through Jul 4; CDC lists 61 | No – VDH: no evidence of a Virginia outbreak | [VDH](https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/clinicians/clinician-letters/updates-on-cyclosporiasis-in-virginia/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Washington** | 27 since May 1; 5 domestic or possibly domestic | No – WA DOH: not associated with other states | [WA DOH / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **West Virginia** | 195 (Jul 21); 15 hospitalized – nearly tripled since Jul 13 | YES – Taco Bell outbreak state; updates Tuesdays and Fridays | [WV Dept. of Health](https://oeps.wv.gov/cyclosporiasis-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Wisconsin** | 61 (May 1-Jul 15); 11 domestic | No – WI DHS: no common food item identified | [WI DHS / Epoch](https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-heres-the-latest-case-numbers-by-state-6062608?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | | **Wyoming** | No 2026 count published | Not reported as part of the outbreak | [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) | ### Health departments post more infections in Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/health-departments-post-more-infections-in-cyclospora-outbreak-linked-to-taylor-farms-lettuce/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T04:05:51.000Z More patients have been identified in an outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite. The outbreak is linked to iceberg lettuce products from Taylor Farms. Michigan is reporting 6,571 patients, up from 6,148 reported on July 20\. Ohio’s most recent count is 2,029\. A number of patients in Michigan reported eating iceberg lettuce on items from Taco Bell. The restaurant chain has stopped using lettuce from Taylor Farms. The produce company recalled its shredded iceberg lettuce and salad kits containing iceberg lettuce on July 17\. Its customers include Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, McDonald's and Taco Bell, as well other fast food chains and Sysco, which is the country’s largest food service supplier. Sysco supplies a number of restaurant chains in addition to hospitals, schools, hotels and other foodservice operators. While some states are reporting thousands of outbreak patients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s count remains stagnant. As of July 21 the agency was still reporting only 1,644 people who had cyclosporiasis from May 13 to July 13\. The CDC report says there are patients in 34 states and that there is more than one outbreak. The agency says there are another 5,100 patients whose illnesses are under investigation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak is "under control." During a press briefing July 21, Kennedy said the Department of Health and Human Services had conducted extensive epidemiological investigations. **About Taylor Farms** Taylor Farms, founded by Bruce Taylor, is not a family farm. Rather, it is a major corporate entity that has 25,000 employees and booked $6 billion revenue. The company owns Earthbound Farms in California and also has growing operations in Mexico. It has more than 40 percent of the bagged salad market in the United States. In 2013, Taylor Farms salad mix out of Guanajuato went to Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants and [sickened hundreds](https://www.cdc.gov/orr/responses/multistate-cyclospora-outbreak.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) with Cyclospora. In 2024, Taylor Farms slivered onions went onto McDonald’s Quarter Pounders; more than a hundred people were sickened and [one person died](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-onions-october-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The FDA found dozens of violations at the plant that processed the onions, including dirty equipment. On July 16, Taylor Farms executives met with both White House and FDA officials to defend their company and argue that there were “shortfalls” in the outbreak response by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a spokesperson told [*The New York Times*](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/health/cyclospora-taylor-farms-mexico-taco-bell-lettuce.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **About Cyclospora** Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue and severe dehydration. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital and can last more than a month. Symptoms can subside and then reoccur. Food safety experts say washing produce does not remove the parasites because they become embedded in the produce. ### Survey finds growing concern over food safety risks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/survey-finds-growing-concern-over-food-safety-risks/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T04:04:52.000Z Almost half of companies think food safety and health are among their biggest risks, according to a recent survey. A total of 45 percent named these topics as their main concern, up from 29 percent in 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Limited hepatitis E knowledge in pig sector hinders assessment approach URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/limited-hepatitis-e-knowledge-in-pig-sector-hinders-assessment-approach/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T04:04:28.000Z Current hepatitis E virus knowledge in Ireland is limited, creating uncertainty in assessing the risk related to the consumption of pork products. Despite the lack of information, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said the available data supports the hypothesis that the pig meat food chain contributes to the risk of HEV infection. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Organic fruit puree pouches recalled because of plastic pieces URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/organic-fruit-puree-pouches-recalled-because-of-plastic-pieces/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T02:52:30.000Z PT Organics Limited of Lake Oswego, OR, is recalling Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana & Strawberry 4-ounce pouches because of an internal packaging defect that may result in the presence of a strand of soft, food-grade plastic in the finished product. The recalled product was sold exclusively through Kroger, Meijer and Target retail stores nationwide between March 6 and July 13. The recalled pouches can be identified by the following codes, which are stamped in black ink on the back of the pouch: - Barcode: 8 15367 01078 0 - Lane number – identified by the number 4 printed on the rear right-hand side seam - Best-Before-Date (BBD) of 01/19/2027, 01/20/2027, 03/17/2027, 03/18/2027, 05/14/2027, or 05/15/2027. No injuries have been reported. PT Organics Limited initiated this recall after its packaging supplier last week recalled a production run of defective pouches. PT Organics’ inspections of finished product made with the recalled packaging confirmed the presence of a strand of a soft, food-grade plastic attached to the inside of a small number of pouches. ### Publisher’s Platform: The Traceability Rule was supposed to be law in January. This cyclospora outbreak started in May. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-traceability-rule-was-supposed-to-be-law-in-january-this-cyclospora-outbreak-started-in-may/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T00:35:35.000Z Over the weekend a single laboratory sample went from positive to false positive, and by Sunday night Taylor Farms was telling the public that FDA had [apologized to it](https://www.taylorfarms.com/newsroom/taylor-fresh-foods-statement-regarding-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). On Monday FDA [answered in its own voice](https://x.com/US%5FFDA/status/2079238466118865220?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and the Washington Post's Lena Sun [put the answer plainly](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/07/20/taylor-farms-still-linked-parasite-outbreak-despite-false-positive-fda-says/?ref=foodsafetynews.com): the agency has not backed away from its conclusion that the company remains linked to this outbreak. One sample changed. Nothing else did. The recall stands. The traceback stands. The epidemiology stands — hundreds of interviews with sick people who ate the same shredded iceberg lettuce. That is what an outbreak investigation is built on. It was never built on one test. I have spent more than thirty years watching companies mistake a negative product sample for innocence. Product testing finds contamination when you are lucky. Cyclospora makes you unlucky more often than most. The oocysts are sparse, they scatter through an enormous volume of lettuce, and testing for the parasite is harder than testing for E. coli or Salmonella. The absence of a positive is not evidence of a safe product. It is evidence that you sampled the wrong bag. What deserves more attention than the retracted sample is the question of process, and CBS MoneyWatch's Megan Cerullo [got the right person to ask it](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-farms-cyclospora-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [Céline Gounder's point](https://www.celinegounder.com/p/fda-cyclospora-false-positive-taylor-farms?ref=foodsafetynews.com) was not how a lab made an error. Labs make errors, and as a laboratory event that is ordinary. Her point was why an unconfirmed single-sample result went public on a Saturday and was withdrawn on a Sunday, and whether the agency followed its own policy for announcing a presumptive positive before confirmatory testing closed. FDA did not answer CBS on that. It should answer someone. The same piece is the best short primer yet on who Taylor Farms actually is. Bruce Taylor founded it in 1995 in the Salinas Valley. It now employs 25,000 people, booked $6 billion dollars in revenue, owns Earthbound Farms, and makes forty percent of the salad kits sold in this country. It supplies Walmart, Costco, Target, Whole Foods, McDonald's and Taco Bell. Jennifer McEntire of Food Safety Strategy made the point that consumers hear the name and picture a family farm. It is not a family farm. It is one of the largest fresh-cut processors on earth, and when it has a bad week, the entire country has a bad week. **“This is not normal, and it's not acceptable.” — Jennifer McEntire** It is also not the first bad week. In 2013, Taylor Farms salad mix out of Guanajuato went to Olive Garden and Red Lobster and [sickened hundreds](https://www.cdc.gov/orr/responses/multistate-cyclospora-outbreak.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) with Cyclospora. In 2024, Taylor Farms slivered onions went onto Quarter Pounders; more than a hundred people were sickened and [one person died](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-onions-october-2024?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and FDA found dozens of violations at the plant that made them, including dirty equipment. Now it is shredded iceberg out of central Mexico. Different commodity, different plant, same company, same decade. At some point a run of bad luck stops being luck and starts being a business model. Taylor Farms has said FDA pointed to a single independent farm supplying less than one percent of the American iceberg supply. Perhaps. But a single farm can only sicken thousands of people because a company the size of Taylor Farms takes that farm's lettuce, shreds it, blends it, and moves it into the food supply of half the country inside of a week. That is not the farm's scale. That is Taylor Farms' scale. Scale is what turns a contaminated field into a national event, and scale is the company's own choice. Consumer Reports has been the most useful watchdog on the disclosure itself. Brian Ronholm, its director of food policy, [called what Taylor Farms put out thin and insufficient](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-recalls/taylor-farms-pulls-mexican-lettuce-linked-to-cyclospora-para-a7871344748/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for an outbreak this serious, and CR is pressing the company to be more forthcoming. CR also caught something worth sitting with: most of the implicated lettuce went to food service distributors — and that fact appears in FDA's version of the recall notice, not in Taylor Farms' own. It is the same pattern that has run through this entire week. The company's version of a document keeps coming out thinner than the government's version of the same document. Meanwhile the footprint keeps widening past Taco Bell. Walmart pulled four Marketside bagged iceberg products. And on Saturday, [Jack in the Box said the recalled lettuce had reached its restaurants](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/18/health/cyclospora-taylor-farms-lettuce-recall?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, swapped in another supplier, and reported no illnesses connected to its food. I have been doing this since 1993\. I did not expect to type that company's name in an outbreak story again this summer. Which brings me to the part that should worry people the longest. ms.now [asked why we know so little](https://www.ms.now/opinion/cyclospora-outbreak-cases-spreading-cdc-response?ref=foodsafetynews.com) about an outbreak this large, and the honest answer is that we cut the people whose job it is to know. Last July, CDC narrowed FoodNet — the sentinel network that flags foodborne illness early — [from eight pathogens down to two](https://wwmt.com/news/local/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-federal-cuts-staffing-public-health-weakening-response-experts-parasitic-illness-kalamazoo-county-west-michigan?ref=foodsafetynews.com), keeping Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and dropping Cyclospora altogether, citing inadequate funding. CDC's entire food safety program [received $72 million dollars](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11632-how-the-us-cyclospora-outbreak-reflects-a-strained-national-foodborne-illness-surveillance-system?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in fiscal 2024, and that one line item is supposed to cover FoodNet and the grants that pay for state epidemiology and laboratory work. At FDA, HHS moved to cut thousands of positions, [including more than 170 from the Office of Inspections and Investigations](https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/oversight-democrats-urge-hhs-secretary-rfk-jr-halt-purge-fda-staff-warn?ref=foodsafetynews.com), at an agency that in 2024 had 443 food safety inspectors for 36,600 facilities it estimates would take 1,500 inspectors to cover. Then there is the money that never reaches a federal building at all. Congressman Josh Gottheimer put the number out on Monday: HHS has [terminated 444 CDC grants worth $5.78 billion](https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-new-federal-actions-to-combat-cyclospora-other-foodborne-parasites-to-promote-food-safety?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and he says more than 4,300 people have been fired at FDA. Those grant dollars are not overhead. They go to the state and local health departments that conduct the interviews, run the stool tests, and do the shoe-leather work of an outbreak investigation. Barbara Kowalcyk at George Washington University has said plainly that [the funding cuts have affected this response](https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2026/07/13/unresolved-cyclospora-outbreak-raises-questions-over-cdc-cuts/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), because thin staffing slows the patient interviews, and every week of delay makes it harder — people stop remembering what they ate, and the food itself is long gone. Michigan's own chief medical executive told Consumer Reports the state's review is [“very, very manual,”](https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/research/cyclospora-outbreak-2026-what-consumers-need-to-know/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) run on data systems that badly need modernizing. And the one tool that would have made this traceback fast, implementation of the Food Traceability Rule requiring lot-level records, [was pushed from 2026 to 2028](https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/15/why-cyclospora-source-remains-unknown-epidemiologist-explains/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) at industry's urging and with Congress's blessing. The people who do this work for a living are saying the same thing in plainer language. Sarah Sorscher at the Center for Science in the Public Interest is careful about where the blame belongs — not on CDC's investigators, who she says are [“completely overwhelmed by the scale and scope of the work.”](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11632-how-the-us-cyclospora-outbreak-reflects-a-strained-national-foodborne-illness-surveillance-system?ref=foodsafetynews.com) Her number is the one that stayed with me: CDC filled only about 40 percent of the requests for help it received from state and local partners last year. Tom Gremillion at the Consumer Federation of America has laid out the arithmetic behind that. [CDC's workforce is down more than a quarter since January 2025](https://consumerfed.org/news/blogs/will-cyclospora-spur-a-manheda-movement/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), $11.4 billion in CDC grant money to the states was clawed back, and roughly 80 percent of CDC's domestic funding goes to state and local partners — which is why a decision made in Washington lands in a county health department in Monroe County, Michigan. The president's budget for fiscal 2027 proposes cutting CDC's discretionary funding by another 40 percent. Gremillion calls the FoodNet downgrade emblematic of a [“hear no evil, see no evil”](https://consumerfed.org/news/blogs/will-cyclospora-spur-a-manheda-movement/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) approach to disease. That is about right. The government's answer is that none of this mattered here. FDA says its outbreak-response investigators were not touched by the reductions, and a CDC official [has said the FoodNet changes did not hamper the response](https://www.semafor.com/article/07/14/2026/parasitic-infection-outbreak-exposes-deep-cracks-in-public-health?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Fine. Then explain the calendar. The first illnesses began in mid-May. Michigan announced an outbreak on July 1\. A product was not named until July 17\. That is two months in which contaminated lettuce kept moving and people kept eating it. You do not get to thin the system, defer the traceability rule that would have sped it up, cancel the grants to the states doing the interviews, and then tell the public that none of it made any difference. One more thing that deserves saying out loud. CDC and FDA have officially confirmed exactly one outbreak here — shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell in five states. That is the cluster in the CDC [investigation notice](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and on FDA's own [outbreak table](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) it carries a footnote conceding that the cluster is only a subset of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis in this country. The same table shows FDA running four other open Cyclospora investigations at the same time. And CDC's own surveillance page put the number at [1,645 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases across 34 states](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and said the agency was aware of more than 5,100 additional cases awaiting analysis. Five states and one restaurant chain is the part the government has been willing to put its name on. Several thousand more sick people are the part left unsaid. It helps to know what a normal year looks like. Over the last five seasons, CDC has counted somewhere between roughly a thousand and three thousand domestically acquired cases in an entire year — [1,024 in 2021, close to 3,000 in 2023](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11627-cdc-reports-up-to-7-000-cyclosporiasis-cases-across-us-identifies-large-midwestern-outbreak-cluster?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and [1,180 in all of 2025](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with 105 hospitalizations and no deaths across the whole country. FDA's own Cyclospora [action plan](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclospora-prevention-response-and-research-action-plan?ref=foodsafetynews.com) describes roughly 3,000 domestically acquired cases over three years. Call the recent average somewhere around 1,500 people a year. Now hold that against this season. CDC's own health advisory says it had [249 cases at this point last July and has 1,645 now](https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/notices/han00531.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — already more than the entire 2025 season, with six weeks of Cyclospora season still to run and a six-week reporting lag behind that. Michigan alone has reported more than 6,100 cases. One state, in two months, has roughly four times the number of people this country normally sees sick in a year. So here is where things actually stand. FDA says the data still converge on Taylor Farms de Mexico. The recall is still in effect. The product is still coming off shelves. And thousands of people are still sick, many of them for weeks, most of whom will never appear in anyone's official count. The lab got one sample wrong. Everything else about this outbreak is exactly as bad this morning as it was on Friday. So let me say what I want, because complaining without an ask is just noise. Restore the Microbiological Data Program. USDA ran it from 2001 until 2012 for about $5 million dollars a year. State laboratories pulled samples of high-risk produce — lettuce, spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, cantaloupe — out of commerce and tested them, and when a sample came back positive the result went straight to FDA and the states. In its last two years alone it triggered twenty-three produce recalls. It was a trip wire, it was cheap, and the produce industry [lobbied it dead in 2012](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/letter-from-the-editor-blood/) under a Democratic administration, which is why I keep saying this is not a partisan story. Fourteen years later FDA is chasing this outbreak with one border sample and no routine produce testing program to fall back on. That is not bad luck. That is a decision somebody made in 2012 and nobody has revisited since. Put the [Food Traceability Rule](https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-requirements-additional-traceability-records-certain-foods?ref=foodsafetynews.com) into force. Leafy greens are on the Food Traceability List. The rule requires lot-level records at every critical tracking event and delivery of those records to FDA within twenty-four hours of a request. Its compliance date was Jan. 20, 2026\. Read that again, because the first illnesses in this outbreak began in mid-May. Had the rule taken effect on schedule, the records that would have walked this lettuce back to a single field would have been a legal obligation four months before anyone got sick. Instead FDA proposed a thirty-month delay in March 2025, [published it that August](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/07/2025-14967/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods-compliance-date-extension?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and Congress made it binding in November, directing the agency not to enforce before July 20, 2028\. Industry asked for the delay and industry got it. We are now living inside the window that delay created, running a traceback by hand, in the exact months the rule was supposed to be doing the work. Restore the cuts. Fund FDA's human foods program and the inspectors who are supposed to walk the plants. Fund CDC, and fund the grants that pass through to the state and local health departments where the actual work happens, because that is where a federal spreadsheet turns into somebody knocking on a door. Put Cyclospora back into FoodNet along with the [five other pathogens dropped alongside it](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — Campylobacter,Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio and Yersinia. A country that stops counting a bug does not thereby have less of it. It only loses the ability to say so, which I suspect was the point. Make the bugs countable again. (MBCA hat anyone?) And stop treating public health as an expense and science as an inconvenience. The people who found this outbreak were state epidemiologists in Michigan and Ohio telephoning sick people one at a time and asking them what they ate nine days ago. They were not a line item waiting to be trimmed. They were the only reason any of us know this is happening. Every one of these asks costs less than the outbreak does. We are paying for it anyway — in hospital beds, in weeks of work nobody got back, and in a produce industry that will spend the rest of this season under suspicion because no one could say fast enough which farm it was. You can pay for surveillance, or you can pay for this. Right now, we are all paying for this. BTW – See you at [IAFP](https://www.foodprotection.org/annualmeeting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) next week in “The Big Easy.” ### Patient count in Cyclospora outbreak grows by more than 1,000 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/patient-count-in-cyclospora-outbreak-grows-by-more-than-1-000/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T00:35:49.000Z The outbreak of infections from the microscopic Cyclospora parasite continues to grow, with Michigan alone reporting an increase of more than 1,000 cases over the weekend. In relation to the outbreak, Taylor Farms has recalled all of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico. The recall includes shredded iceberg lettuce and salad mixes with iceberg lettuce in 27 states. As of July 20 public health officials in Michigan were reporting a patient count of 6,148, up from 5,002 on July 19\. Ohio is also posting high numbers with 2,029 patients reported in the Northwest region of the state as of July 20. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not updated its outbreak information for several days. The agency is still reporting only 1,644 people who had cyclosporiasis from May 13 to July 13\. The CDC report says there are patients in 34 states and that there is more than one outbreak. Overall, the agency says it is investigating 5,100 more suspected cases. Although the Taylor Farms recall includes iceberg lettuce products from several restaurant chains and Walmart and other retailers, Taco Bell is the only chain to have come forward and say that they have stopped using Taylor Farms lettuce. Michigan officials looked at 190 food exposures from Taco Bell and found that 90 percent of the people said they ate iceberg lettuce from one of the restaurants before becoming sick. The Food and Drug Administration reported finding a positive result for Cyclospora from a sample of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce. Then, on July 19, the agency walked back that report. A spokesperson for the agency said during a media briefing that the nature of the parasite makes testing difficult. The official said the difficulty of testing for Cyclospora on produce is partly because small amounts of it on fruits and vegetables can cause illness, but tests might not be sensitive enough to detect it. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Without treatment, symptoms may last two weeks, however, it is not unusual for symptoms to come back and last for a month or more. ### Dried meat behind Australian Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/dried-meat-behind-australian-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T06:19:37.000Z *This is part 1 of a 3-part series.* --- An unlicensed meat producer and poor hygiene at a restaurant played a role in a Salmonella outbreak in an Australian state, according to researchers. Salmonella Reading is uncommon in Australia with a range of 102 to 137 notifications per year from 2017 to 2022. In July 2023, 23 Salmonella Reading cases were identified in New South Wales (NSW) compared with a monthly average of two. Interviews found that most patients shared the same cultural background and reported dining at one restaurant or consuming a dried meat product purchased from South Asian grocery stores. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Four emerging risks identified in EFSA report URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/four-emerging-risks-identified-in-efsa-report/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T04:01:10.000Z Bongkrekic acid and the illegal use of a substance to give the appearance of fish freshness were examples of emerging risks discussed in a recent report about problems in Europe in 2025. A total of 55 topics were considered, of which 43 were analyzed in-depth and 25 were considered relevant for the Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN) and the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks. Four issues were identified as emerging risks, while several others required further information. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Scientists expand list of infant formula hazards URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/scientists-expand-list-of-infant-formula-hazards/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T04:04:04.000Z Recent illnesses highlight the need to include Clostridium botulinum spores and cereulide toxin as relevant hazards in powdered infant formula, according to scientists. Ingestion of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT)-producing clostridial spores can result in infant botulism. Cereulide production during the manufacture of arachidonic acid (ARA) oil, an optional ingredient in infant formula, has also been linked to illness. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Greece reports Salmonella outbreak and 2025 figures URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/greece-reports-salmonella-outbreak-and-2025-figures/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T04:03:47.000Z A Salmonella outbreak has sickened about 20 people in a region of Greece. The Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY) is helping local authorities investigate the outbreak in Lamia. EODY was informed about salmonellosis cases by the local hospital in Lamia earlier this month. Authorities have advised people in Lamia to avoid eating chicken until more information is known and the source is confirmed, with laboratory testing ongoing. A dozen patients are younger than 30 years old. Interviewed cases reported having chicken at different outlets before getting ill with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. **Broader analysis** EODY recently published data on the number of [outbreaks in Greece from 2004 to 2025](https://www.eody.gov.gr/images/Epidemiological%5Fdata%5Ffor%5Ffwd%5Fclusters-outbreaksGreece2004-2025f.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In 2025, 58 foodborne outbreaks or clusters were reported. Salmonella was responsible for 34 outbreaks while 13 were linked to other bacteria. Viruses, such as hepatitis A virus, norovirus and rotavirus, caused four outbreaks, and one was because of a parasite. An analytical epidemiological case-control study was conducted for a norovirus outbreak that sickened 62 people. It was traced to tap water. Salmonellosis was the second most frequently reported foodborne disease in 2025, following campylobacteriosis. The number of Salmonella infections decreased compared to 2024 from 1,053 to 929\. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most common type followed by Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Bovismorbificans. In 2025, there were 21 Listeria infections recorded, compared to 26 in 2024. From 2004 to 2025, the highest mean annual notification rate was recorded among individuals aged older than 65, followed by those aged up to 4 years old. Overall, 157 cases were immunocompromised, 10 were pregnant and 12 were newborns with vertically acquired infection. Four miscarriages and 15 premature births were reported. During the same period, 68 deaths were observed. ### FDA warns three importers about food safety failures URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-warns-three-importers-about-food-safety-failures/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T04:02:38.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The FDA has issued warning letters to three food importers in Florida, Iowa and Texas after inspectors found they failed to develop required Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs) for imported foods. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Dark kitchen research reveals areas of concern URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/dark-kitchen-research-reveals-areas-of-concern/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T04:01:30.000Z Hygiene and allergen concerns have been raised as part of research into delivery-only food firms operating through online platforms. Dark kitchens are businesses that offer food for delivery through online orders. There are concerns about the impact of these outlets, with a lack of guidelines, regulations and oversight of the sector, according to researchers at Sheffield Hallam University. Dark kitchens operate from a variety of premises, including converted industrial units, shipping containers, commercial kitchens rented by the hour, and spaces in hotels, pubs, or stadiums. Some are purpose-built for delivery platforms, while others use shared spaces or are temporarily rented out to different brands. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA says Cyclospora test on lettuce from Taylor Farms was a false positive; outbreak investigation ongoing URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-says-cyclospora-test-on-lettuce-from-taylor-farms-was-a-false-positive-outbreak-investigation-ongoing/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:54:24.000Z The FDA has announced that its finding that Taylor Farms lettuce from Mexico was tainted with the microscopic Cyclospora parasite was a false positive. The agency issued the update late this afternoon and said its investigation into the large outbreak of Cyclospora infections is continuing. “Due to the complexity in detection of Cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and have concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive,” the Food and Drug Administration said in its investigation outbreak posted July 19. Thousands have been sickened in the outbreak and Taylor Farms continues to recall its shredded iceberg lettuce and salad kits containing iceberg lettuce. All of the recalled iceberg lettuce was sourced from central Mexico for the U.S. market. Taylor Fresh Foods’ recall notice included Marketside-brand products available at Walmart stores. The recall also includes products distributed to a wide variety of food service operations, including Taco Bell restaurants in several states. There is concern that consumers may have the recalled products in their homes because of their long shelf life, which reaches to Aug. 3\. Recalled consumer products, including Marketside brand products sold at Walmart stores, are as follows: - 12-oz and 24-oz Iceberg Salad with Best if Used By dates 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026 - 8-oz and 16-oz Shredded Lettuce with Best if Used By dates July 18th to Aug 3rd 2026 A complete list of affected products distributed to Taylor Fresh Foods food service customers including lot codes, use-by dates, and instructions for returning or disposing of the affected product is available on the company’s [recall notice](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-iceberg-lettuce-central-mexico-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Taylor Fresh Foods distributed recalled iceberg products to food service operator Sysco Foods — which is the largest food service supplier in the United States — and directly to other food service customers from June 29 through July 16 in AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WI. Recalled Marketside-brand iceberg products were sold at Walmart stores in: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX, VA, WV. Taco Bell locations that received recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico includes restaurants in at least IN, KY, MI, OH, and WV. Additional states may be added to the FDA’s advisory as more information becomes available. Taco Bell has indicated they are no longer using lettuce from the Taylor Farms growing operation in Mexico. Taylor Farms has not revealed what other restaurant chains received the recalled lettuce. The health department in Michigan reported on July 17 that the state has 5,002 patients with 102 hospitalizations. By this time of year, Michigan usually has 40 to 50 confirmed cases of confirmed cyclospora infections. Indiana is reporting more than 320 patients; Kentucky is reporting more than 190; Ohio is reporting more than 1,240; and West Virginia is reporting 139 cases. As of July 17, the CDC was reporting only 1,644 people infected with Cyclosporaand reporting exposure to Taco Bell, with the infections in only five states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 13 to July 13\. The CDC is also investigating cyclospora parasitic infections in a total of 34 states. The agency says there is likely more than one outbreak and it is investigating 5,100 additional illnesses. Numbers from the CDC are lagging behind state reports because the agency stopped tracking cyclospora infections and seven other types of foodborne pathogens beginning July 1, 2025. The main symptom of cyclospora infection is severe diarrhea, which can last for a month or more if not treated and can easily cause serious dehydration. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery and often explosive diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. ### Publisher's Platform: Reap What You Sow URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-reap-what-you-sow/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:54:49.000Z On July 1, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [cut](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10646-cdc-slashes-foodnet-surveillance-from-eight-foodborne-pathogens-to-two?ref=foodsafetynews.com) its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network from eight pathogens down to two. FoodNet kept Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. It dropped Campylobacter, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia — and Cyclospora. The reason given was money. Twelve months and eighteen days later, the largest Cyclospora outbreak in American history began showing up in Michigan emergency rooms. Nobody could count it. CDC has confirmed 1,644 cases tied to Taco Bell in five states. Michigan alone reports more than 5,000\. Nationally we are somewhere past 9,000 confirmed or probable in 2026 against 2,700 for all of 2025, and the honest answer is that nobody knows, because on July 1 of last year we stopped looking. I want to be careful here, because the easy version of this story is wrong. This is not a Republican story. It is not a Democratic story. It is a story about an industry that spent fourteen years dismantling the tools that would have protected it, under presidents of both parties, and is now standing in the wreckage wondering why nobody can tell whose lettuce quickly made people sick. Start in 2012\. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ran a program called the Microbiological Data Program. It cost about $5 million a year. State laboratories sampled high-risk produce already moving through commerce — lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe, sprouts, tomatoes — and when a lab found a pathogen it told FDA, CDC and state health officials immediately. From 2002 to 2011 it ran 120,887 samples in 42 states. In 2010 and 2011 alone it triggered 23 produce recalls, 15 of them involving people who were already sick. It was a trip wire. President Obama zeroed it out in the fiscal year 2013 budget. Rosa DeLauro grilled Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about it in February 2012 and got an answer about the program not fitting the mission of the Agricultural Marketing Service. And my friend Dan Flynn wrote a column about it at Food Safety News under a one-word headline: [Blood](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/05/letter-from-the-editor-blood/). His first line was that “Big Fresh has the blood on its hands.” Big Fresh was the United Fresh Produce Association, and Dan gave its paid lobbyists the credit for the kill. Fourteen years later, United Fresh no longer exists as such — it merged into the International Fresh Produce Association in 2022\. The lobbying does not disappear when the letterhead changes. Read what Dan wrote in 2012 and then read the news this month. He said killing the MDP would leave FDA, CDC and state health departments in the dark about the incidence of pathogens in fresh produce. That is not analysis anymore. That is a description of July 2026. In December 2024, under the Biden administration, FDA moved to cut funding for state and local food safety programs — the programs that perform half of all food processing facility inspections, ninety percent of produce safety inspections and every single retail inspection in this country. Four Democratic senators, Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Tina Smith and Cory Booker, [wrote to object](https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-joins-blumenthal-smith-and-booker-to-call-out-fda-for-proposed-cuts-to-state%5Flocal-food-safety-programs?ref=foodsafetynews.com). They warned the cuts would undo years of progress toward an integrated food safety system. They were ignored. Then in February and April of 2025 the DOGE/Trump layoffs came, and food safety staff at FDA and CDC were [among the losses](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11004-a-2025-timeline-of-us-federal-food-safety-changes-under-the-trump-admin?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In March 2025 FDA announced it would push the Food Traceability Rule out thirty months. On July 1 FoodNet dropped *Cyclospora*. In November Congress made the traceability delay binding through July 20, 2028\. And STAT reported in December that state health departments, which do most of the initial work on foodborne illness, are so dependent on federal block grants that [nobody can even follow the money](https://www.statnews.com/2025/12/22/american-food-safety-funding-cuts-foodnet/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to measure what was lost. Three administrations. Both parties. One direction. And the industry was not a bystander to the last piece of it. FMI called the Food Traceability Rule “overly complex” and said its requirements were [so burdensome as to not be achievable](https://www.supermarketperimeter.com/articles/11248-proposed-law-would-redefine-fsma-204-rollout?ref=foodsafetynews.com) with available technology. When the thirty-month delay came, FMI [applauded](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10245-fda-delays-fsma-204-traceability-rule-compliance-date-by-30-months?ref=foodsafetynews.com) it. The National Grocers Association applauded it. The Global Cold Chain Alliance said it was [encouraged by this delay](https://www.gcca.org/news-announcements/fda-announces-intention-to-delay-fsma-204-compliance-date/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In 2024 three members of Congress introduced a bill, backed by FMI and NGA, that would have [gone further](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/9489-legislation-would-delay-fsma-204-compliance-date-ease-retailer-recordkeeping-requirements?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — delaying compliance again and stripping lot-code requirements from restaurants, retail stores and warehouses outright. The [Safe Food Coalition](https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Safe-Food-Coalition-comments-on-traceability-delay-proposal-9-8-25.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) fought the delay and lost. So did the Center for Science in the Public Interest. So here is the ledger. The produce lobby killed the only program testing produce for pathogens. Surveillance for this specific parasite was switched off a year before this specific outbreak. The rule that would let anyone trace a bag of shredded lettuce to a field in twenty-four hours was pushed to 2028, with industry cheering. And every one of those was framed as relief — from burden, from cost, from complexity. Now look at what that relief bought. It took FDA until July 16 to name the food. Illnesses started May 13\. When FDA finally published a [recall notice](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-iceberg-lettuce-central-mexico-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com), it contained no lot codes and identified customers as CV, JB, MARK, MKTSD, PK, SUB, SY and TF. A positive sample turned up at the border, and FDA [reported](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-5-state-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that the contaminated lot was not part of the recall and might be in commerce or in people’s homes — and nobody could say where it went, because nobody is required to be able to say. Meanwhile grocery stores pulled bags, Sysco pulled product, a national chain pulled an ingredient from every restaurant it operates, and consumers across thirty-four states quietly stopped buying salad. That is the part I do not think the industry has understood yet. Traceability is not a tax on the innocent. It is the only thing that protects them. When you can name the grower in a day, one farm takes the loss. When you cannot, the whole category takes it — every clean operation in Salinas and Yuma, every grower who did everything right, every processor with a spotless record. LGMA is fond of pointing out that California and Arizona grow about ninety percent of America’s lettuce. That is exactly the problem. When the source cannot be identified, ninety percent of the lettuce is the suspect. You cannot lobby away the pathogen. You can only lobby away the ability to find it. And when you succeed, you do not stop being blamed — you just lose the evidence that would have cleared you. I said in my [last post](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/i-wrote-back-to-western-growers-about-cyclospora-then-i-read-what-everyone-else-in-the-industry-said/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that I would rather work with these organizations than shout at them, and I meant it. So let me say the constructive version. Restore national *Cyclospora* surveillance and put it in the water where the parasite actually lives. Restore the state and local inspection funding that two administrations cut. Rebuild something like the MDP — a five-million-dollar trip wire is the cheapest insurance policy this industry will ever be offered. And stop fighting FSMA 204\. Get it in force on the original schedule and be loud about it, because the next time this happens, the rule you called unachievable is the only thing standing between one bad lot and your entire crop. Fourteen years ago, the produce lobby decided it did not want anyone testing its lettuce. This summer it got a look at the world it asked for. You reaped what you sowed. It is time to plant something better. ### Sunday Edition: Regenerative Agriculture URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/sunday-edition-regenerative-agriculture/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:55:26.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week** - A cyclosporiasis outbreak that has affected more than 5,000 people has been traced to [iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/company-admits-its-lettuce-is-cause-of-cyclospora-outbreak/) in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. The lettuce was supplied by Taylor Farms, which traced it to a source in Mexico. At least 102 people have been hospitalized, and public health officials warn that the actual number of people dealing with the parasite [could be much higher](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/infections-from-cyclospora-parasite-continue-sharp-increases/). - Among EU member states, many national authorities report challenges associated with [implementing controls related to food safety culture](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/eu-countries-struggling-with-food-safety-culture-controls/). Such controls have been required under European Union legislation since 2021\. Some countries report they are implementing the controls under current systems, while others say such controls are time-consuming, ineffective and inefficient. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued [a letter to the infant formula industry](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-letter-reinforces-responsibilities-of-infant-formula-supply-chain/) calling on manufacturers to reduce the risk of contaminated ingredients entering the formula supply. Packagers, distributors, exporters, importers and retailers also have roles to play when it comes to identifying and addressing potential contamination. Two recent outbreaks of botulism were traced to infant formula that used contaminated powdered milk. More than fifty infants were affected. - A [major E. coli outbreak sickened almost 500 people in Germany](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/major-german-e-coli-outbreak-sickened-almost-500/) in the latter part of 2025\. Three people died, including a 7-year-old boy. Patients were concentrated in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Nordrhein-Westfalen regions. Authorities have not been able to identify a specific food item responsible for the outbreak. --- _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA confirms that Taylor Farms lettuce is contaminated with parasite behind massive outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-confirms-that-taylor-farms-lettuce-is-contaminated-with-parasite-behind-massive-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:57:51.000Z The FDA has confirmed that shredded iceberg lettuce and salad kits containing iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms is contaminated with the cyclospora parasite responsible for an outbreak that has sickened thousands. On July 18 the Food and Drug Administration reported that Taylor Farms de Mexico of Guanajuato, Mexico, is recalling all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. Taylor Fresh Foods’ recall notice included Marketside-brand products available at Walmart stores. The recall also includes products distributed to a wide variety of food service operations, including Taco Bell restaurants in several states. There is concern that consumers may have the recalled products in their homes because of their long shelf life, which reaches to Aug. 3\. Recalled consumer products, including Marketside brand products sold at Walmart stores, are as follows: - 12-oz and 24-oz Iceberg Salad with Best if Used By dates 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026 - 8-oz and 16-oz Shredded Lettuce with Best if Used By dates July 18th to Aug 3rd 2026 A complete list of affected products distributed to Taylor Fresh Foods food service customers including lot codes, use-by dates, and instructions for returning or disposing of the affected product is available on the company’s [recall notice](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-iceberg-lettuce-central-mexico-because-possible-health-risk?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The FDA, CDC and state health departments have been investigating a massive outbreak of cyclospora infections that began in mid-June. On July 18 the FDA announced that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico tested positive for Cyclospora. The sample was collected during targeted import surveillance as a result of the outbreak investigation. Taylor Farms has confirmed that this positive product is not part of their current recall. They are currently working to identify whether any part of this implicated lot is available in commerce or in consumers homes. The positive lot is currently detained and more information will be provided as it becomes available. Taylor Fresh Foods distributed recalled iceberg products from June 29 through July 16 in AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WI. Recalled Marketside-brand iceberg products were sold at Walmart stores in: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX, VA, WV. Taco Bell locations that received recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico includes restaurants in at least IN, KY, MI, OH, and WV. Additional states may be added to the FDA’s advisory as more information becomes available. Taco Bell has indicated they are no longer using lettuce from the Taylor Farms growing operation in Mexico. The health department in Michigan reported on July 17 that the state has 5,002 patients with 102 hospitalizations. By this time of year, Michigan usually has 40 to 50 confirmed cases of confirmed cyclospora infections. Indiana is reporting more than 320 patients; Kentucky is reporting more than 190; Ohio is reporting more than 1,240; and West Virginia is reporting 139 cases. As of July 17, the CDC was reporting only 1,644 people infected with Cyclosporaand reporting exposure to Taco Bell, with the infections in only five states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 13 to July 13\. The CDC is also investigating cyclospora parasitic infections in a total of 34 states. The agency says there is likely more than one outbreak and it is investigating 5,100 additional illnesses. Numbers from the CDC are lagging behind state reports because the agency stopped tracking cyclospora infections and seven other types of foodborne pathogens beginning July 1, 2025. The main symptom of cyclospora infection is severe diarrhea, which can last for a month or more if not treated and can easily cause serious dehydration. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery and often explosive diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Recalled Taylor Farms products are as follows: | **Brand** | **Segment** | **Description** | **Best if Used By** | | --------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- | | CV | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 50/50 NOCLR 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | CV | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 80/20 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/2/2026 | | CV | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 80/20 WITH SEP BAGGIES 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | CV | Food Service | LETTUCE CHOP 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | CV | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD MIX 4/5# | 7/17/2026- 7/25/2026 | | CV | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD WITH SEP BAG 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | CV | Food Service | LETTUCE SHRED 1/4" 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/2/2026 | | JB | Food Service | 1/8" SHRED LETTUCE 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 7/30/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 80/20 4/5# | 7/21/2026- 7/29/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 80/20 WITH SEP BAGGIES 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | LETTUCE CHOP 4/5# | 7/18/2026- 7/30/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD MIX 4/5# | 7/21/2026- 7/29/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD WITH SEP BAG 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | LETTUCE SHRED 1/4" 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 50/50 NOCLR 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 7/29/2026 | | MARK | Food Service | LETTUCE SHRED 3/8" 4/5# | 7/21/2026, 7/28/2026 | | MKTSD | Retail | Iceberg Salad 12 oz, 24 oz | 7/18/2026 to 8/3/2026 | | MKTSD | Retail | Shredded Lettuce 8 oz, 16 oz | July 18th to Aug 3rd 2026 | | PK | Food Service | LETTUCE SHRED 1/8" 4/5# | 7/16/2026, 7/20/2026, 7/25/2026, 7/28/2026, 7/30/2026 | | PK | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD W/BAG 4/5# | 7/18/2026- 8/1/2026 | | SUB | Food Service | SHRED LETTUCE 1/4" 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 7/31/2026 | | SY | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 50/50 NOCLR 4/5# | 7/18/2026, 7/21/2026, 7/29/2026, 8/1/2026 | | SY | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 80/20 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/3/2026 | | SY | Food Service | LETTUCE CHOP 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/3/2026 | | SY | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD MIX 4/5# | 7/21/2026- 8/3/2026 | | SY | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD WITH SEP BAG 4/5# | 7/16/2026 -8/3/2026 | | SY | Food Service | LETTUCE SHRED 1/8" 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/3/2026 | | SY | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 70/30 NOCOLR 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 7/30/2026 | | TF | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 80/20 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/3/2026 | | TF | Food Service | LETTUCE CHOP 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 7/31/2026 | | TF | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD MIX 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | TF | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 50/50 NOCLR 4/5# | 7/19/2026- 8/3/2026 | | TF | Food Service | LETTUCE SALAD W/BAG 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/1/2026 | | TF | Food Service | BLEND LETT/ROM 70/30 NOCOLR 4/5# | 7/16/2026- 8/3/2026 | | TF | Food Service | LETTUCE CHOP 1X1" 4/4# | 7/16/2026- 8/3/2026 | ### Publisher’s Platform: The Largest Foodborne Outbreaks of the Last Fifty Years. Now Count the Sick with Cyclospora in Michigan. URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-largest-foodborne-outbreaks-of-the-last-fifty-years-now-count-the-sick-with-cyclospora-in-michigan/ Last updated: 2026-07-18T15:41:37.000Z Every summer somebody asks me what the biggest foodborne illness outbreak in American history was, and every summer I have to answer the question with a question: biggest how? Because "largest" is doing at least four different jobs. There is the outbreak that made the most people sick. There is the outbreak that killed the most people. There is the outbreak that pulled the most product off the most shelves. And there is the outbreak that actually changed something. Those are four different lists, and the same outbreak almost never tops more than one of them. Thirty-three years of this work has taught me that the gap between those lists is the whole story. So here is the catalogue, as complete as I can make it, with the numbers as the agencies and the journals finally settled them rather than as the headlines first reported them. Read it with the *Cyclospora* outbreak we are living through right now held in your other hand. **Largest by the number of people made sick** **Schwan's ice cream, 1994\.** *Salmonella* Enteritidis. Marshall, Minnesota. This is still the largest common-source *Salmonella* outbreak ever recognized in the United States, and almost nobody remembers it. The [New England Journal of Medicine investigation](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199605163342001?ref=foodsafetynews.com) estimated that 224,000 people nationwide developed salmonellosis after eating Schwan's ice cream, with a consumer attack rate of 6.6 percent. The vehicle was not the ice cream itself but the premix: tanker trailers hauled the pasteurized base to the Marshall plant after hauling unpasteurized liquid egg, and nobody re-pasteurized after transport. Investigators isolated the outbreak strain from 8 of 266 ice cream products but from none of the 157 environmental samples taken inside the plant and none of the 204 taken from the tankers. In 1994 the CDC logged 10,009 *Salmonella* Enteritidis reports nationally, a 21 percent jump over the year before, and this single product was a meaningful share of it. I was asked to take those cases. I turned them down. In the fall of 1994, I was up to my eyeballs in Jack in the Box, and I did not have another 224,000-person outbreak in me. It is the only time I have ever passed on the largest outbreak in the country, and I have thought about it more than once since. **Hillfarm Dairy and Jewel Food Stores, 1985\.** *Salmonella* Typhimurium, antimicrobial-resistant. Melrose Park, Illinois. Two separate waves of illness, more than 16,000 culture-confirmed cases, traced to two brands of *pasteurized* two-percent milk from a single dairy plant. Two independent surveys estimated the true number of people affected at [168,791 and 197,581](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8609944/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which by the estimated count makes it the largest outbreak of salmonellosis ever identified in this country. Illness was associated with having taken antimicrobials before onset — the resistant strain had a clear field. A pasteurized product, from a licensed plant, in a major grocery chain. That was the point of the story then and it is the point now. **Sakai City, Japan, 1996\.** *E. coli* O157:H7\. White radish sprouts from a single farm, served in school lunches. The [World Health Organization reported](https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/1996%5F08%5F28-en?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that as of August 26, 1996 the Sakai outbreak had affected 6,309 schoolchildren and 92 school staff across 62 municipal elementary schools, with roughly 160 additional cases mostly among family members. Hospitalizations peaked at 534 on July 18\. Hemolytic uremic syndrome peaked at 101 cases on July 24\. Two girls, ages 10 and 12, were dead by the end of August. Nationwide, Japan logged 9,578 O157:H7 cases and 11 deaths that summer; the CDC counted [roughly 10,000 cases across at least 14 separate clusters](https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/5/3/99-0313%5Farticle?ref=foodsafetynews.com) between May and August, most of them in school-age children. Japanese accounts have since revised the Sakai figure upward to 9,523 sick, including 7,892 elementary schoolchildren, with 12 deaths overall. The [epidemiology](https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/150/8/787/101485?ref=foodsafetynews.com) is worth reading in full: sprouts were the only uncooked food common to the implicated meals in two school districts, and the same farm's sprouts were tied to a factory cafeteria outbreak in Kyoto 50 kilometers away. One of the Sakai children died of the sequelae of her infection twenty years later. **China, 2008\.** Melamine, not a pathogen — which is exactly why it belongs on this list. Melamine was deliberately added to diluted raw milk at collection stations to inflate the apparent protein content, and it ended up in infant formula. The Chinese Ministry of Health confirmed [294,000 cases and six deaths](https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.0900949?ref=foodsafetynews.com) as of December 1, 2008, out of 22.4 million children screened, with roughly 51,900 hospitalized for kidney stones and renal injury. Twenty-two dairy companies were implicated, with the Sanlu Group at the center. It remains the largest deliberate food contamination event ever documented, and the largest food safety event of any kind in the last fifty years by number of people harmed. **Shanghai, 1988\.** Hepatitis A virus in raw clams. This is the largest food-associated outbreak of any kind ever recorded, and it barely appears in American food safety writing. Clams harvested from a newly opened, sewage-polluted bed were shipped into a city where most young adults had no immunity, and were eaten raw or barely cooked. The published epidemiology counts [292,301 cases at an attack rate of 4,083 per 100,000](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1658157/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) over roughly two months in the first quarter of 1988\. Among people who ate clams the attack rate was 11.93 percent; among those who did not, 0.52 percent. [Forty-seven people died](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10870174/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with elevated mortality among patients who were already hepatitis B positive. It remains [the largest virus-associated foodborne outbreak ever reported](https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/aem.01177-09?ref=foodsafetynews.com). One contaminated harvest area, one uncooked shellfish habit, and a quarter of a million people with hepatitis in eight weeks. **Deadliest** **South Africa, 2017–18\.** *Listeria monocytogenes* sequence type 6 in polony, a ready-to-eat processed meat, made at the Enterprise Foods plant in Polokwane, owned by Tiger Brands. Between January 1, 2017 and July 17, 2018 South Africa recorded [1,060 laboratory-confirmed cases and 216 deaths](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/09/south-africa-declares-end-to-largest-ever-listeria-outbreak/). Nothing else in the history of foodborne illness comes close: it is the largest and deadliest listeriosis outbreak ever documented anywhere in the world, in a country that had previously logged 60 to 80 cases a year. [Neonates 28 days old or younger accounted for 43 percent of the cases](https://marlerclark.com/news%5Fevents/the-worlds-largest-and-deadliest-listeria-outbreak-is-turning-4-in-march?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and among the 806 patients whose outcome was known, 27 percent died. Whole genome sequencing did the work: 91 percent of clinical isolates were ST6, matching isolates from the polony and from swabs of the factory environment, and inspections of all 157 ready-to-eat meat facilities in the country found ST6 in exactly one of them. When the health minister named the plant, the Tiger Brands share price fell seven percent, and the chief executive told the room there was no direct link between any death and his company's products, then declined to apologize. [Our firm has assisted the South African class action](https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/25/world/listeriosis-outbreak-south-africa-tiger-brands-intl?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Nine years on, the claimants have not been compensated. Two hundred sixteen people. **Jalisco Mexican Products, 1985\.** *Listeria monocytogenes* in Mexican-style fresh soft cheese, Artesia, California. Still the deadliest listeriosis outbreak in American history. In Los Angeles County alone, [142 cases were reported](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3137471/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) between January 1 and August 15, 1985\. Ninety-three of them — 65.5 percent — were in pregnant women or their infants. There were 48 deaths in the county series: 20 fetuses, 10 newborns, and 18 nonpregnant adults, with the commonly cited national total at 52\. Eighty-seven percent of the maternal and neonatal cases were in Hispanic families. This was the outbreak that taught American public health what *Listeria* does to pregnancy, and it is the reason every obstetrician in the country now hands out a list of cheeses to avoid. **Bil Mar Foods and Sara Lee, 1998–99\.** *Listeria monocytogenes* in hot dogs and deli meats out of Zeeland, Michigan. One hundred one illnesses, 21 deaths, and six miscarriages or stillbirths. The [CDC isolated the outbreak strain](https://archive.cdc.gov/www%5Fcdc%5Fgov/media/pressrel/r990114.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com) from both an opened and a previously unopened package of hot dogs made at the plant. The recall began at 15 million pounds in December 1998 and grew to 35 million — Ball Park, Bil Mar, Bryan, Grillmaster, Hygrade, Mr. Turkey, Sara Lee. The likely mechanism was mundane and awful: a refrigeration unit was removed from the building in sections, and moving the pieces appears to have spread *Listeria* through the plant. A federal meat inspector later told investigators that [management knew of elevated Listeria levels about eight months before the outbreak](https://cbsnews.com/news/meat-scandal-at-sara-lee?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and shipped anyway. Bil Mar pleaded to a single misdemeanor count in 2001: a $200,000 fine and $3 million for food safety research at Michigan State. Twenty-one people, $200,000. **Maple Leaf Foods, 2008\.** *Listeria monocytogenes* in cold cuts from the Bartor Road plant in North York, Toronto — establishment 97B. [Fifty-seven confirmed cases and 23 deaths](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%5FCanada%5Flisteriosis%5Foutbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com), though the figure is reported variously as 22, 23, or 24 depending on whether you are reading the Weatherill inquiry, the Public Health Agency, or the peer-reviewed paper, which put it at [24 deaths among 57 cases — a 42 percent case fatality rate](https://www.barfblog.com/2015/08/57-sick-including-24-dead-in-2008-maple-leaf-listeria-outbreak-the-scientific-paper/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). Seventy-two percent of the people infected were residents of long-term care facilities or hospital inpatients at the time of exposure, which is the whole tragedy of *Listeria* in one statistic: it finds the people least able to survive it. The organism was traced to organic material lodged deep inside two meat slicers on lines 8 and 9, surviving a sanitation regime that met the equipment manufacturer's own specifications. Maple Leaf recalled every product made at the facility — more than 200 items — and closed the plant. Michael McCain went in front of the cameras and said his company's products had been linked to illness and loss of life, offered his sympathies to the families, and did not route it through counsel. It is still taught as the model of how to answer for an outbreak, and it stands in useful contrast to the Tiger Brands press conference above. It did not save the plant from [CFIA inspectors finding mold, slime and rusty equipment there a month after it reopened](https://www.cbc.ca/news/listeriosis-outbreak-timeline-1.694467?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **Jensen Farms, 2011\.** *Listeria monocytogenes* in whole cantaloupe marketed as Rocky Ford, grown at Holly, Colorado and packed at Granada. The CDC's final tally was [147 cases in 28 states, 143 hospitalizations, 33 deaths and one miscarriage](https://marlerclark.com/news%5Fevents/colorado-listeria-outbreak-traced-to-cantaloupe?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with Colorado carrying 40 of the illnesses and nine of the deaths. It was polyclonal — four, later five, distinct PFGE patterns across serotypes 1/2a and 1/2b, which is not how a single-point contamination behaves and tells you the organism had multiple niches in that building. The FDA found used equipment bought in July 2011 that had previously run a different commodity, corroded and hard to clean, floors that pooled water, and no antimicrobial wash on the melons. Roughly 300,000 cantaloupes shipped between July 29 and September 10 to at least 24 states. In 2013 Eric and Ryan Jensen were [charged with six counts of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/3308-jensen-farms-owners-charged-in-2011-outbreak-of-listeriosis-from-cantaloupe?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — strict-liability misdemeanors under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, no proof of intent required. I represented families in this one. Thirty-three people died and the brothers got probation and home detention. **Germany, 2011\.** *E. coli* O104:H4 in fenugreek sprouts grown from Egyptian seed. The Robert Koch Institute's final accounting was [855 HUS cases and 2,987 cases of EHEC gastroenteritis without HUS](https://edoc.rki.de/bitstream/handle/176904/163/23NXL3JomOyAA.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y&ref=foodsafetynews.com) — 3,842 in Germany, with the broader European figure usually given as 3,950 — and 53 deaths, 35 of them among the HUS patients. It remains [the largest HUS outbreak ever described anywhere in the world](https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/food-safety/assessment-of-microbial-risks-in-foods/foodborne-disease-outbreaks/ehec-outbreak-2011/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). What made it strange was the demographics: median age 46 among the gastroenteritis cases and 42 among the HUS cases, with 68 percent of HUS patients female. HUS is supposed to be a disease of small children. This was an adult epidemic, and the strain was a hybrid — Shiga toxin from enterohemorrhagic *E. coli* bolted onto the adherence machinery of enteroaggregative *E. coli*. Investigators worked backward through [41 separate outbreak clusters](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1106482?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to a single horticultural operation in Lower Saxony. They never isolated the organism from the seed. **Boar's Head, 2024\.** *Listeria monocytogenes* in liverwurst and deli meats from Jarratt, Virginia. [Sixty-one people sick in 19 states, 60 of them hospitalized, ten dead](https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — the deadliest listeriosis outbreak since Jensen Farms. The company recalled [more than seven million pounds](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co--expands-recall-ready-eat-meat-and-poultry-products-due?ref=foodsafetynews.com) across 71 products after contamination was found on a pallet jack moving between the raw and ready-to-eat sides of the plant. USDA inspectors had logged 69 regulatory violations at that facility between August 2023 and August 2024, documenting black mold, mildew, insects, and blood pooling on the floor. The plant is closed. Liverwurst production ended permanently. I am still working these cases. **Largest by recall and market disruption** **Peanut Corporation of America, 2008–09\.** *Salmonella* Typhimurium in peanut butter and peanut paste from Blakely, Georgia. [Seven hundred fourteen cases in 46 states](https://marlerclark.com/news%5Fevents/peanut-butter-salmonella-outbreak-08-09?ref=foodsafetynews.com), 166 hospitalizations, nine deaths. The illness count is not what makes this the recall of the era. PCA sold an *ingredient*, so the contamination propagated into [3,918 recalled products from more than 200 manufacturers](https://www.outbreakmuseum.com/salmonella/peanut-corporation-of-america-pca/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — crackers, cookies, ice cream, pet treats, school snacks — and the FDA had to stand up a searchable website because the recall list was too long to communicate any other way. PCA's customers put their losses at roughly $144 million. The company filed Chapter 7 within weeks. Then something happened that had never happened before: the government tried a food poisoning case to verdict. Stewart Parnell was convicted on 71 counts including conspiracy, obstruction, and wire fraud, and sentenced to 28 years; his brother Michael got 20\. We filed nine lawsuits and represented over 100 clients, and two of our families testified before the House Oversight and Investigations subcommittee in February 2009. **Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, 2010\.** *Salmonella* Enteritidis in shell eggs from Iowa. 1,939 confirmed cases and no confirmed deaths, but the FDA estimated the real number in the tens of thousands, and the [recall reached about 550 million eggs](https://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/wright-county-eggs-tale-of-woe-a-timeline/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — 380 million from Wright County Egg, 170 million from Hillandale. Congressional investigators later found that Wright County Egg had received [426 positive Salmonella results between 2008 and 2010](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg78134/html/CHRG-111hhrg78134.htm?ref=foodsafetynews.com), including 73 potentially positive for Enteritidis, one of them on July 26, less than three weeks before the recall. Jack DeCoster had been designated a habitual violator of Iowa environmental law in 2000\. When the two men were called before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one refused to answer and the other took the Fifth. We filed the first lawsuit in the outbreak on August 17, 2010. **Dole and Natural Selection Foods, 2006\.** *E. coli* O157:H7 in prepackaged baby spinach out of San Juan Bautista, California. The CDC's count was [199 confirmed cases in 26 states, 102 hospitalized, 31 with HUS, three dead](https://archive.cdc.gov/www%5Fcdc%5Fgov/ecoli/2006/spinach-10-2006.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com); the final FDA and California report put the illness figure at 205\. Two elderly adults and a two-year-old with HUS died. The [traceback landed on the Paicines Ranch in San Benito County](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/foodborne-disease/fda-releases-final-report-spinach-e-coli-outbreak?ref=foodsafetynews.com), where investigators found the outbreak strain in river water, in cattle feces, and in feral pig feces, with a grass-fed cattle operation less than a mile from the spinach field. The market effect was total: there were no fresh spinach sales anywhere in the United States for five days, and California spinach stayed off the market for ten days after that. I represented 93 people in that outbreak. It produced the [California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement](https://marlerclark.com/news%5Fevents/dole-spinach-e-coli-outbreak-nationwide?ref=foodsafetynews.com), which was the industry's answer to being regulated, and which has now failed to prevent leafy green outbreaks for nineteen consecutive years. **Yuma romaine, 2018\.** *E. coli* O157:H7\. [Two hundred ten people in 36 states, 96 hospitalized, 27 with HUS, five dead](https://archive.cdc.gov/www%5Fcdc%5Fgov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-04-18/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in Arkansas, California, Minnesota (two) and New York. Nearly half of everyone identified went to a hospital. It was the largest O157:H7 outbreak in the country since the 2006 spinach outbreak, and the [CDC found the outbreak strain in canal water](https://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/yuma-irrigation-canal-link-in-deadly-romaine-lettuce-e-coli-outbreak/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) in the Yuma growing region — a 3.5-mile stretch of the Wellton irrigation canal serving 23 farms, with a concentrated animal feeding operation nearby. The FDA's environmental assessment said the quiet part out loud: because romaine from many farms was commingled at the processors, it was [impossible to determine which farm supplied the contaminated lettuce](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/environmental-assessment-factors-potentially-contributing-contamination-romaine-lettuce-implicated?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **Salmonella Saintpaul, 2008\.** This one earns its place for a reason that has nothing to do with pounds recalled. Between April and August 2008, [1,442 cases were confirmed across 43 states, the District of Columbia and Canada](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1005741?ref=foodsafetynews.com), with 21 percent hospitalized and two deaths. Early case-control work pointed hard at raw tomatoes. The FDA warned the public off tomatoes, tomato consumption collapsed, and [the tomato industry lost an estimated $200 million](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp0806575?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — for a product that was never microbiologically confirmed as the source and whose traceback never converged on anything. The outbreak strain was eventually isolated from jalapeño peppers in Texas and from serrano peppers and agricultural water on a single Mexican farm. The peppers were probably eaten with the tomatoes, which is why the early studies pointed the wrong way. Read that again with this summer in mind: a category-wide warning, a wrecked commodity, a traceback that could not resolve to a farm, and an imported product from Mexico as the eventual answer. A few more belong on the ledger even if they do not top a column. **Pilgrim's Pride, 2002** — *Listeria* in sliced turkey, 54 sick, 8 dead including three stillbirths, and 27.4 million pounds recalled, the largest meat recall in the country at the time. **Cargill Turkey Products, 2000** — 29 sick, 7 dead, three of them miscarriages or stillbirths. **Odwalla, 1996** — unpasteurized apple juice, 66 sick, a 16-month-old girl dead, and the outbreak that produced juice HACCP. **Blue Bell, 2015** — *Listeria* in ice cream, 10 sick and 3 dead from a product nobody had thought of as a *Listeria* vehicle, and a rare criminal prosecution of a chief executive. **Westland/Hallmark, 2008** — 143 million pounds of beef, the largest meat recall in American history, with zero confirmed illnesses, which tells you that recall size and human harm are almost unrelated quantities. And **Milwaukee, 1993** — 403,000 people with cryptosporidiosis from the municipal water supply, which is not foodborne but is the only American event of the last fifty years that operated at the scale of the Shanghai and Chinese formula numbers above. **Largest by consequence** **Jack in the Box, 1992–93\.** *E. coli* O157:H7 in undercooked hamburger. Seven hundred thirty-two people sick, 178 with permanent injury, four children dead. By the raw numbers it does not crack the top of any list above. It is not in the same universe as Schwan's. It killed a fifth as many people as Jalisco. And yet it is the most consequential foodborne outbreak in American history by a distance nothing else approaches. It made *E. coli* O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef in 1994\. It produced pathogen testing, HACCP in meat plants, the modern cooking temperature standard, and PulseNet. It built the entire architecture that every other outbreak on this page was detected by. It also built my law firm, and it is the reason I have spent thirty-three years doing this instead of something easier. So, look at the arithmetic of that. Seven hundred thirty-two people changed federal law. Two hundred twenty-four thousand people did not change anything anyone can name. Five hundred fifty million eggs and 426 positive lab results produced no federal charge for the outbreak itself. Twenty-one deaths at Bil Mar cost Sara Lee little. Thirty-three deaths at Jensen Farms cost the Jensen brothers their probation officers' time. The relationship between how many people an outbreak hurts and what an outbreak changes is not weak. It is close to nonexistent. What determines consequence is whether somebody counts the sick, names the company, and makes it cost something. Which brings me to the outbreak on my desk this morning. As of its July 14 health advisory, the CDC has [1,645 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases of cyclosporiasis across 34 states](https://www.cdc.gov/han/php/notices/han00531.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) since May 1, plus more than 5,100 additional cases it says require further analysis, against 249 cases in the same window last year. Of the confirmed patients, 141 — nine percent — have been hospitalized. The [Taco Bell cluster the FDA and CDC named on July 16](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) accounts for at least 1,644 of those people across five states, tied to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. Michigan alone reported [4,312 outbreak-period cases and 102 hospitalizations](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) as of July 16, and its year-to-date total has since passed 5,000\. Ohio has reported more than 1,200 cyclosporiasis cases this year. Run those numbers against the list above. If you count the way Michigan counts, this outbreak is already among the largest foodborne outbreaks in modern American history — bigger than Yuma romaine, bigger than Dole spinach, bigger than PCA, bigger than Wright County Egg, bigger than every *Listeria* outbreak on this page put together, several times over — including the largest one the world has ever recorded. If you count the way the CDC counts, it is 1,645 people. Same outbreak. Same summer. The difference is not epidemiology. It is bookkeeping. And the bookkeeping was a choice. On July 1, 2025, [FoodNet made Cyclospora surveillance optional](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cyclospora/us-cyclospora-cases-mount-cdc-lags-tracking?ref=foodsafetynews.com), leaving mandatory tracking for exactly two pathogens. Then we walked into the biggest cyclosporiasis season on record with the instrument turned off. The CDC itself says the true number is likely higher than what has been reported that the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses, and that it can take six weeks to determine whether a sick person belongs to it. Meanwhile Taylor Farms' own recall notice lists shredded iceberg distributed to 27 states between June 29 and July 16, including retail consumer sizes, while the federal advisory covers five states and says grocery product is not implicated. Every outbreak on this list was invisible until somebody counted it. The 224,000 people who ate Schwan's ice cream were invisible until a Minnesota epidemiologist noticed her numbers were wrong. The 168,000 people who drank Jewel milk were invisible until somebody ran two surveys. Yuma romaine went unattributed to any single farm because the product was commingled and nobody had lot-level records. That is the same failure we are watching in real time, with the same commodity, from the same region, through the same distributor, and there is a rule already written to fix it — *FSMA 204*, finalized in November 2022, with leafy greens on the Food Traceability List and a 24-hour requirement to produce lot-level records. Compliance was set for January 2026\. The FDA proposed pushing it to July 2028 and Congress directed non-enforcement in the meantime. Fifty years of outbreaks and the pattern does not move. We find out how big it was afterward, from a journal article, years later, when it is too late for the rule to matter and too late for the family. The one variable we control is whether we are willing to count while it is happening. Right now, we are not. ### Company admits its lettuce is cause of Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/company-admits-its-lettuce-is-cause-of-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:58:15.000Z The owners of Taylor Farms have confirmed that their lettuce is behind a multistate outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite. Additionally, federal officials say the lettuce has been used by Taco Bell restaurants and is the cause of the outbreak. Taco Bell has removed lettuce from all of its menu items. The Taylor Farms lettuce was imported from central Mexico and is being pulled from circulation, according to the company. Taylor Farms says that the implicated farm represents less than 1 percent of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply. The company said in a statement Friday afternoon that it was removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. The company, based in of Salinas, CA, says iceberg lettuce is not used in its salad kits and no salad kits are associated with the outbreak. In addition to Taco Bell, Taylor Farms supplies produce to major fast food and grocery chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Walmart and Trader Joe’s. The FDA and CDC say the illnesses in the outbreak — reported from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia — represent only a portion of Cyclospora infections currently under investigation and involve only one of several outbreaks. Overall, the CDC is reporting illnesses in 34 states. As of this afternoon, the CDC is reporting that 1,644 people are infected with Cyclosporaand reporting exposures to Taco Bell have been reported by five states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 13 to July 13\. There have been 94 hospitalizations, and no deaths have been reported. Michigan analyzed food exposure details from 190 of the patients who reported eating at Taco Bell and found that 90 percent of those interviewed reported eating iceberg lettuce. Michigan and other states are reporting many more illnesses than the CDC. State public health officials in Michigan said today that there are 5,002 patients with 102 hospitalizations. It is unclear whether all of the Michigan patients are involved in the Taco Bell/Taylor Farms outbreak. Indiana is reporting more than 320 patients; Kentucky is reporting more than 190; Ohio is reporting more than 1,240; and West Virginia is reporting 139 cases. By this time of year, Michigan usually has 40 to 50 confirmed cases of confirmed cyclospora infections. Numbers from the CDC are lagging behind state reports because the agency stopped tracking cyclospora infections and seven other types of foodborne pathogens beginning July 1, 2025. The main symptom of cyclospora infection is severe diarrhea, which can last for a month or more if not treated and can easily cause serious dehydration. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery and often explosive diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. ### Counterfeit tequila prompts Mexican health alert URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/counterfeit-tequila-prompts-mexican-health-alert/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:06:27.000Z Mexican authorities have warned about an adulterated brand of tequila as investigations continue into several tainted alcohol deaths. La Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) said the health alert relates to Gran Centenario branded reposado tequila 950 mL with lot number L 061 24. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Haaland's raw milk habit highlights a public health challenge URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/haalands-raw-milk-habit-highlights-a-public-health-challenge/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:04:45.000Z ***–* OPINION *–*** "Superfood – That's why I drink it." That's how soccer superstar Erling Haaland described raw milk during a visit to Greenoaks Farm in Cheshire, England. In a video that has circulated widely online, Haaland praises raw milk as being good for the stomach, skin, bones and muscles. For millions of young soccer fans, comments like that carry real weight. As a soccer fan myself, I understand the appeal. Kids have always copied their heroes, from the cleats they wear to the workouts they follow. When one of the biggest stars in the sport calls raw milk a "superfood," it's easy to see why some young athletes might try it. That's where food safety enters the conversation. **Raw milk isn't just another nutrition trend** Raw milk isn't like choosing one protein powder over another. It carries a well-documented risk of foodborne illness. Haaland may not be encouraging anyone to drink raw milk. He's simply sharing part of his personal routine. But celebrity influence doesn't require an explicit endorsement. Fans often assume that if a superstar does something, there must be a reason. That's how trends spread. Raw milk has become increasingly popular among some athletes, bodybuilders and wellness influencers who claim it offers better nutrition, easier digestion or improved recovery. Those claims continue to circulate online even though decades of research don't support them. **The science tells a different story** Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Campylobacter. Healthy-looking dairy animals can carry these pathogens without showing signs of illness, and contamination can occur during milking, bottling or storage. You can't see, smell or taste dangerous bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raw milk was linked to more than 200 outbreaks between 1998 and 2018, causing more than 2,600 illnesses and hundreds of hospitalizations. More recently, dozens of people became sick in an Idaho outbreak linked to raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter. Children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe illness. In some cases, infections can lead to kidney failure, miscarriage, bloodstream infections or even death. Haaland isn't alone in making claims about raw milk. Supporters have long argued that pasteurization removes valuable nutrients, beneficial bacteria or enzymes. Decades of research, however, have found no health benefit that outweighs the documented risks of consuming unpasteurized milk. Pasteurization destroys disease-causing bacteria while preserving the nutrients that make milk an excellent source of protein, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. That's why the FDA, CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to recommend pasteurized dairy products. **Celebrity influence is difficult to counter** Government fact sheets rarely go viral. Professional athletes do. We've seen similar cycles with questionable supplements, extreme diets and wellness trends that explode on social media long before the science catches up or pushes back. It's also worth remembering that elite athletes don't succeed because of one food. They train with nutritionists, physicians, trainers and performance specialists who monitor every aspect of their health. Most young athletes don't have that kind of support. Copying one item from a professional athlete's routine doesn't recreate the system behind it. **What parents and coaches can do** Parents and coaches can help put these trends into perspective. Young athletes don't need risky shortcuts. Consistent training, balanced meals, hydration and adequate sleep remain the biggest contributors to athletic performance. Those habits have produced champions for generations without exposing children to preventable foodborne illnesses. Public health agencies may also need to rethink how they communicate. Facts matter, but facts alone rarely compete with celebrity culture. Partnering with respected athletes, coaches and sports organizations could help deliver food safety messages in ways that resonate with younger audiences. **Admire the athlete, not every habit** None of this diminishes Haaland's remarkable accomplishments. His work ethic, talent and enthusiasm for the game have earned him fans around the world. There's nothing wrong with wanting to train like your favorite player. But that doesn't mean every personal habit belongs in your own routine. When it comes to raw milk, the evidence has been remarkably consistent for decades. The safest choice is still the simplest one: drink pasteurized milk. ### EU countries struggling with food safety culture controls URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/eu-countries-struggling-with-food-safety-culture-controls/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:03:50.000Z The majority of countries are finding implementing food safety culture controls difficult, according to a European Commission survey. The report looked at the state of food safety culture controls in EU member states. All countries responded to the questionnaire sent in 2025\. Food safety culture requirements were put into European Union legislation in 2021. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Imported seafood, mushrooms, canned food among products subject to increased FDA scrutiny URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/imported-seafood-mushrooms-canned-food-among-products-subject-to-increased-fda-scrutiny/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:01:57.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Infections from Cyclospora parasite continue sharp increases URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/infections-from-cyclospora-parasite-continue-sharp-increases/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:05:20.000Z Michigan is reporting 550 more cases of infections from the cyclospora parasite overnight. That brings the total for the state to 4,312. By this time of year, Michigan usually has 40 to 50 confirmed cases of confirmed cyclospora infections. So far this year the state has seen 102 people hospitalized. The main symptom of the infections is severe diarrhea, which can easily cause serious dehydration. “While the investigation is ongoing, available information indicates that lettuce or salad greens may be a potential source of this outbreak. However, other food items cannot be completely ruled out. No specific type of produce, grower, or supplier has been identified as the source,” according to an update today from the Michigan health department. One media outlet is reporting that Taylor Farms — a large producer of leafy greens and packaged salads — is part of the investigation and assisting the Food and Drug Administration with traceback efforts. The FDA has not reported what food or foods it is tracing. Michigan is part of a nationwide outbreak of infections from the microscopic parasite. New York public health officials are reporting 517 patients and Ohio is reporting 1,192 patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there are patients in 34 states with more than one outbreak likely in play. Dr. Aaron Glatt, the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau, New York, and a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said the outbreak is most likely much larger than the officials numbers suggest. "It probably represents a little bit of the tip of the iceberg," Glatt told USA TODAY Network New York. "Many people aren't sick enough to even seek out their doctor. Some of them are just self-treating. And only a percentage, a small percentage, of the total are actually getting identified, diagnosed and treated.” Numbers from the CDC are lagging behind state reports because the agency stopped tracking cyclospora infections and seven other types of foodborne pathogens beginning July 1, 2025\. As of this July 14, the CDC had counted 843 confirmed patients, with 5,100 more suspected patients. By this time in 2025 the CDC had counted 249 confirmed Cyclospora patients. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Symptoms can last longer than a month. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery and often explosive diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. ### Publisher's Platform: Sen. Klobuchar wants food safety programs the Administration cut put back URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-sen-klobuchar-wants-food-safety-programs-the-administration-cut-put-back/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T04:05:55.000Z **— OPINION —** On July 14, Sen. Amy Klobuchar sent a [letter](https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/%5Fcache/files/d/d/dddfa54c-9899-43ee-be0f-31330974b120/AC057F72FD419CC278F3B03A93E95112BC0FBBEFAF0A1DCA760D6D175A8CB409.20260714--klobuchar-letter-l38045-to-cdc-fda-on-cyclospora-foodborne-illness-outbreak--for-hhs.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to the acting heads of the CDC and FDA asking them to restore the food safety programs the Trump Administration cut and start tracking foodborne illness again. She named them — FoodNet, the Food Emergency Response Network, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Public Health Infrastructure Grants, and the Preventive Services Block Grants. I’ve spent thirty years representing the people those programs protect, and I’ll say it plainly: she’s right, and everyone who eats should be behind her. Here’s what she’s pointing at. Last year the administration cut FoodNet’s tracking from ten foodborne pathogens down to two — and Cyclospora, the parasite now tearing through the country, was one of the eight it dropped. Reporting it became optional. The FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network was suspended after its scientists were let go, and the grants that pay for state lab capacity and disease tracking were terminated. Her letter lands the consequence in one sentence: there is no longer a central place to report and compare this data across state lines. A word about the numbers, because they make her case stronger than her letter does. She cites nearly 2,800 cases and 86 hospitalizations in the cyclospora outbreak as of July 9\. Those figures are already old and low. As I write this, the [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has 1,645 confirmed cases and admits it is aware of more than 5,100 more under investigation — nearly 7,000 people. [Michigan](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) alone has counted 3,762\. Add up just the eleven states that still publish their own tallies, and you are past 4,900. That is the whole argument. The Senator could only cite “nearly 2,800” because the system meant to count the rest was defunded. The distance between her number and the real one isn’t a weakness in her letter — it is the proof of it. When you stop tracking a pathogen, you don’t make a single sick person well. You just lose the ability to see them. The people are still out there — children and grandparents living through weeks of dehydrating illness from a bag of salad greens — now invisible to the one agency we count on to sound the alarm. I’ve watched this before. I started after the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak in 1993, and the biggest improvement since has been our ability to catch outbreaks early, link cases across state lines, and pull tainted food before it kills someone. Every one of those abilities runs on the programs in Klobuchar’s letter. Strip them out and we are worse off than in 1993: the food supply is bigger and more national than ever, and a single lot of contaminated greens can reach dozens of states before anyone connects the first two cases. So yes — I support her request without a caveat. Restore FoodNet, the Food Emergency Response Network, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Public Health Infrastructure Grants, and the Preventive Services Block Grants. Put Cyclospora back on the list of things this country bothers to count. And do it now, while the outbreak is still growing — because the alternative is what we are living: an agency reporting 1,645, a reality closer to 7,000, and a widening gap where real people get sick and no one in Washington is required to notice. Senator Klobuchar is asking the right question. The rest of us should make sure it does not go unanswered. ### Raw Farm LLC cheese found to be cause of E. coli outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/raw-farm-llc-cheese-found-to-be-cause-of-e-coli-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T13:58:56.000Z Federal officials are reporting that inspectors found unsanitary handling and other food safety issues at Raw Farm LLC, the dairy connected to an E. Coli O157 outbreak. The outbreak sickened nine people across California, Texas and Florida. According to an Executive Summary from the Food and Drug Administration, inspectors found inadequate maintenance of equipment, lack of preventive controls, and unsanitary handling of product during processing and production. The agency issued 483 Form inspection reports requiring the company to take action to resolve the problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified raw milk cheddar cheese manufactured by RAW FARM LLC as the suspect vehicle in the outbreak. Based on the combined epidemiologic, limited traceback, and laboratory data, raw cheddar cheese and raw milk from RAW FARM,LLC were confirmed as the outbreak vehicle. Full scope, for cause inspections with sample and data collection, were performed at three RAW FARM LLC locations. **In other outbreak news** released July 15, the FDA reported that the patient count for an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg has increased to 69, up from 51 a week ago. The agency has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. The FDA has begun traceback efforts but has not reported what food is being traced. The agency first reported the outbreak on July 8. **For an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis,** the patient count has increased to 91, up from 80 a week ago. The FDA has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. The agency has begun traceback efforts but is not yet reporting what food is being traced. The outbreak was first announced on June 8. ### Concerns raised over food poisoning rise in Vietnam URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/concerns-raised-over-food-poisoning-rise-in-vietnam/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T04:03:12.000Z Vietnam’s deputy prime minister has called for “comprehensive and decisive” measures to tackle rising cases of food poisoning. Pham Thi Thanh Tra said there was a need for stricter school food safety with a focus on the management of kitchens as well as controlling the origin of food supplies and processing conditions. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Isle of Man to roll out food hygiene ratings in 2027 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/isle-of-man-to-roll-out-food-hygiene-ratings-in-2027/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T04:01:10.000Z The Isle of Man has unveiled a food hygiene ratings system to give consumers greater confidence and encourage high standards. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture's (DEFA) Food Hygiene Scheme will cover more than 300 cafés, restaurants, takeaways, and pubs that serve meals. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Salmonella outbreak reported in relation to July 4th event in Yakima URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/salmonella-outbreak-reported-in-relation-to-july-4th-event-in-yakima/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T01:57:31.000Z The Yakima Health District in Washington is investigating 10 confirmed and suspected cases of Salmonella infection among individuals who reported eating food at the Fourth of July event hosted by Imperial’s Garden located at 4817 Lateral A Road, Wapato, WA 98951\. This event was not related to the operations of Imperial’s Garden farm stand and Imperial’s Garden is working closely with the Yakima Health District to determine the source of the outbreak. Individuals who attended the event and became ill would have most likely developed symptoms between July 5 and July 9. Food workers who experienced symptoms consistent with Salmonella infection after attending the event should contact the Yakima Health District at 509-249-6532\. Food workers with confirmed Salmonella infection require approval to return to work from the Yakima Health District in accordance with Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-215- 02245. Restaurant operators are reminded to monitor employees for symptoms of foodborne illness and exclude ill employees from food handling duties in accordance with WAC 246-215-02220. **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who attended the event and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Rice balls recalled because of undeclared peanuts URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/rice-balls-recalled-because-of-undeclared-peanuts/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T00:49:14.000Z Khong Guan Corporation is recalling specific lots of “Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling” because they may contain undeclared peanuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. Product Details: - Product: Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling - Size/Packaging: 14.1-ounce bags - UPC: 6-908791-000053 - Date Code: 10/19/2027 - Distribution: Weee!, Xin Wang Market, Garden Fresh Farmer's Market, Boss Supermarket. The product was distributed in California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Texas as well as online. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated after a customer reported suspected peanut content in the product, which had been distributed in packaging that did not disclose the presence of peanuts. ### Michigan again sees significant increase in Cyclospora infections URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/michigan-again-sees-significant-increase-in-cyclospora-infections/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:58:42.000Z Michigan is reporting more than 400 new Cyclospora infections overnight. As of today, Michigan’s state health department had counted 3,762 patients compared to 3,309 confirmed patients on July 14\. Those state officials reported on July 13 that they believe lettuce and/or salad mixes are the source of the parasite, but they said there is no single grower, supplier or brand identified yet. Public health officials have not weighed in on why there are so many infections this year. The parasitic infections hit outbreak status in June, with patient counts greatly exceeding previous years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on July 14 that it had counted 843 confirmed patients in 34 states, with 5,100 more suspected patients. By this time in 2025 the CDC had counted 249 confirmed patients. The rise in confirmed cases points to more than one outbreak, said Donald Prater, DVM, the FDA's acting Deputy Commissioner for Food, during a briefing. "I think we're looking at multiple clusters and subclusters.” One such cluster includes Michigan along with New York and Ohio, which are each reporting several hundred confirmed patients. The Food and Drug Administration is tracking five outbreaks of infections, but its numbers are drastically lower than numbers from states or the CDC. For one of the outbreaks the FDA is referencing the CDC investigation. For the other four the agency is reporting eight, 18, two and eight patients, respectively. The FDA outbreak update on July 15 says it has initiated traceback efforts, but it does not say what food or foods are being traced. CNN is reporting that an internal email at the CDC said the Food and Drug Administration’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation network is running traceback on cilantro, white and green onions, and cucumbers for a set of cases — in Illinois, New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania, and Texas — that appear to be linked to Mexican-style restaurants, a grocery chain and a catered event. Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery and often explosive diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Symptoms can last for a month or more. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. ### Finland signals end of Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/finland-signals-end-of-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T04:03:03.000Z Health officials in Finland have declared that a major Salmonella outbreak has ended. More than 100 people fell sick in 11 countries as part of the [multi-country outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/more-than-100-sick-in-european-salmonella-outbreak/) linked to alfalfa sprouted seeds from India. In spring this year, Salmonella Bovismorbificans illnesses were detected in Finland. The cluster included 64 people, who were suspected to have been infected domestically. Of these, 37 have been confirmed to be caused by the same bacterial strain. Most cases were detected between March and May and a single case occurred in June. Patients live in different parts of Finland. Those who fell ill range from 4 to 86 years old with an average age of 43, and 41 of them are women. Ten people were hospitalized. Two people died within 30 days of the infection being detected. Both cases had underlying health conditions, and one was receiving terminal care. Most interviewed cases reported eating uncooked sprouts before falling ill. THL (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare) and Ruokavirasto (the Finnish Food Authority) investigated the outbreak with help from healthcare and environmental health authorities from counties and municipalities. The sprouts suspected of being the source of infection are no longer on the market, according to Ruokavirasto. **European impact** From 2023 to 2025, 700 to 800 Salmonella cases were reported annually to the National Infectious Diseases Register. In 2025, 712 infections were reported, including four Salmonella Bovismorbificans cases. So far this year, 380 Salmonella infections have been recorded. People were also sick in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Alfalfa sprouts, and possibly other sprouted seeds, are the primary food vehicle in the multi-country outbreak, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in June. According to a Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) alert, the suspected sources were alfalfa seeds, clover seeds, broccoli seeds and radish seeds from Italy. Epidemiological evidence identified alfalfa sprouted seeds from Italy as the primary vehicle of infection. Microbiological evidence included detection of the outbreak strain in water samples collected during alfalfa sprouted seed harvesting in the Netherlands and the UK. Traceability work in Italy pointed to a common seed supplier in India. The outbreak strain is thought to have entered Europe in October 2025 via two alfalfa seed consignments, before being distributed across multiple countries. ### EU Commission reports potential fraud alerts for May URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/eu-commission-reports-potential-fraud-alerts-for-may/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T04:01:35.000Z Potential fraud discussions in Europe in May declined compared to the month before but were higher than the same period in 2025. There were 150 reports in May, 188 in April, 204 in March, 159 in February, and 189 in January 2026\. Earlier data for 2025 shows 196 in December, 194 in November, 223 in October, 164 in September, 166 in August, 136 in July, 164 in June and 129 in May. One alert mentioned the United States in May. It concerned tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in sweets. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### CDC says thousands are likely infected with cyclospora parasite URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cdc-says-thousands-are-likely-infected-with-cyclospora-parasite/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:09:23.000Z The CDC is reporting that almost 7,000 people nationwide are part of several outbreaks of infections from the microscopic cyclospora parasite. The foodborne parasite has infected people in 34 states according to a July 14 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency had previously been reporting 843 confirmed patients. Now the CDC is reporting that there are 5,100 more suspected patients. By this time in 2025 the CDC had counted 249 confirmed patients. This year's case count "is a much higher number than we typically see in a cyclosporiasis season," Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases said during a media briefing Tuesday. "It's a very big shift from what we've seen in previous seasons." The broader rise in confirmed cases across 34 states points to more than one outbreak, said Donald Prater, DVM, the FDA's acting Deputy Commissioner for Food, during the briefing. "I think we're looking at multiple clusters and subclusters." The FDA is aware of a "signal" pointing to lettuce as a possible outbreak source in Michigan, said. "We're continuing to trace multiple items, including lettuce." State officials in Michigan reported on July 14 that the count in their state is 3,309 confirmed patients. Those state officials reported on July 13 that they believe lettuce and/or salad mixes are the source of the parasite, but they said there is no single grower, supplier or brand identified yet. New York and Ohio are each reporting several hundred confirmed patients. The CDC’s counting has been hampered by the fact that the agency stopped tracking cyclospora infections beginning July 1 in 2025\. This year's count comes a year after program cuts led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prompted the CDC to remove the microscopic parasite Cyclospora from a list of eight pathogens that states were mandated to report to the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, or [FoodNet](https://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). As of July 2025, reporting is optional for all pathogens except Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. “For weeks the distance between what the states were counting and what Atlanta was publishing was the whole story; this week the agency finally revised upward, pushed the alert to every clinician and lab in the country, and named the outbreak. That is what a functioning surveillance system is supposed to do,” said food safety expert and attorney Bill Marler. For the patients confirmed so far by the CDC, the ages range from 2 to 95 years, with a median age of 44 years, and 56 percent were female. Of 1,645 case-patients with information available, 141 (9 percent) were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Taco Bell restaurants in the Detroit, MI, area have posted signs that they have stopped serving lettuce and other fresh produce items because of a recall, but no recall has been issued. Some of the Michigan outbreak patients have reported eating at Taco Bell before becoming ill, but many have not. CNN is reporting that an internal email message at the CDC said the Food and Drug Administration’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation network is running traceback on cilantro, white and green onions, and cucumbers for a different set of cases — in Illinois, New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania, and Texas — that appear to be linked to Mexican-style restaurants, a grocery chain and a catered event. The incubation period for cyclospora infection to begin to cause symptoms is up to two weeks after exposure. Symptoms can last a month of more. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/cyclospora-life-cycle.png) Lettuce, onions and salad mixes also frequently harbor cyclospora parasites. Food safety experts say washing produce does not remove the parasite. Michigan officials said because of complex food distribution networks across the state and country, it will take some time for agencies to complete their investigation. “Recreational water exposure, such as swimming in lakes, is not a recognized risk factor for cyclosporiasis and there is currently no evidence linking recreational water activities to this outbreak,” according to the Michigan Department of health. “While people should always avoid swallowing recreational water, foodborne exposure – particularly exposure to contaminated produce – remains the primary focus of this outbreak investigation.” Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Without treatment, symptoms can last a month or longer. ### FDA letter reinforces responsibilities of infant formula supply chain URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-letter-reinforces-responsibilities-of-infant-formula-supply-chain/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T04:05:25.000Z The FDA has put the entire infant formula supply chain on notice to improve monitoring and production practices. The decree comes amid a second outbreak since November 2025 of infant botulism tied to powdered infant formula. The Food and Drug Administration put the lion’s share of the responsibility on manufacturers, but also called on packagers, distributors, exporters, importers and retailers to step up efforts to ensure the safety of babies. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Major German E. coli outbreak sickened almost 500 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/major-german-e-coli-outbreak-sickened-almost-500/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T04:03:34.000Z Almost 500 people were sick in a major E. coli outbreak in Germany in 2025, according to recently released figures from a regional State Office for Health and Social Affairs. The Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales (LAGuS) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern reported there were 476 possible cases and three deaths. It was previously known that 428 infections were connected to the outbreak. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Codex adopts standards on chicken meat and allergen labeling URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/codex-adopts-standards-on-chicken-meat-and-allergen-labeling/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T04:01:54.000Z Guidelines related to Campylobacter and Salmonella in chicken meat and Listeria monocytogenes in certain foods have been approved at the latest meeting of a global food standards setting body. The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is responsible for setting food standards to protect consumer health and facilitate fair practices in food trade. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher's Platform: We made the everglades a python buffet -- we’re doing the same thing to the salad bar URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/we-made-the-everglades-a-python-buffet-were-doing-the-same-thing-to-the-salad-bar/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T03:12:59.000Z There’s a snake in the Everglades that no one native to Florida ever asked for. The Burmese python didn’t slither up from the Caribbean or ride a hurricane in from Asia. We brought it — through the [pet trade](https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/burmese-pythons-move-north/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), a handful of released and escaped animals in the 1980s and ’90s that found a warm, wet, predator-free paradise and did what invasive things do. Now there are tens of thousands of them, the marsh rabbits and foxes and bobcats they’ve swallowed aren’t coming back, and no amount of bounty hunting will round up the last one. The bell doesn’t un-ring. Warming climates only widens the door: pythons are [cold-sensitive](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/frosty-florida-cold-temps-mean-110420321.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), historically pinned to the southern tip of the state by hard freezes, but their range has been [creeping north](https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/burmese-pythons-move-north/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) and there’s already evidence their genome is adapting to tolerate cold. Scientists still [argue about how far they’ll ultimately spread](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2490718/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — some models say much of the South, others say the habitat actually shrinks — but nobody argues about how they got here. We did that. I keep thinking about that snake when I look at this summer’s *Cyclospora* numbers, because we are running the same play on the food supply. *Cyclospora* used to be a passport problem — imported produce and travel to the tropics. Not anymore. It now turns up in [domestically grown produce](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10770-cyclospora-cayetanensis-an-emergent-public-health-threat-and-an-enigma-for-traceback-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the case counts have [climbed decade over decade](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11589-foodborne-parasite-cyclospora-sickens-hundreds-across-us?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and the FDA and CDC were worried enough to stand up a [Cyclospora Task Force back in 2019](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10770-cyclospora-cayetanensis-an-emergent-public-health-threat-and-an-enigma-for-traceback-investigation?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The science is careful with the word, but the direction isn’t subtle: this parasite is trending toward endemicity. Trending, in plain English, toward living here. And here is where we outdo even the python. We spent two decades watching that population explode and calling it somebody else’s problem. With *Cyclospora*, we’ve done something dumber — we turned off the camera. On July 1, 2025, the CDC [dropped Cyclospora from FoodNet’s mandatory tracking](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cyclospora/us-cyclospora-cases-mount-cdc-lags-tracking?ref=foodsafetynews.com), shrinking the list of pathogens the country actively hunts for from eight down to two. We didn’t just accept an emerging invader. We stopped counting it, on purpose, the summer before it did this. Because this is what “this” looks like: more than [3,000 people sickened across Michigan and Ohio](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/13/health/cyclospora-parasite-diarrhea-outbreak-increase?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the worst of it in a state that logs 40 or 50 cases in a normal year. Michigan has finally named [lettuce and salad greens](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIDHHS/2026/07/13/file%5Fattachments/3712967/2026%20Cyclosporiasis%203%20NR.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) as its leading suspect. And the two federal agencies that are supposed to find the contaminated lot? Their [product columns are blank](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — no advisory, no recall, no named food, traceback merely “initiated.” That is not what vigilance looks like. That is what looking away looks like. Yes, the climate is in this story. *Cyclospora*’s oocysts need warm, wet days to ripen into something infectious, and a warming, wetter growing season lengthens and intensifies that window — the same way warmth is inching the python’s door open. But warmth is the accelerant, not the arsonist. Every *Cyclospora* case on earth traces back to human waste reaching human food or water; the parasite has no animal reservoir, no wild swamp to breed in. It is a human problem start to finish. And the surveillance blackout isn’t weather — it’s a budget line. You cannot un-ring this bell any more than you can empty the Everglades of snakes; you do not recall an endemic parasite. But you can at least keep watching for it. We decided not to. The families living through this outbreak — weeks of watery, relapsing, hollowing illness, kids and grandparents in emergency rooms hooked to IV fluid — are not victims of bad luck or bad weather. They are victims of a preventable thing we chose to stop tracking. The python teaches the lesson we keep refusing to learn: the cheapest moment to act on an invader is before you’ve resigned yourself to it as permanent. With *Cyclospora*, we’re not even doing the watching. We made the Everglades a python buffet by looking away for twenty years. We’re setting the salad bar up the same way — one defunded surveillance program at a time. ### Michigan officials say salad likely cause of Cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/michigan-officials-say-salad-likely-cause-of-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:09:01.000Z Public health officials in Michigan believe that lettuce or salad greens are behind a cyclospora outbreak that has sickened 2,640 people in their state alone. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reports that its investigation is ongoing and other food items cannot be completely ruled out. No specific type of produce, grower or supplier has been identified as the source of the parasite, which is a microscopic creature. “Although we do not have a definite product identified as the source of the outbreak, we want to let Michiganders know what we have learned so far so they can take steps to protect their families,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive in Michigan. “Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more.” Typically, Michigan only records 40 to 50 cases of cyclosporiasis annually. The outbreak has sickened people in 31 states, with Ohio reporting 364 patients and New York reporting 470\. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is lagging behind in posting nationwide numbers, reporting only 843 confirmed cases and more than 1,500 suspected cases. The CDC last updated its count on July 9. The CDC’s count is likely because it stopped tracking cyclospora illnesses in 2025 when changes implemented by the Trump Administration were put into place. On July 1, 2025, CDC cut the list of pathogens states are required to report from eight down to two. Only Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli stayed mandatory. The other six — Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia — became optional. Cyclospora is a parasite that infects the intestines and causes watery diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. It is usually contracted by eating or drinking something contaminated with the parasite. MDHHS continues to work closely with local health departments to conduct in-depth interviews of individuals testing positive for cyclosporiasis, as well as with other state and federal partners to conduct traceback investigations. More than 1,000 interviews have than have been completed to date in Michigan. The incubation period for cyclospora infection to begin to show symptoms is up to two weeks after exposure. Michigan officials said because of complex food distribution networks across the state and country, it will take some time for agencies to complete their investigation. “Recreational water exposure, such as swimming in lakes, is not a recognized risk factor for cyclosporiasis and there is currently no evidence linking recreational water activities to this outbreak,” according to the Michigan Department of health. “While people should always avoid swallowing recreational water, foodborne exposure – particularly exposure to contaminated produce – remains the primary focus of this outbreak investigation.” Given early information and the historical link between cyclospora and pre-packaged salad greens, MDHHS recommends adopting the following lettuce-specific safety measures: - Purchase whole heads: Buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits. - Discard outer layers: Before preparation, throw away the outer two to three layers of leaves. - Wash inner leaves: Thoroughly wash the remaining inner leaves under clean running water. It has not been proven that washing will remove the parasite, but it can remove dirt and debris that contains the parasite. - Prioritize cooking: For any greens that can be cooked, cooking to a temperature of at least 158 degrees F (70 C) is the safest option, as the parasite is resistant to routine chemical disinfection and washing alone cannot guarantee its removal. The following foods have been specifically linked to previous cyclospora outbreaks in the United States and Canada: - Bagged salad mixes and kits. - Fresh cilantro (coriander leaves). - Fresh basil. - Rasberries. - Snow peas. - Green onions (scallions). Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Without treatment, systems can last a month or longer. ### Cyclospora: Seasonal nuisance or preventable problem? URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cyclospora-seasonal-nuisance-or-preventable-problem/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T06:16:20.000Z Unfortunately, every summer we experience Cyclospora outbreaks almost as routinely as hurricane season. That's unfortunate because, at some point, we need to stop viewing these outbreaks as expected, unavoidable seasonal events and start treating them as preventable incidents. Just like hurricane tracking, projections, and building standards have improved over time, so too should capabilities in regard to Cyclospora surveillance, detection and prevention. But to do so more effectively, important scientific and research gaps remain that must be addressed to better understand, investigate and prevent Cyclospora illnesses. For example, just because a particular fresh produce vehicle hasn't been previously linked to illnesses doesn't mean it can't be involved. We also need to better understand the role of weather, environmental conditions, and a variety of water sources, along with more detailed insights into the attribution of various routes of potential exposure to the parasite. But we don’t have to wait for more research to take action – we can act now based on what we already know. For illnesses definitively attributed to food, enhanced prevention will likely require stronger, seasonally aware sourcing practices, improved agricultural water quality, and strengthened food safety measures throughout, but especially early, in the fresh produce supply chain. The current situation also highlights why Cyclospora outbreaks are so difficult to solve. The parasite's long incubation period makes it challenging for investigators to identify exposures. Molecular subtyping capabilities continue to improve but require further advancement. Traceback investigations back to the source remain difficult, particularly as implementation of the FDA's Food Traceability Rule has been extended. In addition, when food related, the suspect vehicle is often a "stealth ingredient" that may be incorporated into a variety of foods or menu items, making it difficult for ill individuals to recall. While state and local public health agencies do an outstanding job, and we are all grateful for their efforts, this outbreak also underscores the need to further support and strengthen federal coordination of foodborne outbreak investigations and response. For example, the Cyclospora case counts reported by news outlets based on state data indicates more than 2,000 cases, while CDC data has yet to catch up. The CDC is reporting [just 145 cases](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) through June 16, and FDA has reported they’re investigating [only two small outbreaks totaling 10 illnesses.](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery) Moreover, public messaging has differed across jurisdictions. Clearly, this discrepancy must be confusing to consumers. It also highlights the need for more timely and transparent reporting, along with stronger federal-state coordination and action. This is one reason I have previously advocated for the creation of a [National Foodborne Outbreak Investigation Board](https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/listeria-outbreak-pasta-fda-foodborne-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), to strengthen coordination, improve transparency, and accelerate the identification of lessons learned following major foodborne outbreaks. Let's hope that the growing number of illnesses reported across multiple states enables investigators to quickly identify the – source or sources – of these illnesses, so that we can prevent additional people from becoming ill. And let’s work together to continue to invest in and further modernize our food safety and public health systems. American consumers deserve no less. ### Spanish court rejects appeal in poisoning case URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/spanish-court-rejects-appeal-in-poisoning-case/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T04:04:44.000Z A court in Spain has maintained the prison sentence of a woman who attempted to murder her ex-partner using chocolate laced with rat poison. A ruling in November 2021 granted the victim permanent disability status. The Supreme Court upheld the 12-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the woman in relation to the incident in León in June 2020\. The court recently rejected an appeal. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns Florida supplement maker about sanitation and allergen risks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-warns-florida-supplement-maker-about-sanitation-and-allergen-risks/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T04:03:58.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners generally have 15 working days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until companies have been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are commonly redacted from public view.* --- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to Flax & More Corporation in Cutler Bay, FL, citing significant current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations that the agency said caused the company's dietary supplements to be adulterated under federal law. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Salmonella outbreak in New York linked to funeral meal URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/salmonella-outbreak-in-new-york-linked-to-funeral-meal/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T04:02:30.000Z A salmonella outbreak that has sickened dozens of Suffolk County residents in New York is under investigation by the county's Department of Health Services. A total of 58 patients have been seen by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital doctors while exhibiting symptoms consistent with salmonella infection since the beginning of July, according to hospital officials. The illnesses began following a June 30 meal following a funeral, with some suspected connections to leftover catering from a music festival held on the territory days prior. "The majority of the patients were evaluated, treated and discharged. As required, SBSH promptly notified the New York State Department of Health to support its public health investigation," officials said in a statement. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services "is involved in collecting information on a salmonella outbreak on the East End of Long Island," health officials said in a statement. ### Incidents up as Ireland records biggest Listeria outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/incidents-up-as-ireland-records-biggest-listeria-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T04:01:55.000Z Ireland’s largest Listeria outbreak and plans to introduce a food hygiene rating system are among the highlights of the Irish food agency’s annual report. According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) there were 820 incidents and 88 investigations in 2025\. This represents an increase of 3 percent, compared with the 796 incidents in 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cheese linked to Salmonella outbreak in Portugal URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cheese-linked-to-salmonella-outbreak-in-portugal/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T04:00:55.000Z An investigation into a Salmonella outbreak in two regions of Portugal traced to cheese has revealed problems at the production site. A case–case study suggested fresh cheese as the likely vehicle of the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak. The case–case approach compares outbreak and historical cases. In Portugal, Salmonella Typhimurium is the second most common serotype, after Salmonella Enteritidis, with yearly case numbers ranging between 262 and 535 since 2015, far below the EU average. In April 2024, the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) was informed about an unusual increase in a Salmonella Typhimurium strain by the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Gastrointestinal Infections at Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), representing more than a fivefold rise compared with the same period in the previous year. The increase started around late March. Clinicians at the hospital in Évora, in Alentejo, noticed an increase in salmonellosis among patients admitted with gastrointestinal complaints, and the local public health units of Alentejo and Arrábida observed more cases reported through the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE). Epidemiological inquiries found that many patients had consumed cheese from a local producer. The outbreak investigation team included local and regional public health units, NRL/INSA, the Directorate-General of Food and Veterinary (DGAV), and DGS. Among the 65 isolates identified as part of the cluster by whole genome sequencing, 58 were included in the epidemiological analysis. The outbreak began on March 11, peaked on April 1, and ended on June 18, 2024\. In total, 33 men and 25 women fell sick. The most affected age group was up to 17 years old followed by those older than 65, according to a study published in the journal [Epidemiology and Infection](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/interregional-outbreak-of-salmonella-typhimurium-linked-to-fresh-cheese-a-casecase-study-guided-by-wholegenome-sequencing-wgs-portugal-marchjune-2024/02259CEF0FD10B834791235B61D9D3E7?ref=foodsafetynews.com). **Problems at cheese producer** Among the first 17 notified Salmonella cases, eight had eaten a specific brand of fresh cheese from the same producer during the incubation period. Of these, seven reported purchasing it at the same market. During a visit to the producer, actions included a review and strengthening of hygiene and sanitation procedures, verification of cleaning and disinfection protocols, assessment of staff food handling practices, and reinforcement of traceability and record-keeping requirements. Three cheese specimens and two surface swabs from the site as well as four cheese and three surface swabs from the market were collected. All were negative for Salmonella. Only some of the previously required measures were implemented, leading the health authority and DGAV to impose additional controls. Because of delays in implementation, production was suspended on July 19 until all requirements were met. ### Sunday Edition: Farm Bill 2.0 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/sunday-edition-farm-bill-2-0/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T06:16:50.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena** - Well over 2,000 people across the U.S. have been diagnosed with parasitic Cyclospora infections, according to the CDC and state public health officials. Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services was reporting more than 1,500 cases as of July 10\. [The number of cases nationally could continue rising dramatically](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-145-2-000-10-the-cyclospora-numbers-dont-add-up/). While no source has been identified yet, [raw fresh produce is often involved](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/taco-bell-pulls-fresh-produce-at-some-locations-because-of-cyclospora-outbreak/) because it has come into contact with contaminated water in the field. - The Food and Drug Administration named [Donna Garren as the new director of its office of produce safety](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-names-produce-safety-director/). Garren most recently worked as executive vice president at the American Frozen Food Institute. The core mission of the office of produce safety is the prevention of foodborne illnesses and microbial contamination throughout the growing, harvesting, packing and holding processes for fresh fruits, vegetables and processed plant products. - Sweden documented [major foodborne outbreaks of Salmonella and Listeria in 2025](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/large-salmonella-and-listeria-outbreaks-hit-sweden-in-2025/). A Salmonella outbreak responsible for 118 illnesses was traced to contaminated eggs served in nursing homes where the infection spread widely. Overall, though, the number of Salmonella cases in 2025 was lower than the previous year. - California and New York are both moving to [standardize the way sell-by dates are listed on food labels](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/california-law-first-in-country-to-address-date-labels/). Proponents say it will help decrease food waste. California’s bill has become law, while New York’s awaits the governor’s signature. There is no national standard for the language now, but these laws may build momentum for Congress to act. --- **Today’s Topic: Farm Bill 2.0** The Agricultural Act of 2026 “for the people who feed America” is out in the U.S. Senate as a 902-page discussion draft, and a partial counter to the Farm Bill passed by the House of Representatives in April. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher's Platform: They stopped counting, and now they say they can’t see URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-they-stopped-counting-and-now-they-say-they-cant-see/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:09:44.000Z Michigan has [more than 1,250 *Cyclospora* cases](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/foodborne-disease/cdc-cuts-back-foodborne-illness-surveillance-program?ref=foodsafetynews.com) this year. Ohio has 177\. Illinois has 141\. Add the rest and the state tallies are pushing well past 1,600 sick people. The CDC’s national count has finally moved to [843](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). No food has been named. And the agency wants you to believe those numbers can’t be reconciled — that this is just how outbreaks look, murky and slow and hard to pin down. It isn’t. It’s a choice, and they made it quietly. As of [July 1, 2025](https://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/about/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network — FoodNet, the thirty-year-old backbone of how this country measures foodborne illness — stopped requiring its 10 sites to report six of the eight pathogens it was built to track. Campylobacter, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia, and, yes, Cyclospora. Only Salmonella and STEC survived the cut. Pediatric hemolytic uremic syndrome reporting went optional too. The public didn’t learn any of this until [NBC News reported it on August 26](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — nearly two months after it took effect, and only because a reporter asked. There was no announcement. No press release. No notice to the families who would spend the next summer sick and uncounted. FoodNet is the only federal system that goes and looks — that actively calls more than 700 clinical laboratories and asks what they’re seeing, instead of waiting for a case to be voluntarily reported up the chain. Everything the CDC is now pointing to as a replacement — NNDSS and the rest — is passive. It waits. FoodNet hunted. That distinction is the entire ballgame, and the agency knows it, because its own [2024 preliminary report](https://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/reports/preliminary-data.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com) already concedes that it can no longer calculate Campylobacter incidence or compare it to the baseline “because of the reporting changes.” Translation: we broke our own instrument, and now we can’t read it. Watch what happens with Cyclospora this year, because it made the cut. Surveillance for that parasite has been optional for a full year, and the CDC has been unable — or unwilling — to name a vehicle. When the number the public sees is finally more than the 145 CDC reported for weeks and the number on the ground is 1,600-plus, that is not a data lag. That is the predictable result of telling your best-trained sites they no longer have to count. The reason, stripped of the public-relations gloss about “prioritizing core activities,” is money. CDC’s own [talking points to Connecticut](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-quietly-scaled-back-surveillance-program-foodborne-illnesses-rcna227089?ref=foodsafetynews.com) put it plainly: funding “has not kept pace” with keeping all eight pathogens under surveillance. Frank Yiannas, the former FDA food safety chief, [said it as clearly as anyone](https://www.gastroenterologyadvisor.com/news/cdc-scales-back-foodborne-illness-tracking/?ref=foodsafetynews.com): without the broader data, we won’t know as accurately as possible whether we’re getting better or worse. That is exactly the point of Frank’s push for a National Foodborne Outbreak Investigation Board — an independent body that would actually chase these outbreaks to ground instead of quietly deciding not to look. I will say what some want to obscure: when you stop counting sick people, they don’t stop getting sick. You just stop having to answer for them. A thousand uncounted cases in Michigan is not bad luck. It is a policy, and this year’s Cyclospora outbreak is what that policy looks like dressed up as bad luck. If you want to make foodborne disease disappear, don’t investigate foodborne disease. That’s not a slippery-slope warning anymore. As of July 1, 2025, it’s the operating plan. ### FSA survey reveals authenticity and allergen problems URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fsa-survey-reveals-authenticity-and-allergen-problems/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T00:22:24.000Z A food testing surveillance program has identified imported products, supplements, slush-ice drinks and certain meats as areas of concern. A total of 845 food products were collected between July and October 2025 from a range of retail environments in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The survey, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), found 28 percent of samples were unsatisfactory. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Large Salmonella and Listeria outbreaks hit Sweden in 2025 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/large-salmonella-and-listeria-outbreaks-hit-sweden-in-2025/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T04:03:11.000Z There were large foodborne outbreaks of Salmonella and Listeria in Sweden in 2025, according to a report from the Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA). A Salmonella outbreak in August 2025 led to 118 illnesses in 14 regions. The outbreak was traced to a laying hen farm, and once it was established that the pathogen was Salmonella Enteritidis, eggs from this farm were recalled. After whole genome sequencing, SVA confirmed that the strain was the same as that found in 2024 and an outbreak in 2022/2023\. Salmonella Enteritidis is difficult to eradicate once it enters a laying hen facility. Despite measures in 2024, such as culling and extensive decontamination, the same strain was detected in 2025. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Contamination with hepatitis A and Salmonella among FDA's import concerns URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/contamination-with-hepatitis-a-and-salmonella-among-import-concerns/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T04:01:39.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher's Platform: 145? 2,000? 10? The Cyclospora Numbers Don't Add Up URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-145-2-000-10-the-cyclospora-numbers-dont-add-up/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:28:33.000Z Here is a math problem no consumer should have to solve. This summer, media reports built on state health department data point to nearly 2,000 cyclosporiasis cases nationwide. ([source](https://lnkd.in/gVK7mAFU?ref=foodsafetynews.com)) However, the CDC reports 145 cases acquired in the United States through June 16\. ([source](https://lnkd.in/gAhTWKtB?ref=foodsafetynews.com)) And the FDA reports it is investigating just two small outbreaks totaling 10 illnesses. ([source](https://lnkd.in/gm67YmpC?ref=foodsafetynews.com)) Same parasite. Same season. Same country. Three numbers off from one another by orders of magnitude. Michigan alone has now topped 700 confirmed cases — a state that ordinarily records about 50 in an entire year. Ohio has reported 177\. New York more than 100\. Yet the federal surveillance count sits at 145 because, as CDC is careful to explain, it's a snapshot through a cutoff date and doesn't yet treat these as one linked, multistate outbreak. No common source has been named. No recall has been issued. The federal and state officials working these clusters are dedicated people chasing a parasite that hides from standard stool tests and is usually eaten and gone before anyone can trace it. I appreciate the role everyone is playing to understand and curtail these illnesses. But step into a parent's shoes. They read that thousands are sick, then that the CDC counts 145, then that the FDA is looking at ten. What are they supposed to do with that? The honest answer is that no single entity has the whole picture — and that is the problem. This is why Frank Yiannas is right. Frank spent years inside the FDA as Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response (before that Walmart and Disney) — he architected the New Era of Smarter Food Safety, and when he left in 2023, he warned that the agency's fragmented structure was undermining its ability to protect the public. He laid out the specific case for an independent National Foodborne Outbreak Investigation Board in a [November 2025 STAT First Opinion essay](https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/listeria-outbreak-pasta-fda-foodborne-investigation/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), written after a *Listeria* outbreak in prepackaged pasta meals killed six people — an outbreak whose original investigation failed to find the root cause, so the responsible company kept operating and kept making people sick for nearly half a year. His point was simple and damning: foodborne outbreaks are investigated by the very regulators who are supposed to prevent them, and with responsibility scattered across FDA, USDA, CDC, and the states, no single agency is truly accountable. Modeled on the NTSB, the board Frank proposes would investigate outbreaks across every food category, free of agency silos and political pressure, and publish clear lessons so we stop repeating the same mistakes. He points to the contrast that ought to embarrass all of us: aviation accidents per mile flown have plummeted under independent NTSB investigation, while — by the CDC's own FoodNet data — the incidence of *Salmonella*, *E. coli*, and *Listeria* has been flat or rising for two decades. The GAO recently found that FDA and USDA's FSIS have missed their foodborne-illness-reduction goals, in one case by a wide margin. Foodborne illness still costs this country roughly $18 billion a year. And the confusion isn't new — in 2008, tomatoes were publicly blamed for a *Salmonella* outbreak later tied to peppers. Consumers were scared off, farmers were wiped out, and trust eroded. Sound familiar? Frank has pressed the same case ever since — in a [December 2025 expert roundtable](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/10995-yiannas-mcdonald-besser-hedberg-fixing-the-outbreak-investigation-system?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on fixing the investigation system, and in a [March 2026 piece](https://www.smarterfysolutions.com/post/transparency-only-works-when-it-actually-informs?ref=foodsafetynews.com) arguing that FDA’s habit of redacting supply-chain names defeats the whole purpose of an investigation, the way an NTSB report blacked out line by line would teach the aviation industry nothing. His “Straight Talk” series this year — on ByHeart, on Nara Organics, and now on Cyclospora — is that same argument applied to the outbreaks in front of us. I've spent more than 30 years representing the families behind these numbers, from the Jack in the Box children in 1993 to clients I'm counseling this week. I've long said my goal is to put myself out of business. An independent Board with the mandate to investigate across every food category, the authority to demand transparency, and the independence to speak plainly is one of the surest ways to get me there. The Cyclospora discrepancy isn't a scandal. It's a symptom. The cure is timely, transparent reporting, stronger federal-state coordination, and one accountable body to pull it together. Frank is right. It's time. ### Beef or plant? The great oil debate URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/beef-or-plant-the-great-oil-debate/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:11:30.000Z It’s all the rage now. We’re talking about beef tallow, a standard cooking oil used in home kitchens and restaurants several generations ago, but almost forgotten now that it’s been mainly replaced by plant-based seed oils, which the American Heart Association has publicly touted as healthier. **What is beef tallow?** Tallow is rendered animal fat, usually from cattle or sheep (but not pigs) that has been melted down and filtered to remove impurities. Once melted down, it becomes a liquid that turns solid at room temperature. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Swiss food agency reports spike in outbreaks URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/swiss-food-agency-reports-spike-in-outbreaks/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:05:07.000Z _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA names produce safety director URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-names-produce-safety-director/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:04:28.000Z The Food and Drug Administration has named Donna Garren as the new director for its office of produce safety. The office is housed in the FDA’s office of microbiology food safety. The responsibilities of the office include creating regulations, policies and guidance for fresh fruits, vegetables and processed plant products. Its core mission focuses on preventing foodborne illnesses and microbial contamination throughout the growing, harvesting, packing and holding processes. The office is also responsible for setting minimum safety standards under the Food Safety and Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule, including agricultural water requirements and risk-based microbial controls. In addition, the office manages the Division of Fresh Produce Safety and the Division of Processed Food and Beverages Safety. Garren has a strong industry history, having most recently worked as executive vice president at the American Frozen Food Institute where she led the organization's regulatory affairs and legislative affairs programs. Conrad Choiniere, senior executive at FDA’s Human Foods Program, said Garren’s background in food safety, nutrition, and regulatory affairs was instrumental in building strong, effective legislative and regulatory programs for the food and beverage industry. In addition to her work for the American Frozen Food Institute, Garren worked in leadership roles at Boskovich Farms, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, vice president of health and safety regulatory affairs at the National Restaurant Association, and as vice president of food safety programs the Consumer Goods Forum. She also worked for as president and general manager at NSF International and, according to Choiniere, demonstrated strong produce industry expertise spanning the farm-to-fork supply chain, along with strong relationships across consumer advocate organizations, regulatory organizations, and academia. “Her hands-on experience navigating the intersection of federal agencies, industry stakeholders, and international food safety frameworks, paired with her extensive network across all of these groups, will accelerate collaboration and advance our food safety and public health priorities,” said Choiniere. “She is a proven consensus builder, well-positioned to support FDA's transparency and public engagement goals while driving results through partnership.” Garren earned a doctorate degree in food science and technology from the University of Georgia. ### EU histamine survey reveals training gaps URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/eu-histamine-survey-reveals-training-gaps/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:02:10.000Z The European Commission has assessed histamine controls in fishery products with training highlighted as one of the major problems. Histamine toxicity, also known as scombroid poisoning, is associated with consumption of spoiled fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Proper hygiene and maintenance of the cold chain during handling, storage, transport and distribution help to reduce the risk. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Taco Bell pulls fresh produce at some locations because of cyclospora outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/taco-bell-pulls-fresh-produce-at-some-locations-because-of-cyclospora-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T04:01:20.000Z Several locations of Taco Bell have temporarily removed several fresh produce items from their menus because of outbreaks of infections from the cyclospora parasite. The restaurant chain has posted notices at some locations stating that they cannot serve lettuce, pica de Gallo, guacamole, cilantro and onions because of the outbreaks, which have sickened a total of almost 1,500 people nationwide. All menu items are still available, but they are being served without the named ingredients, according to the restaurant chain. The cyclospora cases are part of several outbreaks that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state health departments are investigating. Michigan alone has reported more than more than 990 patients. The state health department has reported that they would normally see only about 50 cases annually. A specific source of the parasite has not yet been determined, but it is usually associated with fresh produce. Food safety experts say washing produce does not remove the microscopic parasite. The current illnesses are suspected to be linked to contaminated produce rather than restaurant of home meal preparation practices. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, severe watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. ### Publisher's Platform: I asked USDA where the Boar’s Head criminal investigation stands – Here’s the 78-Page non-answer URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-i-asked-usda-where-the-boars-head-criminal-investigation-stands-heres-the-78-page-non-answer/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:11:55.000Z Ten people are dead. Fifty-nine were hospitalized. The plant in Jarratt, VA, that made the liverwurst that killed them carried a documented record of filth going back years — product residue on food-contact surfaces, black mold on the walls, flies and ants and a cockroach-like insect in the coolers, water dripping over the product, blood on the floors. When 10 people die from a single meal, I want to know one thing above all others: is anyone going to be held accountable, and will the public ever be told how it ends. On June 2, 2026, I asked. I sent USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service a Freedom of Information Act request built around the two questions that actually matter for accountability. First, what is the current status of any law-enforcement hold or referral on the Boar’s Head records — has the Exemption 7(A) basis USDA asserted in 2024 been lifted? Second, produce any referral or transmittal records between FSIS and the Department of Justice concerning Boar’s Head, to the extent they can be released. I also asked for the records FSIS once withheld as law-enforcement material, everything about the Associated Press’s appeal, and the final enforcement actions on the Jarratt plant. Because conditions had changed — the plant reopened in February 2026 — I asked FSIS to re-evaluate whether the interference-with-enforcement rationale it invoked in 2024 still held up. On July 2, 2026, I got my answer. It is worth reading closely, and I’ve attached all three documents below so you can read it yourself. Seventy-eight pages, released under FOIA No. 2026-FSIS-00209-F. Much of it I had seen before — the Associated Press already pried a version loose in early 2025\. There is the July 26, 2024 Notice of Suspension and the revised version four days later, laying out the whole grim arithmetic that FSIS knew from the start: 34 sick across 13 states, every hospitalized patient with available information hospitalized, two dead, whole-genome sequencing tying the liverwurst strain to the people it killed, and a positive Listeria swab on Pallet Jack SH3 in a processing room with no walls between the lines and no written plan to keep employees from carrying contamination from one line to the next. There are the lab reports. There are the “for further processing” emails, where a plant under suspension asked to keep shipping raw material out of Jarratt and FSIS blessed it “as long as it meets all applicable regulations.” There is the email where the company asked permission to dispose of recalled product and a district manager wrote back, “Yes. Just keep records.” That is the record of a company that was warned, and warned, and warned again, and a regulator that watched it happen. It is damning. But it is not what I asked for. | **THE PAPER TRAIL FSIS ALREADY HAD** *Noncompliance documented at Jarratt (Est. M12612), from the released Notice of Suspension* **Product residue on food- & non-food-contact surfaces (pre-op):** 2/3/24 · 2/29/24 · 3/14/24 · 3/22/24 · 4/19/24 · 5/20/24 · 6/28/24 · 7/6/24 · 7/19/24**Product residue from prior shifts (operational SSOP):** 6/7/24**Insects — flies, ants, ladybugs, a cockroach-like insect:** 2/7/24 · 2/11/24 · 3/15/24 · 6/10/24 · 6/26/24 · 7/12/24 · 7/17/24**Black mold / algal growth / insanitary conditions:** 2/22/24 · 6/1/24 · 6/28/24 · 7/12/24 · 7/17/24 · 7/23/24 · 7/24/24**Water leaks over storage & product:** 6/10/24 · 7/6/24**Dripping condensation on product / bags of dextrose:** 7/9/24 · 7/12/24**Inedible product not denatured, mark of inspection left on:** 2/8/24 · 2/21/24 · 4/8/24 · 4/24/24And this is only 2024\. Federal inspectors had warned the Jarratt conditions posed an *“imminent threat to public health”* as early as 2022. | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | In 2024, FSIS withheld these records under FOIA Exemption 7(A) — the law-enforcement exemption you invoke only when releasing records “could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.” You do not invoke it over a matter that does not exist. Its use in 2024 was the strongest public confirmation we had that someone with a badge was looking hard at this company. In the July 2, 2026 response, Exemption 7(A) is gone. FSIS now redacts only under Exemptions 4, 5, and 6 — trade secrets, deliberative process, and personal privacy. It cited no law-enforcement interference at all. That is a meaningful signal. It means that, whatever is happening, FSIS no longer believes releasing these particular records would step on an active proceeding. Now watch the negative space, because in a FOIA response the silence is the message. I asked for the status of any law-enforcement hold. On a June 4 clarification call, my office agreed to narrow the request and set that bullet aside to move the rest along — I’ll be straight about that. But I also asked, in a separate bullet that was never dropped, for any FSIS–DOJ referral or transmittal records. The final response recites that bullet word for word at the top of the letter. And then it does nothing with it. No records. No Vaughn-style description of records withheld. No statement that no responsive records exist. Not a single word about the Department of Justice anywhere in 78 pages. And there is not one word about the other investigation I care about — the USDA Inspector General’s review of how its own inspectors let this plant run for years while the noncompliance reports stacked up. If the government is examining its own people, none of it is in here. The law-enforcement exemption that once shielded these records has quietly evaporated, which tells us the interference concern has cooled. But whether that is because a criminal matter has been referred out and now lives on a docket in the Eastern District of Virginia, because it has wound down, or because it was never pursued to a charge — the response does not say, and I suspect FSIS does not intend to say. Grand-jury secrecy under Rule 6(e) covers a live investigation. It does not require the agency to pretend the DOJ bullet in my request was never written. I have spent more than thirty years representing people whose lives were shattered by a single meal, and my stated goal has always been to put myself out of business by making food safe enough that families no longer need lawyers like me. Criminal food cases are slow — the Peanut Corporation of America prosecution that sent Stewart Parnell to prison for twenty-eight years took years to build; Chipotle’s $25 million deferred-prosecution deal followed outbreaks that began long before it. I am not demanding a charge on a schedule I happen to prefer. I am demanding an answer to a fair and narrow question: is anyone still working this, and will the public ever be told how it ends? A 78-page release that hands back the inspection records we already had, drops the law-enforcement exemption without explanation, and never once utters the words “Department of Justice” is not an answer. It is a shrug dressed up as a determination. Ten people are still dead. Their families are still waiting. I intend to keep asking. ![](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FOIA_USDA_FSIS_BoarsHead2-1-pdf-495x640.jpg) [https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FOIA\_USDA\_FSIS\_BoarsHead2-1.pdf](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FOIA%5FUSDA%5FFSIS%5FBoarsHead2-1.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ![](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FSIS-FOIA-No.-2026-FSIS-00209-F-Final-Response-Letter-pdf-495x640.jpg) [https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FSIS-FOIA-No.-2026-FSIS-00209-F-Final-Response-Letter.pdf](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/FSIS-FOIA-No.-2026-FSIS-00209-F-Final-Response-Letter.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ![](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/2026-FSIS-00209-F-Final-Records-pdf-495x640.jpg) [https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/2026-FSIS-00209-F-Final-Records.pdf](https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2026/07/2026-FSIS-00209-F-Final-Records.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) ### California law first in country to address date labels URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/california-law-first-in-country-to-address-date-labels/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T04:05:39.000Z California has become the first state to standardize sell-by dates on food labels. The law was touted as a way to decrease food waste in the state, but it has obvious ramifications for food safety. A similar bill in New York is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature before becoming law. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Poultry litter case isn't over yet URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/poultry-litter-case-isnt-over-yet/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T04:04:40.000Z Poultry litter practices that may have downsides for food safety and the environment are subjects of a court battle that never seems to end. When Oklahoma’s Attorney General sued poultry companies for polluting the Illinois River Basin 25 years ago, it all seemed so simple. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Trade concerns rise again at WTO meeting URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/trade-concerns-rise-again-at-wto-meeting/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T04:01:08.000Z The number of issues raised at the latest World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on food safety showed a continued increase. Attendees at the June meeting of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures addressed 79 trade concerns related to food safety and animal and plant health. In March 2026, 76 topics were covered, up from 71 in November 2025. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pounded yam recalled because of undeclared milk URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/pounded-yam-recalled-because-of-undeclared-milk/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T22:59:27.000Z Fayus Inc., doing business as Yusol International Foods of Sacramento, CA, is recalling OLA-OLA POUNDED YAM because the product may contain undeclared milk in the form of sodium caseinate, which is not declared on the label. People with sensitivities or allergies to milk run the risk of severe or life threatening reactions if they consume this product. The recall is being initiated as a result of an internal investigation discovering that some packaged OLA-OLA POUNDED YAM had been distributed in packaging that did not disclose the presence of sodium caseinate – derived from milk. A subsequent investigation found that the issue resulted from a temporary breakdown in the company’s production and packaging processes. OLA-OLA POUNDED YAM was distributed through distribution outlets between December 2025 and May 2026 in Canada, Australia and the following United States: - California - Georgia - Illinois - New Jersey - New York - Texas The recalled product is packaged in clear bags. The recalled product can be identified by the expiration dates: November 2028 through May 2029\. Consumers should check expiration date on the front of the packaging. Fayus Inc. is working to apply dairy allergen warning stickers to affected products that remain on store shelves. ### French Salmonella outbreak linked to Polish eggs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/french-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-polish-eggs/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T04:05:03.000Z A Salmonella outbreak in France was likely caused by contaminated eggs from Poland. Sixteen people fell sick in the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak, including nine males and seven females. Four people were admitted to hospitals. Patients ranged in age from 1 to 55 years old and mainly had fever and diarrhea, according to Santé publique France. In response to questions from **Food Safety News**, the Direction Générale de l'Alimentation (DGAL) said the initial link was established through a survey of patients, which revealed a connection between the onset of symptoms and the consumption of products containing raw eggs. The origin of these eggs was then determined using the code printed on the shells. The implicated white eggs were sold in supermarkets. They had already been consumed by the time the link between eating eggs and the onset of symptoms was identified, so there was no recall. DGAL said it had contacted Polish authorities to ensure that all measures are taken to guarantee consumer safety. **Past outbreak** In a previous outbreak, the Île-de-France regional unit of Santé publique France was notified of a cluster comprising 50 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis. The outbreak was the largest ever reported in the Île-de-France region in terms of case numbers, duration and severity. A total of 103 Salmonella Enteritidis infections were identified by the National Reference Center (CNR). Strains were isolated between August 2024 and January 2025\. The median age of cases was 23, and 95 lived in the Île-de-France region. In total, 43 patients were interviewed. Twenty-five people were hospitalized and four required intensive care. All patients recovered. Five patients were associated with outbreaks linked to three different restaurants and had consumed egg-based products. Among the other 38 cases interviewed, four had also eaten egg-based products at these restaurants, and 29 reported purchasing unbranded eggs in identical packaging from various locations. A Salmonella strain isolated from mayonnaise sampled at one of the restaurants was identified by the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Salmonella as belonging to this genomic cluster. Eggs were the suspected source of the outbreak, although the exact origin was not identified. **Salmonella detection** Meanwhile, scientists have evaluated the impact of the time between [sample preparation and incubation](https://be.anses.fr/fr/node/2221?ref=foodsafetynews.com) on the detection of Salmonella in fecal samples contaminated with various strains. Current standards for Salmonella detection require an initial pre-enrichment phase of 18 hours at 37 degrees C (98.6 degrees F). Several times, ranging from 45 minutes to six hours at a room temperature of 21 degrees C (69.8 degrees F) and 4 degrees C (39.2 degrees F), were tested prior to incubation. Results show that a storage time of six hours at 69.8 degrees F between sample preparation and incubation can reduce Salmonella detection by up to 50 percent, particularly at low levels of contamination. This effect can be reduced by sample storage at 39.2 degrees F. Results, published in the DGAL and ANSES epidemiological bulletin, highlight the importance of minimizing delays before pre-enrichment to ensure accurate detection, said researchers. Testing involved the Salmonella types Enteritidis, Typhimurium, Virchow, Infantis and Hadar at four different concentrations in buffered peptone water. Detection of Salmonella was higher at holding times of 45 and 90 minutes as well as four hours compared to those with a waiting time of six hours at room temperature. ### FSA research targets Campylobacter reduction URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fsa-research-targets-campylobacter-reduction/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T04:01:45.000Z The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published six pieces of research relating to efforts to reduce Campylobacter in chicken meat. The papers cover interventions applied at slaughterhouses, in the supply chain, by food companies, in cutting and processing plants, and at the consumer level. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Another patient identified in outbreak of infant botulism URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/another-patient-identified-in-outbreak-of-infant-botulism/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:13:31.000Z Another sick baby has been identified in a botulism outbreak linked to Nara Organics powdered infant formula. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that there are now four patients in the outbreak from California, Pennsylvania and Washington. The babies were between two and five months old when they became sick. All four have experienced paralysis and all have been hospitalized. The babies became sick in April and May. All four of the sick babies are male and all four were fed Nara Organics powdered infant formula. State public health officials have collected leftover infant formula for testing. Laboratory testing results confirmed C. botulinum bacteria were present in an open can of Nara Organics infant formula that was fed to one of the infants in this outbreak. FDA is testing an unopened sample of formula from the same lot. Additional product testing by FDA and state partners is ongoing with results expected in the coming weeks. Prior to reports of the sick babies, the Food and Drug Administration inspected two foreign companies that manufacture and pack the implicated Nara Organics formula. Both companies were cited for food safety deficiencies and both have submitted corrective plans, which are under review. The specific lots of Nara Organics infant formula consumed by infants involved in this outbreak were made with milk supplied by Organic West Milk and spray dried by Dairy Farmers of America. These are the same suppliers of milk and milk powder from [the 2025 outbreak linked to ByHeart infant formula](https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-nov-2025/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com). However, not enough information is available to determine whether these products were contaminated or caused the illnesses. During the investigation into the 2025 outbreak, Organic West Milk provided FDA with an incomplete customer list. The list did not indicate that they supplied milk to manufacturers of Nara Organics infant formula. On June 13, Nara Organics recalled all of its infant formula. **About infant botulism** Anyone who has fed the recalled product to their babies and seen symptoms of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention. Symptoms can take days to weeks to appear after the formula is eaten. Infant botulism often starts with constipation but is usually first noticed as difficulty feeding (trouble sucking and swallowing), a weak or altered cry, and loss of muscle tone including babies inability to hold up their heads. If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area. ### Imported sashimi recalled because of undeclared allergens URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/imported-sashimi-recalled-because-of-undeclared-allergens/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T01:00:32.000Z Eunha Fisheries Co. Ltd. of Busan, Republic of Korea, is recalling certain Sliced Korean Halibut and Flounder Sashimi products because the accompanying soy sauce and vinegar red pepper paste packets contain wheat, soy, and sesame that were not declared in English on the individual condiment packets. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat, soy or sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. The affected products were distributed in the United States through WOOLTARI USA Inc. and JAYONE FOODS Inc. Products reached consumers through retail stores, direct delivery, and the wooltariusa.com online website. The recalled products can be identified as follows \- PRODUCT NAME: Sliced Korean Halibut with Soy sauce, Wasabi, Vinegar Chili Paste - Best Before Date: 2026.05.07 - Package: Fish-shaped plastic tray with paper sleeve - Included Condiment Packets: Soy Sauce, Vinegar Red Pepper Paste, Wasabi - Undeclared Allergens: Soy, Wheat - UPC CODE : 6 78108 16991 4 - NET WEIGHT : 12.2OZ(347g) - KEEP FROZEN - PACKING SIZE : 38\*20(cm) \- PRODUCT NAME : Sliced Korean Halibut with Soy Sauce, Wasabi, Vinegar Chili Paste - Best Before Dates: 2026.07.11 and 2026.12.08 - Package: Fish-shaped plastic tray with paper sleeve - Included Condiment Packets: Soy Sauce, Vinegar Red Pepper Paste, Wasabi - Undeclared Allergens: Soy, Wheat, Sesame - EAN-13 CODE : 8 809342 366186 - NET WEIGHT : 300g - KEEP FROZEN - PACKING SIZE : 38\*20(cm) PRODUCT FLOUNDER SASHIMI WITH SAUCE No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products. The recall was initiated after it was determined that the accompanying soy sauce and vinegar red pepper paste packets contained allergens that were not declared in English on the individual condiment packets. Although the allergens were declared on the outer package, they were not identified on the individual condiment packets. ### Aldi kimchi recalled because of undeclared fish URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/aldi-kimchi-recalled-because-of-undeclared-fish/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T00:47:06.000Z Gellert Global Group of Elizabeth, NJ, is recalling 8.1 oz packages of ALDI Brand Fusia Asian Inspirations Kimchi & Tofu Kimbap because they may contain undeclared tuna. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to fish run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The recalled Fusia Asian Inspirations Kimchi & Tofu Kimbap was distributed to ALDI retail stores in Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia. The product is packaged in a 8.1-ounce sealed, microwave-safe plastic wrapper and marked with a BEST IF USED BY DATE of OCT.08.2027. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The recall was initiated after a consumer discovered that the fish-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of fish. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging procedures that has subsequently been corrected. ### Cyclospora cases surge to nearly 600 in Michigan URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/cyclospora-outbreak-surges-in-michigan/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:13:55.000Z The CDC is tracking a summer surge of Cyclospora infections. As of its [June 18 surveillance update](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html?ref=foodsafetynews.com), CDC has logged 145 cases acquired in the United States across 17 states, with illness onsets from May 1 through June 16\. Twenty people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. None of the patients traveled abroad beforehand — so the CDC and [FDA](https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/cyclospora?ref=foodsafetynews.com) are hunting for a domestic food source. New York is the hardest-hit state in that count. One caveat worth stating plainly: the widely-quoted [“31 to 80 New York cases”](https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-yorkers-most-affected-by-national-diarrhea-parasite-outbreak-cdc/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) figure is not a number CDC published. CDC releases only a national total, a count of states, and a shaded map — the New York figure is a media read of which shading band the state falls into. If you need a hard state number, CDC tells you to ask the state health department directly. **Michigan is the real tell** Michigan is not one of CDC’s 17 states — yet the [Michigan Department of Health and Human Services](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2026/07/01/cyclosporiasis?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has separately reported 572 cases as of July 4, centered on a Monroe County cluster. Those cases simply haven’t reached CDC’s national pipeline, which runs only through June 16\. This isn’t a contradiction; it’s a lag. When Michigan folds in, the national number won’t creep — it will jump. That’s why one outlet says “145 in 17 states” and another says “300 in 18 states”: the larger figure just adds Michigan’s count to CDC’s. Reasonable, but it’s a media aggregation, not an official CDC number. Almost every U.S. cyclospora outbreak traces to raw fresh produce that never gets a cooking step. FDA and CDC point to raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow and snap peas, mesclun and salad mixes, and bagged salads, salad kits, and vegetable trays. Two things matter for consumers: washing does not remove the parasite, and [nothing frozen, cooked, or peeled](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7699734/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) has ever been implicated. This is a contaminated-water-and-field problem, not a grocery-cooler one. **We’ve seen this before** - **1996 —** [Guatemalan raspberries](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7699734/?ref=foodsafetynews.com): roughly 1,465 cases; the outbreak that established Cyclospora as a foodborne pathogen. - **2018 —** [a double outbreak](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6171894/?ref=foodsafetynews.com): prepackaged vegetable trays (\~250 cases) and fast-food salads (511 cases, 11 states); the full season topped 2,299 cases in 33 states. - **2019 —** [a record 4,703 infections](https://www.today.com/health/disease/explosive-diarrhea-parasite-cyclospora-cayetanensis-outbreak-rcna352540?ref=foodsafetynews.com). - **2020 —** [Fresh Express bagged salads](https://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/food-poisoning-information/what-is-cyclospora/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), 1,200-plus cases. - **2022 —** [a Florida cluster](https://www.today.com/health/disease/explosive-diarrhea-parasite-cyclospora-cayetanensis-outbreak-rcna352540?ref=foodsafetynews.com) tied to a Caesar salad kit with bagged romaine. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite. ### Scientists propose label to help people avoid Listeria infection URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/scientists-propose-label-to-help-people-avoid-listeria-infection/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T04:03:42.000Z Researchers have suggested an optional change to food labels to help reduce the risk of Listeria infections. Scientists from DTU National Food Institute in Denmark said the idea is to give consumers the opportunity to choose ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, such as smoked salmon and spiced pork roll, without risking infection from Listeria. Listeria accounts for almost a third of all deaths associated with foodborne outbreaks in the EU. Infection poses a higher risk to older people, those with underlying health conditions and other vulnerable groups, as well as pregnant women. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA warns six importers in five states for food safety failures tied to tea, produce and sauces URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-warns-six-importers-in-five-states-for-food-safety-failures-tied-to-tea-produce-and-sauces/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T04:02:02.000Z As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until a company has been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view. --- The FDA has issued warning letters to six food importers in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada and Texas for significant violations of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), saying the companies failed to ensure imported foods met U.S. food safety requirements. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ireland records rise in consumer complaints URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/ireland-records-rise-in-consumer-complaints/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T04:01:11.000Z Almost 10,000 complaints and queries were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) advice line in 2025. According to FSAI, there were 6,135 complaints from consumers, with 33 percent relating to unfit food and 28 percent to poor hygiene standards. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Nominations open for WHO food safety award URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/nominations-open-for-who-food-safety-award/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T04:00:29.000Z The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific region has opened nominations for an award related to food safety. One of the categories in the WHO Healthy Cities Recognition Awards 2026 covers nutrition and food safety. Initiatives must have been implemented within the past two years; demonstrate measurable progress; and be supported by evidence. Applicants must be from WHO member states in the Western Pacific region. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Frozen blueberries recalled, linked to E. coli outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/frozen-blueberries-recalled-linked-to-e-coli-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T01:54:28.000Z Frozen blueberries sold at Publix grocery stores have been recalled because of contamination with E. coli O145:H28\. Twelve people have fallen ill. On July 3, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. — the Chilean grower-packer that sells under the Comfrut brand — announced the recall of its 10-ounce GreenWise Organic IQF (individually quick frozen) Blueberries after the product tested presumptively positive for E. coli O145:H28, a Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC). The frozen berries were distributed exclusively to Publix stores across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The recall covers a single lot – code 6040 01 – with a Best By date of Feb. 9, 2028\. According to the company, the recall was prompted by reports of consumers who fell ill after eating the berries, and the notice states there have been 12 confirmed cases of stomach illnesses between May 11 and June 5, 2026 linked to E. coli O145:H28\. Food safety attorney Bill Marler of Seattle says the situation is disconcerting. “Here is what bothers me. As of this writing, the ‘12 cases’ figure comes from the company — not from a health authority. I cannot find a matching outbreak notice from either the FDA or the CDC,” Marler said. “FDA’s Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks table carries no entry for GreenWise blueberries, no CORE reference number, and no agency case count. CDC’s foodborne outbreak page shows no dedicated notice. There is no publicly disclosed PulseNet cluster ID for this event, and no official hospitalization, HUS, or death tally. “To be fair, the company’s notice says it is ‘working closely with the appropriate regulatory authorities,’ so there may well be a non-public FDA interaction already underway. But that is precisely the point: as of publication, no agency has posted anything the public can actually see. Whatever is happening behind the scenes, the silence facing consumers is total.” E. coli O145:H28 has become one of the more persistent STEC serotypes in recent surveillance, and it has an uncomfortable track record of causing clusters that public health investigators never manage to pin to a food: - 2025 (FDA CORE ref #1303)*.* CDC notified FDA of an O145:H28 cluster (PulseNet ID 2504MLENM) with 11 cases, isolation dates in late March through early April 2025\. Three were hospitalized. There was one HUS case and one death attributed to STEC. The vehicle was never identified. - 2024 (FDA CORE ref #1282).Another O145:H28 cluster, 8 cases, again closed with the food source “not identified.” - United Kingdom, *2024\.* A national O145:H28 outbreak grew to nearly 300 cases with 11 HUS cases and two deaths, ultimately traced to lettuce. UK authorities have flagged O145:H28 as one of the most common STEC serotypes they now detect. **About E. coli infections** Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled blueberries and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems. ### Sunday Edition: In the spotlight URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/sunday-edition-in-the-spotlight/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:15:21.000Z **Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week** - A significant Salmonella outbreak across Europe [has sickened more than 100 people now](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/more-than-100-sick-in-severe-multi-country-salmonella-outbreak/). Children and young adults have been most affected, with 49 victims hospitalized. The UK and Lithuania have the largest number of cases. The source appears to be flavored instant noodle products from the Reeva brand and some cases seem to have resulted from eating the product directly from the package. “This is absolutely not advisable, as the product is not ready to eat,” said Ulrich Pinstrup, from the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency. - In the US, the FDA is investigating a [new outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/new-e-coli-outbreak-detected-fda-begins-onsite-inspections-in-nara-infant-formula-botulism-outbreak/) involving E. coli O157:H7 with 14 patients affected so far. The agency has not reported where the victims are located or what food is being investigated as the source. The FDA has also begun onsite inspections related to an outbreak of botulism traced to Nara Organics infant formula. As of July 1, three patients have been hospitalized with symptoms. - The [Senate Agriculture Committee has released its draft of the 2026 Farm Bill](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/2026-farm-bill-includes-food-safe/) which it will consider later this year. Food safety provisions in the bill include: a requirement to update food safety preparation regulations and guidelines for childcare facilities regarding fresh fruits and vegetables, establishment of a pilot program to allow custom slaughter facilities exemption from inspection to sell meat and poultry products directly to consumers and creation of standards for honey authentication. --- Hello FSN+ members, We are not producing a fresh Sunday Edition newsletter this week because of the Independence Day holiday. Here are some highlights and updates related to the great work the FSN team does each week. Thank you for your continued support! Morgan Holm Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief --- In February, we did [a deep dive on so-called “forever chemicals.”](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/02/sunday-edition-forever-chemicals/?ref=the-sunday-edition-newsletter) Those are PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals are resistant to heat, water and oil. They also degrade very slowly so they are used in water systems to protect infrastructure. Here are some of the most recent developments on the topic. - The EPA will hold a virtual public hearing on July 7 to accept comments on proposed rules that would [rescind regulatory standards for four PFAS](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfas-rescission-rule?ref=foodsafetynews.com) that were set in 2024\. Drinking water providers would also have [more time to comply with standards](https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfoa-and-pfos-compliance-extension-rule?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for two other PFAS under another proposed rule. - Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced [a proposed settlement in a lawsuit against Chemours Chemical Company](https://westvirginiawatch.com/2026/06/25/chemours-would-pay-11-25m-to-wv-under-proposed-settlement-in-federal-case-over-pfas-discharges/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) for discharging PFAS into water supplies in West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. The settlement, which has not yet been approved by a judge, would require the company to pay more than $22 million in civil penalties for PFAS discharges above allowable limits near its facilities in those three states. Under the proposed settlement, Chemours would not admit liability. The company would also be required to spend $90 million over the next 15 years to clean up the affected waters. The DOJ says this is the first settlement to resolve enforcement claims tied to pollution from a PFAS manufacturer. --- In May, we looked at the [2026 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/05/sunday-edition-h-r-7567/). The legislation included a 20 percent cut in the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill later this summer. Here’s the latest on this topic: - Last week, a federal judge in Washington D.C. [blocked a Trump administration policy that allowed states to restrict the use of SNAP benefits](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/22/us/politics/judge-ruling-food-stamps-sugary-drinks.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.uVA.1Nmg.trX%5Flq9FEh%5FU&smid=url-share&ref=foodsafetynews.com). Benefits recipients in five states sued the USDA over [limits on using SNAP funds to buy candy, soda, energy drinks and prepared desserts](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/06/maha-gets-states-to-sign-waivers-further-restricting-snap-purchases/). Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the USDA did not have the authority to give waivers to states that want to limit how the benefits are used since Congress defines what is considered "food" for the purposes of the program. - The USDA released its [fiscal year 2025 payment error rates for SNAP](https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/qc/per?ref=foodsafetynews.com) last week. This wouldn’t normally be a big deal, but under the One Big Beautiful Bill approved by Congress in 2025, states that have an error rate at or above six percent must start to pay a portion of SNAP benefits for their residents beginning in the fall of 2027\. The average error rate across the nation is 10.62 percent, which Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says is “further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP.” The rate measures over- and underpayments in SNAP that often reflect unintentional mistakes (fraud and abuse are tracked by separate metrics). Many states could be on the hook for $100 million or more in contributions, that is, [unless the Senate decides to alter the rule in its version of the Farm Bill](https://foodfix.co/states-stare-down-billions-in-new-costs-to-keep-snap-benefits-flowing/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). --- In April, we looked at the [surging popularity of raw milk and one of its biggest proponents, Mark McAfee](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/04/sunday-edition-king-raw/), the owner of RAW FARM LLC in Fresno, CA. Even though many consumers acknowledge the risks associated with unpasteurized milk, it has come to symbolize freedom from the rules and regulations common to many American food products. Here’s what’s happened recently. - [Eleven people in Louisiana](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/raw-milk-outbreak-reported-in-louisiana/) were sickened by campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis after consuming unpasteurized, raw milk. Two were hospitalized. Louisiana does not allow the sale of raw milk for human consumption, although it can be purchased for animal or pet consumption. - At the end of May, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed into law [a measure increasing the cap on sales of raw milk to consumers](https://www.kosu.org/oklahoma-raw-milk-law?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The new state law allows sales of up to 1,500 gallons of raw milk directly to consumers each month. The old cap was 100 gallons. Supporters of the law hailed it for giving dairy producers more freedom and for supporting small family farms. We’ll be back next week with more insights and perspective about food safety. --- *Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage?* [*Click here*](https://tally.so/r/Y5YzZB?ref=foodsafetynews.com) *to give us your feedback.* ### Publix Recalls Blueberries due to E. coli Illnesses URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publix-recalls-blueberries-dues-to-e-coli-illnesses/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T00:23:24.000Z Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., San Carlos, Chile is recalling frozen **GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries 10 oz.** Because it may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O145:H28 (E. coli O145). *E. coli* O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing *E. coli* (STEC) that can cause illness characterized by severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (which may be bloody), and vomiting. While most healthy individuals recover within a week, some infections may result in a serious complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), particularly in young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems. The recalled product was shipped to Publix retail stores throughout 8 states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Consumers should check their freezers for the affected product. The affected product lot is: - **Product:** Frozen GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries - **Package Size:** 10 oz - **Lot Code:** 60401 - **Best By Date:** February 9, 2028 - Publix is advising customers return or discard any frozen GreenWise blueberries products with a purchase date of 7/3/2026 or before No other lot codes or Best By dates are affected by this recall. There have been reports of 12 confirmed cases of consumers experiencing stomach illness between May 11, 2026 and June 5, 2026 linked with E. coli O145:H28 infections After receiving reports of consumers experiencing digestive illnesses and having consumed GreenWise frozen blueberries as part of their diet, Frutas y Hortalizas S.A. has decided to initiate the recall. Consumers who have frozen GreenWise blueberry products with the affected lot date should **not consume it**. Frutas y Hortalizas S.A. is working closely with the appropriate regulatory authorities and its customers regarding this recall. The company has instructed all customers receiving the affected lot to immediately isolate the product, discontinue its distribution, and notify any downstream customers who may have received the affected lot. ### Publisher’s Platform: The Safest Fourth of July in 250 Years URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-the-safest-fourth-of-july-in-250-years/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:14:21.000Z This Saturday, somewhere around 150 million Americans will pick up a hot dog, a hamburger, a scoop of potato salad, or an ear of sweet corn dripping with butter. It is the most democratic meal of the year — the one day a country that agrees on almost nothing sits down to more or less the same plate. On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I want to write something I rarely get to say in this space: the meal we will share this Fourth of July is the safest in the history of the republic. That is worth celebrating. I have spent more than thirty years on the other side of that sentence. My career has been a long catalog of the days food safety failed — the outbreaks, the hospital rooms, the families who trusted a label and paid for it. Believe me when I tell you that the progress is real, and that it did not happen by accident. Consider the Fourth of July that the signers themselves would have known. In 1776, nobody at that table understood why food made people sick. Germ theory was nearly a century away. There was no refrigeration beyond a cellar or a block of pond ice, no inspection of any kind, no notion that the invisible could kill you. A summer picnic in the heat was a genuine gamble, and when the gamble went wrong, people called it fate. A child lost to "summer complaint" was mourned and buried, and no one thought to ask which farm, which pump, which cut of meat was to blame — because the questions themselves had not yet been invented. Then, slowly, they were. Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch gave us the germ theory of disease, and for the first time the enemy had a name. Mechanical refrigeration moved from the meatpacking house into the corner grocery and eventually the American kitchen, and the summer months stopped being a season of dread. In 1906, a young novelist named Upton Sinclair aimed for the country's heart and hit its stomach instead — *The Jungle* so sickened the public that Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in a single year. Milk, once one of the deadliest things a family could bring home, was tamed by pasteurization, and a generation of children who would have died before their fifth birthday grew up instead. I will not pretend the modern era begins anywhere but 1993\. When four children died and hundreds fell ill after eating undercooked hamburgers, *E. coli* O157:H7 stopped being an obscure entry in a microbiology text and became a household fear. That outbreak drew the line between the food safety world that came before and the one we live in now. Within a year, the government declared that pathogen an adulterant in ground beef — meaning the burger on your grill this weekend is held to a legal standard that did not exist when I started practicing law. In 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act rebuilt the system around a radical idea: that the point is to *prevent* contamination rather than merely mop it up afterward. Add it up, and the arithmetic is staggering. The hamburger a father flips this Saturday is the safest hamburger any American father has ever grilled. The glass of milk a child drinks is the safest glass of milk in two hundred and fifty years. We have driven *Salmonella*, *Listeria*, *Campylobacter*, and their cousins into retreat — not to zero, never yet to zero, but to a place our ancestors could only have called a miracle. None of this was inevitable, and none of it was free. It was built by people whose names will never appear in a headline. The inspector walking a plant floor at five in the morning. A company’s director of food safety that pushed for reform. The line worker who pulls a questionable lot because it is the right thing to do. The state lab technician quietly serotyping the day's stool samples. The FoodNet epidemiologist who notices that three sick children in three different states ate the same brand — and picks up the phone. These are the people who made this holiday safe. They are the reason a hot dog is something no one at your table will think twice about. That thoughtlessness is their monument. I have made a career of arguing that we can do better, and on most days, I still believe our system is held together with too much good luck and not enough political will. Surveillance can be cut. Inspectors can be furloughed. Lessons can be unlearned. Progress must be tended. But the Fourth of July is not a day for the argument. It is a day for the gratitude that makes the argument worth having. This Saturday, before the fireworks, I will raise a paper plate to the invisible army that keeps my clients' ranks from growing. My professional dream has always been a strange one for a lawyer: to make food safe enough that people stop needing me. On the 250th birthday of a country that keeps, against long odds, getting better at feeding itself — that dream feels a little less far off than it used to. Happy Independence Day. Eat well and eat safely. We have earned both. ### Beef jerky recalled because of undeclared wheat URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/beef-jerky-recalled-because-of-undeclared-wheat/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T01:27:31.000Z The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for a beef jerky product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The product contains wheat, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. People with allergies or sensitivities to wheat run the risk of serious or life threatening reactions if they consume the product. A recall was not requested because the product is no longer available for purchase. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. The ready-to-eat beef jerky item was produced on various dates between Aug. 7, 2025, and July 1, 2026\. The following product is subject to the public health alert: - 2.5-oz. plastic bag packages of “STREET’S BEEF Jerky TERIYAKI FLAVOR” with lot codes 0701271, 0520271, 04014271, 0415271, 0211271, 1015261, 1016261, 1029261, 0909261, 0806261, and 0820261 shown on a sticker on the packaging. The product has the establishment number “EST. 21827” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. This item was shipped to three retail locations in Oklahoma: Bordwine Hay, Feed & Hardware, Grassroots Farm Store, and Bromide Trading Co. The problem was discovered during a routine FSIS label review. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a health care provider. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. ### DOJ ends investigation into infant formula company linked to deadly cronobacter outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/doj-ends-investigation-into-infant-formula-company-linked-to-deadly-cronobacter-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T00:23:42.000Z The Department of Justice has closed its investigation into Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturer of infant formula that was tied to a 2021-22 outbreak of cronobacter infections. Four babies were sickened and two died in the outbreak. All four were fed Abbott’s infant formula. After the outbreak, Abbott recalled its Similac, Alimentum and EleCare formula and closed a manufacturing plant, leading to a severe nationwide shortage of infant formula. The company has since reopened the manufacturing facility. The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation into the situation after cronobacter was found in the Abbott manufacturing plant in Sturgis, MI. The cronobacter species found at the plant did not match that from samples taken from the sick infants, but the Food and Drug Administration reported that did not mean the implicated species had not been present when the formula in question was produced. The *Wall Street Journal* and *Reuters* news service have reported that the DOJ ended its investigation into Abbott after it came to light that the company gave $500,000 to President Trump’s inauguration committee. The White House and Abbott have not responded to requests for comment from the news outlets. A Public Citizen analysis published in April 2025 listed Abbott among 58 corporations facing federal investigations or enforcement that together gave $50 million to Trump's inauguration, with Abbott's contribution recorded at $500,000. At the time the DOJ investigation began, some prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to file criminal charges against Abbott. However, when the investigation was closed, the DOJ decided to merely take back money the company earned from selling formula through federally funded nutrition programs, the *Journal* reported. ### Experts make case for domestic food safety focus URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/experts-make-case-for-domestic-food-safety-focus/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T04:04:15.000Z Experts are hoping revised foodborne infection data can shift the focus of resources from trade to investing in domestic food safety. The World Health Organization (WHO) updated [foodborne illness estimates](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/who-estimates-reveal-millions-of-foodborne-illness-deaths/) thanks to work by the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG). Incidence, death, and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) burdens were estimated for certain diseases from 2000 to 2021. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Moldova and Malta report food poisoning incidents URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/moldova-and-malta-report-food-poisoning-incidents/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T04:02:49.000Z Moldova and Malta have both recently recorded separate outbreaks of foodborne illness. In Moldova, the National Agency for Public Health (ANSP) reported an outbreak of food poisoning among people who attended events in a hotel in Chisinau. The epidemiological investigation found that onset of symptoms was associated with participation in several events during June 22 to 26\. Local media reported that the implicated venue was the Radisson Blu Leogrand hotel. Overall, nine events of interest were organized in the hotel, attended by 519 people. So far, 26 people have fallen sick. Most of these people have been hospitalized and are receiving specialist treatment. Some officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were among the participants at the events and sought medical assistance for symptoms of food poisoning. Following laboratory investigations, Salmonella Enteritidis was confirmed in seven patients. Other samples are still being examined. Samples have been taken from personnel involved in food preparation and handling as well as from food products. **Malta incident** In Malta, public health authorities are investigating an outbreak identified in late June among employees after eating lunch at their workplace. In total, 19 people were assessed at the accident and emergency department and two required hospital admission. All affected people were reported to be in a stable condition. Public health authorities have opened an epidemiological investigation to identify the source and extent of the outbreak. The pathogen responsible has not been disclosed. The Food Safety and Security Authority (FSSA) is focusing on the items served, including the collection and analysis of relevant food and environmental samples to determine the source of the contamination. As a precautionary measure, the authority issued an Emergency Control Order, and the kitchen facilities were closed pending further investigations and implementation of corrective measures. The public was reminded of the importance of good food hygiene practices, particularly during periods of hot weather. Particular attention should be paid to maintaining appropriate refrigeration temperatures, avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, and ensuring thorough cooking of food products. The FSSA also revealed it had been alerted to a van that arrived in Malta via the ferry from Sicily, carrying various food products. According to the Tax and Customs Administration, the van had come from Albania and gone through Sicily before reaching Malta. An inspection of the vehicle found food items including meat, yoghurt, snacks, cheese, olive oil, soft drinks, beans, eggs, alcohol, salt and juices. Products had been transported at inappropriate temperatures or lacked the required labeling. Also, traceability documentation was missing. Products were sealed and will be destroyed. Traders are legally obliged to register with the FSSA and to notify it at least 48 hours prior to the entry into Malta of any animals, food, feeding stuffs, or plants. This requirement applies even when goods originate from within the European Union. ### Keeping America’s 250th Independence Day leftovers safe URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/keeping-americas-250th-independence-day-leftovers-safe/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T04:01:44.000Z As the United States marks its 250th Independence Day, families will be packing away picnic trays, grill platters and dessert tables and facing the question of how to safely handle leftovers in the sizzling summer heat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warns that improper storage of perishable foods can quickly lead to foodborne illness as bacteria multiply in warm conditions. **Follow the two-hour rule** Perishable foods should not sit out for more than two hours, or one hour if temperatures exceed 90 degrees F. Foods left in the “Danger Zone” between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F can quickly support the growth of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. - Refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour if above 90 degrees F) - Discard foods left out too long - Do not rely on appearance or smell to judge safety **Store leftovers safely** Rapid cooling is key to preventing bacterial growth. - Use small, shallow containers for quick cooling - Refrigerate or freeze promptly - Label containers with dates - Refrigerate leftovers at 40 degrees F or below Large containers of foods such as potato salad, baked beans or grilled meats should be divided into smaller portions before storage. **Know how long to keep them** Even in the refrigerator, leftovers do not last indefinitely. - Eat refrigerated leftovers within 4 days - Freeze for longer storage if needed - Frozen foods remain safe but quality declines over time **Reheat to safe temperatures** Proper reheating ensures any surviving bacteria are destroyed. - Heat leftovers to 165 degrees F internal temperature - Bring soups, sauces and gravies to a rolling boil - Stir and rotate food in microwaves to avoid cold spots - Avoid slow cookers for reheating **Prevent cross-contamination** Food safety risks can continue after cooking if foods are stored improperly. - Keep raw meats separate from ready-to-eat foods - Use clean utensils and surfaces after handling raw items - Store leftovers in sealed containers **Where to get help** Consumers with questions can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or visit ask.usda.gov. By following basic safety steps, Americans can extend their celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday without an unwanted side of foodborne illness. ### Call to address fraud in food security programs URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/call-to-address-fraud-in-food-security-programs/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T04:01:31.000Z Experts have voiced concerns about food fraud in food security programs and suggested ways to combat the problem. A report made several recommendations including penalizing and discouraging food fraud practices, greenwashing and misleading claims or labels by requiring businesses to verify claims about how products were cultivated, grown, processed and packaged. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### FDA steps up import enforcement action on infant formula, cantaloupes and seafood URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/fda-steps-up-import-enforcement-action-on-infant-formula-cantaloupes-and-seafood/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T04:00:36.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. [Click here](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USFDA/2026/06/29/file%5Fattachments/3697433/Import%20Alerts%20Modified%20in%20the%20past%207%20days%202026-06-29.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to go to the FDA page with links to details on specific alerts. See chart below for a list of the most recent alerts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/43/4e/434e508a-5e2f-4102-a53d-00bca10bb4bf/content/images/2026/07/import-alerts-07-02-26.png) Click on table to enlarge. Use link above to go to FDA page with links to individual alerts. ### Publisher's Platform: Nara, you knew what when? And, your words matter! URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-nara-you-knew-what-when-and-your-words-matter/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:14:57.000Z Three babies — in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington — were hospitalized with botulism after being fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. All three were between two and five months old. All three were treated with BabyBIG. On June 13, 2026, Nara recalled every lot. I represent families in cases like these, and I have done it for more than thirty years. So let me be direct about the three things this case turns on. First, the risk of botulism in milk, powdered milk, and powdered infant formula was known — not in hindsight, but on the record, in writing, years before these babies got sick. Second, Nara dressed its product in words like “FDA-registered” and “2,000+ tests per batch” that do not mean what a frightened, sleep-deprived parent in a Target aisle would reasonably think they mean. And third, as the company that imported this formula from Europe, Nara had specific, federally mandated duties to find this hazard and make sure its supplier controlled it. From where I sit, representing the families, those duties were not met. Botulism in powdered formula was not a danger nobody saw coming. Just the opposite. On March 8, 2023 — more than three years ago — the FDA sent a Call-to-Action letter to the powdered infant formula industry. It was signed by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. And, critically, it was addressed by its own terms to manufacturers, packers, distributors, exporters, importers, and retailers. The letter told the industry, in plain language, to account for the historical associations between powdered infant formula and pathogens including Cronobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum when designing safety controls. It named the bacterium by genus and species. Nara is a manufacturer and importer. This letter was written to companies exactly like Nara. And none of this was new even in 2023\. Go back to August 2013, when a single suspected botulinum contamination in whey protein concentrate from the New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra set off a precautionary recall across seven countries — roughly a thousand tons of product used to make infant formula and sports drinks. China ordered Abbott to pull baby formula off its shelves over the scare. It later turned out the organism was a non-pathogenic Clostridium, not C. botulinum at all. But that is precisely the point: more than a decade ago, the mere suspicion of botulinum in milk powder sent the global dairy and formula industry into a five-alarm panic — product yanked from seven countries, executives toppled. Nobody in this business can stand up and say the hazard was off the radar. Then came the proof of concept. In November 2025, Clostridium botulinum in ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula — also a whole-milk-powder product — sickened 48 infants across 17 states. Federal and state investigators confirmed the link in the strongest way science allows — whole genome sequencing tied the strain in the whole milk powder to the strain in the finished formula to the strain in the sick babies. The FDA has publicly described its root-cause work on incoming ingredients such as powdered milk, and the agency pushed the Joint FAO/WHO expert body to open a formal risk assessment of spore-forming pathogens — including C. botulinum — in powdered infant formula. Back in March 2025 — before Nara had sold a single can — the FDA and HHS launched a national infant-formula safety initiative they named Operation Stork Speed, built in part around increased testing of formula and its ingredients for contaminants. After ByHeart, the FDA folded the botulism lesson straight into that program. Its public Operation Stork Speed page now describes increased testing of infant formula and its ingredients for spore-forming microbiological contaminants, naming Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus outright. And in February 2026 — months before the babies in this outbreak ever became ill — the FDA opened a sampling assignment aimed at exactly the ingredients at issue here: whole milk powder, non-fat dry milk powder, and whey protein concentrate. So, in the very window when Nara was selling whole-milk-powder formula to American families, the federal government was publicly testing that exact ingredient for that exact organism. Nara cannot claim it missed the memo, either. Its own marketing reached for the FDA’s companion contaminant program, “Closer to Zero,” to dress up its heavy-metals testing — while saying nothing about the spore-former the same agency was chasing through the same supply chain under the same banner. Here is the part that matters most, and that Nara’s marketing never grappled with. Clostridium botulinum is a spore-former. The FDA has gone out of its way to explain the difference between spore-forming bacteria like C. botulinum and vegetative bacteria like Cronobacter and Salmonella: the vegetative organisms are killed by ordinary pasteurization, while botulinum spores survive pasteurization and persist in the environment. The spores live in soil and dust and walk into plants on hands and shoes. That is precisely why you cannot pasteurize your way out of this problem, and why the controls have to start with the milk and the supplier — not end with a reassuring number on a website. When I ask what Nara should have known, the honest answer is: everything above. It was on the FDA’s letterhead in 2023\. It was on the national news in late 2025\. It was the subject of a federal testing program running in early 2026\. The babies in this outbreak did not get sick until the spring of 2026. Expect Nara to answer all of this with a single word: unprecedented. The FDA has described the 2025 ByHeart event as the first known instance of infant botulism tied to formula since the illness was first described roughly fifty years ago, and Nara will lean on that hard — no one could have predicted this. But foreseeability has never meant “this exact product did this exact thing before.” It means a careful company knew or should have known of the risk. And the danger that environmental C. botulinum spores pose to infants is not obscure science. It is the reason every pediatrician and every parenting pamphlet warns never to give honey to a baby under one year old. A company that builds infant food out of an agricultural powder — milk that comes out of barns and off of farms — did not need a prior formula outbreak to understand that the single most vulnerable population on earth for this organism was precisely the population it was feeding. Walk through Nara’s own marketing and one phrase appears again and again: “FDA-registered.” It is paired with talk of a “first-of-its-kind” clinical trial and with the claim that the company performed that trial “in order to be FDA registered.” The clear impression — the intended impression — is that a federal agency vetted this formula, tested it, and blessed it as safe. That is not how infant formula works in this country, and Nara knows it. The FDA’s own website could not be clearer: the agency does not approve infant formulas. Manufacturers must notify the FDA before marketing a new formula and must register, and the FDA reviews those submissions to confirm the product meets nutrient and certain other requirements. But registration and notification are not approval. They are not an FDA inspection of the actual factory in Germany. They are not an FDA seal of safety. And they are certainly not a finding that the product is free of Clostridium botulinum. “FDA-registered” is a paperwork status. Nara turned it into a marketing virtue and let parents read it as a guarantee. That gap — between what the words say and what parents were led to believe — is exactly the kind of thing I intend to put in front of a jury. There is a second sleight of hand tucked inside the same boast. Nara points to a large, first-of-its-kind, double-blinded clinical trial as proof of its formula’s “safety.” A new-formula clinical trial is a growth-and-tolerance study — it measures whether babies fed the formula grow normally and tolerate it. It is a nutrition study. It does not test for Clostridium botulinum, and it says nothing whatsoever about whether the powder in the can is free of spores. Presenting “clinically tested for safety” as a general assurance, when the trial never went near the hazard that actually hurt these children, is the same move as “FDA-registered” – a true-sounding credential standing in for a safety guarantee it was never designed to give. Nara marketed itself on volume: 2,000-plus safety and quality tests on every batch, testing that “exceeds” minimums, an independent Purity Award. Read closely, and you see what that testing was actually aimed at — heavy metals, Cronobacter, pesticides, chemicals of concern. Those are real things to test for. None of them is the spore that paralyzed these babies. Look at what Nara itself added to its recall page after the outbreak: a list of organisms it tests for that now includes Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus and “other spore forming organisms.” Notice what is conspicuously absent from that list. The one spore-former at the center of this outbreak — Clostridium botulinum — is not named. That same pattern runs through Nara’s proudest safety badge. The company trumpets a Clean Label Project “Purity Award” and testing for hundreds of “chemicals of concern.” But the Clean Label Project, by its own description, screens for heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers — chemical and environmental contaminants. It does not test for pathogens; the organization openly frames itself as covering the ground that pathogen-focused food safety leaves out. The very award Nara waves to signal “safe” is, by definition, silent on the microbial spore that put three babies in the hospital. It is a purity seal for chemicals, marketed as a safety seal for everything. And here is the deeper problem, which the FDA has said out loud: testing a finished can of powder for botulinum spores is not a reliable safety net. The spores are sparse and unevenly scattered; the FDA notes that detecting them requires specialized methods, takes two weeks or more, and that the presence or absence of spores in a sample is not by itself determinative of risk. That is the whole point. You do not protect infants from this hazard by testing your way to a clean certificate at the end of the line. You protect them by controlling the milk and the manufacturing — upstream, where the spores enter. A company that sells parents on “2,000+ tests” is selling reassurance the science does not support, while the actual control that mattered was somewhere else entirely. This formula was not made by Nara — though Nara will be held to a manufacturer’s standard. It was made in Germany and imported into the United States by Nara Organics. Nara would like the conversation to stop at “made in Germany to EU standards.” The law does not let it stop there. When you import food into the United States, you are the Foreign Supplier Verification Program importer under the FDA’s rules — 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart L, the regulations Congress required in the Food Safety Modernization Act. Those rules are not a formality. They require the importer to develop and follow a program that gives adequate assurance that its foreign supplier is making the food under controls that provide at least the same level of public health protection as U.S. preventive-controls law, and that the food is not adulterated. The importer must conduct a hazard analysis to identify the known or reasonably foreseeable hazards for that food. It must evaluate the risk. And it must verify — through audits, sampling, records review, and supplier approval — that the foreign supplier is actually controlling those hazards. Read that standard again: known or reasonably foreseeable hazards. After a 2023 FDA letter addressed to importers that named Clostridium botulinum, and after the ByHeart outbreak made the front page, botulinum in whole-milk-powder infant formula was the definition of a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard. Nara’s hazard analysis was supposed to catch it. Its supplier-verification program was supposed to confirm the German manufacturer controlled it. What makes this worse is that Nara told parents it was doing exactly this kind of diligence. The company advertised “extremely high standards for working with a supplier,” “full evaluations of every ingredient partner,” and “full control over our manufacturing.” Yet to this day Nara has refused to publicly name the German manufacturer that actually made this formula. You cannot square a public promise of rigorous supplier verification with a refusal to even identify the supplier. The FSVP rules exist precisely so that the company putting its brand on the can — the company taking the parents’ money — cannot point overseas and shrug. I am not interested in hindsight, and the families I represent cannot spend it. What I am interested in is accountability for a sequence that was foreseeable at every step: a hazard the government put in writing in 2023, that a near-identical outbreak proved in 2025, and that the FDA was sampling this very milk powder to catch by early 2026 — attached to an ingredient Nara marketed as its premium selling point, sold under words like “FDA-registered” and “2,000+ tests” engineered to make parents feel safe, by an importer that owed these children a legal duty to find this exact risk and stop it. It is also why I have called on Congress to pass Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act, which would, for the first time, require testing for Clostridium botulinum and mandate environmental testing inside the plants that make this formula — the upstream controls that finished-product marketing can never replace. The parents of these babies trusted a label. They were entitled to the truth behind it. ### More than 100 sick in severe multi-country Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/more-than-100-sick-in-severe-multi-country-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T14:58:27.000Z The number of people sick in a multi-country Salmonella outbreak in Europe has passed 100. Between November 2025 and June 2026, 106 confirmed Salmonella Stanley caseswere reported in 13 European countries and the United Kingdom. The outbreak has mainly affected children and young adults, with 49 people requiring hospitalization. The UK has the most patients with 29 followed by Lithuania with 23, Germany with 14, and Denmark with 10\. Patients in the UK range in age from less than 1 to 84 years old. They are aged 2 to 20 in Lithuania, aged 3 to 26 in Germany, and aged 5 to 22 in Denmark. The outbreak was initially detected by Denmark and reported to the European surveillance portal for infectious diseases (EpiPulse) in late March. **Not following instructions on the label** Epidemiological investigations found that patients in Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania consumed flavored instant noodle products from the Reeva brand before falling ill. “Flavored noodles are a popular quick snack, and we are experiencing a trend where children and young people in particular are eating the product directly from the package. This is absolutely not advisable, as the product is not ready to eat," said Ulrich Pinstrup, from the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency. In Latvia, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SKPC) said there are three cases in primary school children who fell ill in April and May. They had consumed Reeva instant noodles raw without adding boiling water and not according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Dr. Gauri Godbole, Deputy Director, Gastrointestinal Infections at UKHSA, said: “We are supporting an ongoing investigation into an international Salmonella outbreak, with most reported cases occurring in children and young people. "Current findings indicate that chicken‑flavoured instant noodles and/or processed chicken products are the suspected sources of infection. There are simple steps to prevent the spread of Salmonella: wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing and handling food, cook food thoroughly, and if you have any symptoms, avoid handling food for others where possible.” The outbreak strain has been detected in Germany and Lithuania in chicken-flavored and hot-chicken-flavored noodle products from one brand. In Lithuania, testing of other batches from the same brand found Salmonella Richmond and Salmonella Newport. In Estonia, a chicken-flavored noodle product was positive for Salmonella Senftenberg. **Ukraine link** In Germany, Reeva Instant Noodle Dish Chicken Flavor 60 grams was recalled. The affected lot is L0126 with an expiration date of April 5, 2027\. According to SLCO GmbH & Co. KG, an investigation by authorities in Saxony detected Salmonella Stanley in the product. Products have been traced to a producer in Ukraine. This points to a common source of contamination at production plant level, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Other strains of Salmonella have been detected, suggesting that more than one contamination source may be involved. There have been reports of chicken consumption in most affected countries, with processed products including nuggets, kebab meat, sausages, and ready-to-eat items frequently consumed. The Ukrainian producer conducted an internal investigation into the contamination. However, the ingredient used as flavoring was negative for Salmonella. ECDC said that further cases may occur because the products have a long shelf life and could remain stored in households for long periods. ### New E. coli outbreak detected; FDA begins onsite inspections in Nara infant formula botulism outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/new-e-coli-outbreak-detected-fda-begins-onsite-inspections-in-nara-infant-formula-botulism-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T04:04:10.000Z Federal public health officials are investigating a new outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. The Food and Drug Administration reports that there are 14 outbreak patients. The agency has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. Investigators with the FDA have initiated traceback, but the agency has not reported what food it is tracing. In other outbreak news, the FDA has begun onsite inspections in relation to the outbreak of botulism traced to Nara Organics infant formula. As of July 1, there are three outbreak patients. All three have experienced paralyzation and all three have required hospitalization. The FDA update posted on July 1 did not report what locations are being inspected. At least four companies are involved in the production and packaging of Nara’s formula. Two of the companies are in Europe. Prior to learning of the illnesses, FDA conducted inspections at the two firms that manufacture and package Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula in Europe. At the conclusion of both inspections, observations citing deficiencies were issued to both facilities. Both firms have submitted corrective action responses to FDA, which are currently under review. Two companies in the United States produce the milk and powdered milk used in the Nara product. The milk was supplied by Organic West Milk and spray dried by Dairy Farmers of America. **Additional outbreak updates** For an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to a not yet identified product, the case count has increased from 70 to 77\. The FDA first reported the outbreak on June 10\. The agency has begun traceback but has not reported what food is being traced. The FDA has not reported the patients’ ages or where they live. For outbreaks of Cyclospora linked to a not yet identified product, FDA has initiated sampling. The agency has not reported what food or location it is sampling. One of the outbreaks has eight confirmed patients and the other has two. These outbreaks are separate from Cyclospora outbreaks that have sickened 145 people across 17 states. No source has been determined for those outbreaks. ### Food safety tips to keep America's 250th anniversary illness-free URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/food-safety-tips-to-keep-americas-250th-anniversary-illness-free/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T04:02:50.000Z As Americans prepare to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday this Fourth of July, millions of people will gather for backyard barbecues, picnics, parades and fireworks displays. Food safety experts say taking a few simple precautions can help ensure the holiday is remembered for the celebration and not foodborne illness. Warm summer temperatures create ideal conditions for harmful bacteria to multiply, especially when food is left outdoors for extended periods. Proper handwashing, preventing cross-contamination and cooking foods to safe internal temperatures are among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. **Safe grilling starts with the basics** The USDA recommends several simple steps to reduce the risk of foodborne illness during holiday cookouts: - **Wash hands** with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat, poultry or seafood. - **Preheat and clean the grill** before cooking to remove residue from previous use. - **Keep raw and cooked foods separate** by using different plates, utensils and cutting boards. - **Discard used marinades** that have come into contact with raw meat instead of reusing them. **Cook foods to the proper temperature** A food thermometer is the only reliable way to determine whether meat has reached a safe internal temperature. Color alone is not a dependable indicator. The USDA recommends cooking: - Ground meats to 160 degrees F - Whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal to 145 degrees F, followed by a three-minute rest - All poultry to 165 degrees F - Fish to 145 degrees F **Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold** Temperature control is especially important during outdoor celebrations. Food safety experts recommend: - Refrigerating perishable foods within two hours of eating, or within one hour if outdoor temperatures exceed 90 degrees F - Keeping cold foods at 40 degrees F or below in coolers packed with ice - Holding hot foods at 140 degrees F or above until they are served Shared serving bowls, condiment bottles and snack dishes can also spread bacteria if guests handle them with unwashed hands. Encourage children to wash their hands after playing outside or swimming before eating. **Watch out for higher-risk foods** Some popular Fourth of July foods carry a greater risk of foodborne illness if they are improperly prepared or stored. These include: - Raw or undercooked burgers - Homemade foods made with raw eggs - Unpasteurized milk or juice - Raw sprouts - Raw shellfish - Raw cookie dough or cake batter, because uncooked flour may contain harmful E. coli Whether celebrating with family, friends or neighbors during America's 250th Independence Day, following basic food safety practices can help keep the focus on good food, good company and a safe holiday. ### Belgian 2025 review includes deadly E. coli outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/belgian-2025-review-includes-deadly-e-coli-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T04:01:33.000Z The Belgian food agency’s annual report was released recently and highlighted a fatal E. coli outbreak and revealed food fraud cases. The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) marked its 25th anniversary in 2025. In total, 773 foodborne outbreaks were reported with 3,375 people affected and 71 hospitalizations. There were 12 deaths. In 2024, there were 777 outbreaks with 4,248 people sick and 205 hospitalized. Six people died. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Publisher's Platform: Letter to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/publishers-platform-26/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:15:48.000Z The Honorable Bill Cassidy, M.D., Chairman The Honorable Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions United States Senate 428 Senate Dirksen Office Building Washington, DC 20510 **Re: *Finish what the Senate started — botulism in infant formula, the shared milk and powdered-milk supply behind two outbreaks, and the case for hearings and parent testimony*** Dear Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders, and Members of the Committee: For more than thirty years — since the 1993 Jack in the Box *E. coli* outbreak — I have represented children and families poisoned by food they trusted. I now represent the families of more than twenty-five infants paralyzed by botulism in the first months of their lives because of contaminated powdered infant formula. I wrote to this Committee’s House counterpart last week in support of H.R. 7867, the Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act of 2026[\[1\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn1), and I am writing to you now because the Senate has already shown what this body can do on this issue — and because the work is not finished. **You have already led on this — and it mattered** Let me begin with credit, because you have earned it. On April 29, 2026, this Committee reported the [Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, S. 272](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/272?ref=foodsafetynews.com), favorably by a vote of 22 to 0, and the full Senate passed it the same day by unanimous consent.[\[2\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn2) Bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Gary Peters and John Hoeven, cleared this body without a single dissenting voice. That is not a small thing. In a Washington that agrees on almost nothing, the Senate agreed that parents deserve to be told, within one business day, when the formula in their baby’s bottle has tested positive for a deadly pathogen. That achievement fits squarely within the food-safety agenda th Administration has championed under the banner of Making America Healthy Again. The MAHA movement has put the safety and integrity of what we feed our children at the center of the national conversation — Operation Stork Speed forced the first serious look at infant formula in a generation, and the FDA’s April 2026 contaminant testing was the largest this country has ever conducted.[\[3\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn3) I have said publicly, and I will say it to you, that this work is long overdue and I am glad it is happening. The Senate’s passage of S. 272 is of a piece with it. You closed a real gap, and you should be proud of it. **But S. 272 does not reach the pathogen that actually paralyzed these babies** Here is the hard part, and I say it as someone who supports what you did. S. 272 requires one-business-day notice only for the organisms already on the books — *Cronobacter* and *Salmonella*. It does not reach *Clostridium botulinum*, the spore-forming organism that produced the toxin that hospitalized 48 infants across 17 states in the ByHeart outbreak[\[4\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn4) and three more infants in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington in the Nara Organics outbreak.[\[5\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn5) Every one of those 51 babies was hospitalized. Many were placed on ventilators. Each was treated with BabyBIG antitoxin, which the State of California prices at $69,300 per dose.[\[6\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn6) Not one of them was harmed by the contaminants the April testing screened for. They were paralyzed by a spore that no federal regulation requires anyone to test powdered formula for, before or after it ships. The hazard was not a surprise. On March 8, 2023 — two years before the first ByHeart baby fell ill — the FDA sent a [Call-to-Action letter](https://www.fda.gov/media/166044/download?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to the entire powdered infant formula industry, signed by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, naming *Clostridium botulinum* by genus and species and instructing manufacturers to account for it in the design of their controls.[\[7\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn7) The danger was foreseeable, it was named in writing by the government, and the rule still does not require the test. [H.R. 7867](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7867?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Reports, the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, STOP Foodborne Illness, and others — is the bill that names *botulism* on the testing list, mandates environmental monitoring inside the plant, and holds foreign manufacturers to American standards.[\[8\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn8) The Senate did the narrower bill. The House has the broader one in front of it now. **My first ask is simple: I asked the House to move on H.R. 7867\. I am asking the Senate to do the same.* Take up companion legislation, or your own measure, that closes the botulinum gap S. 272 left open — and finish what this Committee started on April 29.* **Why the system missed it twice — and why this Committee should hold hearings** The two outbreaks were not unrelated coincidences. They shared a supply chain. The FDA’s own traceback has now confirmed that the Nara formula fed to the three sick infants was made with milk supplied by Organic West Milk and spray-dried by Dairy Farmers of America — the same two suppliers linked to the ByHeart outbreak.[\[9\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn9) One upstream source furnished the milk and the powdered milk behind both brands. The contamination did not strike two companies by chance; it traveled through one shared stream that the system missed the first time and then missed again. During the 2025 ByHeart investigation, the FDA did exactly what the playbook calls for: it ran a trace-forward and asked Organic West who else it supplied, so the next brand could be found before the next baby got sick. According to the FDA’s June 26, 2026 update, the customer list Organic West produced was incomplete — it did not include Nara — and Organic West has now admitted the list should have listed Nara. The trace-forward happened during the 2025 outbreak. The Nara babies were hospitalized in April and May 2026\. A complete, accurate list could have put Nara on the FDA’s radar months before a single infant showed a symptom. The one mechanism designed to prevent the second outbreak existed, the agency used it, and an incomplete supplier disclosure defeated it. That is precisely the kind of failure congressional oversight exists to examine. The questions are concrete, and the answers belong on the record, under oath: 1\. **Questions to the FDA:** When did the agency learn that Organic West and DFA supplied both ByHeart and Nara? Why did the 2025 trace-forward fail to surface Nara, what is the backstop when a supplier’s customer list is incomplete, and why does [federal regulation](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/subpart-B/section-106.55?ref=foodsafetynews.com) still require finished-powder testing only for *Salmonella* and *Cronobacter* — and nothing for *Clostridium botulinum*[\[10\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn10) — three years after the agency named the organism in its own letter to industry? 2\. **Questions to Dairy Farmers of America:** What did you know about the risk of using powdered whole milk in infant formula? What did DFA know about the whole-milk-powder it dried for both brands; what testing did it perform for spore-forming organisms; and what did it disclose, and to whom, during the ByHeart trace-forward? 3\. **Questions to Organic West Milk:** What did you know about the risk of using whole milk in infant formula? Why was Nara left off the customer list provided to the FDA in 2025? Who prepared that list, who reviewed it, and when did Organic West first know that the same milk supply had reached a second infant-formula brand? 4\. **To Nara Organics:** What did you know about the risk of using whole milk in infant formula? When did Nara learn that its whole-milk-powder came through the same Organic West/DFA supply stream implicated in the ByHeart outbreak; what did it test for; and what did it tell regulators and parents — and when? The common thread running through all four is a single question this Committee is uniquely positioned to ask in public: ***why was the shared milk and powdered-milk supply not disclosed in 2025, when disclosure could have prevented the second outbreak entirely?*** I have spent a career watching companies answer that kind of question only when a courtroom compels them. Discovery and depositions will force a complete record in the litigation I am handling. But the public-policy record — the record that tells you whether the law needs to change — belongs to you. A hearing reaches witnesses, and asks questions, that no single plaintiff’s case can. **My second ask: hold hearings.* Bring the FDA, Dairy Farmers of America, Organic West Milk, and Nara Organics before this Committee and put the disclosure failure of 2025 on the public record — so the next reform is built on what actually happened, not on what anyone is willing to volunteer.* **It is time for the parents to testify** There is one more thing, and to me it is the most important. Throughout this episode, the people with access to the rooms where decisions get made have been the companies and the agencies. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has met with formula-company chief executives more than once. The FDA has convened industry roundtables. The one group that has not been in the room — not in any room that counts — is the parents. I represent those families. They followed every instruction on the label and watched a two-month-old go limp in their arms. They spent weeks in pediatric intensive care not knowing whether their child would breathe on his own again. One family was flown by medevac from Idaho to a children’s hospital in Utah. Several of them have already written statements for Congress; I attached those statements, in their own words and with their own photographs, to my [June 23, 2026 letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/support-for-h-r-7867-the-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act-of-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). They are willing to do more than write. They are willing to come and testify. When this Committee marks the human cost of a policy failure, no expert and no lawyer — myself included — can substitute for the parent who lived it. These mothers and fathers can tell you, better than any of us, what “safe” turned out to mean when the system tested for too little, too late, and told too few people when something went wrong. **My third ask: invite the parents to testify.* Give the families of the ByHeart and Nara infants a seat at the witness table before this Committee writes the next chapter of infant-formula safety law. They have earned it the hardest way there is.* **We have done this before** The Jack in the Box tragedy moved the USDA to declare *E. coli* O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef in 1994 — a single decision that has kept countless children out of hospital beds in the decades since.[\[11\]](https://c4ed4508-f25f-4ad9-9c10-f8964b635422/?ref=foodsafetynews.com#%5Fftn11) This Committee, and this Senate, have the same kind of window open right now. You proved on April 29 that the consensus exists. I am asking you to extend it the one further step these two outbreaks demand: pass a bill that reaches botulism, hold the hearings that put the 2025 disclosure failure on the record, and let the parents speak. Thank you for your leadership on S. 272, and for your consideration of what I believe the moment now requires. Very truly yours, William D. Marler ### 2026 Farm Bill includes food safety education funding URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/2026-farm-bill-includes-food-safe/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T04:05:45.000Z The proposed 2026 Farm Bill includes several provisions for food safety. The formal name of the bill is the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026\. It is a multi-year omnibus bill and is the primary piece of legislation that governs a number of agriculture and food programs. The bill carries a 10-year baseline cost of roughly $1.374 trillion. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### EU tightens tahini and halva Salmonella checks, adjusts rates for other foods URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/eu-tightens-tahini-and-halva-salmonella-checks-adjusts-rates-for-other-foods/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T04:04:18.000Z Stricter controls on tahini and halva from Syria for Salmonella have been put in place by the European Commission. The legislation sets the rate of official controls and special conditions for food and feed of non-animal origin imported into Europe. Action guards against the risk of contamination by mycotoxins, pesticide residues, microbiological contamination, cereulide toxin, Sudan dyes and plant toxins. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Scottish survey finds risky burger habits URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/scottish-survey-finds-risky-burger-habits/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T04:02:02.000Z Nearly one in three consumers in Scotland have eaten beef burgers that are pink or have pink juices, according to a survey. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said results highlight potentially dangerous habits as barbecue season gets underway. The agency urged people to use a meat thermometer to check to make sure pork, poultry, and ground meats have reached 75 degrees C (167 degrees F). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Allergens dominate as recalls drop in New Zealand URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/allergens-dominate-as-recalls-drop-in-new-zealand/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T04:01:01.000Z The number of food recalls declined in New Zealand in 2025 and undeclared allergens were responsible for almost half of the alerts. New Zealand Food Safety supported businesses in conducting 57 consumer-level food recalls this past year, down from 88 in 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Five Star brand oysters recalled in Canada because of Salmonella URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/07/five-star-brand-oysters-recalled-in-canada-because-of-salmonella/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:38:33.000Z Certain Five Star Shellfish Inc. brand oysters are being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Salmonella. The recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency test results. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. The recalled oysters were distributed in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. The recalled oysters can be identified by the following label information: | Brand | Product | Size | UPC | Codes | | ------------------------ | --------------------- | --------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Malpeque oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 22-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Mix/Std | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Malpeque oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Mix/Std | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Malpeque oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Sm/Std | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Malpeque oysters | 25 count | 8 97848 00001 5 | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Standard; BB: 22-JULY-26 | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Malpeque oysters | 2.5 lbs | 8 97848 00018 3 | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Standard; BB: 22-JULY-26 | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Conway Pearls oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 22-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Choice | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Conway Pearls oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Choice | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Blackberry oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Choice | | Five Star Shellfish Inc. | Gooseberry oysters | 100 count | None | Harvest/process date: 22-JUNE-26; Shipping date: 23-JUNE-26; Harvest location: PEI 1Q; Grade: Choice | **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled oysters and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Publisher’s Platform: You Can’t Test One Spore Out of Five Cans — So Fund It, Inspect It, and Let the Parents Speak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/publishers-platform-you-cant-test-one-spore-out-of-five-cans-so-fund-it-inspect-it-and-let-the-parents-speak/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:17:53.000Z [*Scientific American*](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-botulism-keeps-cropping-up-in-infant-formula/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) this morning laid out the brutal arithmetic behind the ByHeart and Nara botulism outbreaks, and every member of Congress should sit with it.[\[1\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn1) *Clostridium botulinum* forms spores that survive pasteurization and spray-drying and hide, dormant, in dried powder — and when they are there, they are there in almost invisible numbers: as low as one spore per three kilograms, about one spore spread across five cans.[\[2\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn2) You cannot even screen the powder for the toxin, because the spores do not make it until they reach a baby’s gut. Nara tested every batch — to a specification ten times stricter than the international guideline, at three separate stages — and still shipped contaminated formula.[\[3\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn3) A study ByHeart commissioned found the same indicator test would not have caught its outbreak either; the lab actually found botulinum in samples where the indicator came back clean.[\[4\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn4) Here is the lesson I am afraid people will take from that, and it is the wrong one: that if you cannot catch one spore in five cans, mandated testing is pointless. No. The science is the strongest argument I have seen for the part of [H.R. 7867](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7867?ref=foodsafetynews.com) almost nobody talks about — the part that does not stop at the can.[\[5\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn5) The bill requires standardized environmental monitoring inside the plant, on one FDA standard, so contamination is caught in the production zones before it ever reaches a can.[\[6\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn6) You do not bet a baby’s life on finding the single spore at the end of the line. You control the milk and the plant so the spore never gets in. Upstream. That is where this fight is won. And there is a scandal hiding in that article. The reason almost no one catches this organism is partly biology and partly that almost no one is equipped to look: *C. botulinum* is a federally classified select agent, and only a handful of labs in the country are cleared to test for it.[\[7\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn7) The New York State lab that finally found the toxin in a sealed ByHeart can did it with a team of seven — five days for a preliminary result and three more weeks to confirm.[\[8\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn8) You cannot mandate a test the country cannot run, inspect plants you have no inspectors for, or prosecute what you were never funded to detect. The Congresswoman who wrote this bill called the agency what it is — a [“resource-starved FDA.”](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/delauro-introduces-bipartisan-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)[\[9\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn9) A mandate without money is a press release. Fund the labs. Fund the inspectors. Fund the risk assessment the scientists say we still do not have. And fund the science itself: the detection methods here are still primitive — the gold standard injects suspect material into live mice and waits days for an answer — and they will stay primitive until we pay the laboratories that can build something faster and more sensitive. ByHeart’s own post-outbreak investigation has already produced a more sensitive protocol;[\[10\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn10) better testing is exactly what sustained funding buys. Testing without inspection is a company grading its own homework, and we already know how that ends. A Blendhouse facility in ByHeart’s supply chain was flagged “Official Action Indicated” — FDA’s most serious classification — before a single one of those babies was hurt.[\[11\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn11) Environmental monitoring and real inspection of the plants and the ingredient suppliers are how you find the cracked dryer, the wet floor, and the contaminated milk powder before any of it reaches a bottle. But testing and inspection still cannot tell you how this happened. The two outbreaks were not bad luck striking twice. FDA’s own traceback shows the milk behind both ByHeart and Nara ran through the same suppliers — Organic West Milk and Dairy Farmers of America.[\[12\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn12) When FDA asked Organic West during the 2025 ByHeart investigation who else it supplied, the list left Nara off it.[\[13\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn13) The one mechanism built to stop the second outbreak existed, the agency used it, and an incomplete disclosure defeated it. I will take those depositions in my own cases. But only Congress can put the answer on the public record, under oath. Bring the CEOs of ByHeart and Nara, and the people who run Organic West and Dairy Farmers of America, to the witness table, and ask them what they knew and when they said it. And bring the parents. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has met with the formula CEOs more than once; the FDA has held its industry roundtables; the one group never in a room that counts is the families.[\[14\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn14)I represent more than twenty-five of them. Fourteen wrote out what they lived through and let me send it to Congress with their children’s photographs[\[15\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn15) — the mother who watched tears run down a baby who had lost the muscle to cry, the family medevaced from Idaho to a hospital in Utah, the parents who went to the emergency room four times before anyone said the word “botulism.” No expert, me included, can stand in for the parent who lived it. We have done this before. Jack in the Box, in 1993, is what made USDA declare *E. coli* O157:H7 an adulterant a year later.[\[16\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn16) The Senate has already passed S. 272 without a single dissenting vote — a good bill that still does not reach the organism that paralyzed these babies.[\[17\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftn17) The *Scientific American* piece is not a reason to give up. It is a blueprint: stop pretending a number on a can is a guarantee, move the controls upstream to the milk and the plant, fund the people who make any mandate real, and put those who caused this — and those who survived it — in the same room, under oath. Pass H.R. 7867\. Fund it. Inspect it. And let the parents speak. We have waited long enough. --- [\[1\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref1)Christina Szalinski, *Why Botulism Keeps Cropping Up in Infant Formula*, Scientific American (June 30, 2026), [scientificamerican.com](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-botulism-keeps-cropping-up-in-infant-formula/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[2\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref2)Int’l Comm’n on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), *Testing of Infant Formula* (contamination estimated as low as one spore per three kilograms of powder), [icmsf.org](https://www.icmsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ICMSF%5FInfant%5FFormula%5FTesting%5FRevision1-20140117.pdf?ref=foodsafetynews.com) (as reported in Scientific American, note 1). [\[3\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref3)Bailee Henderson, *Infant Formula Brands Behind Botulism Outbreaks Used Same Organic Whole Milk Supplier*, Food Safety Magazine (June 2026) (Nara screened every batch for sulphite-reducing clostridia at a specification ten times stricter than the ICMSF guideline, at three stages — raw ingredient, in-process powder, and finished product), [food-safety.com](https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11543-infant-formula-brands-behind-botulism-outbreaks-used-same-organic-whole-milk-supplier?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[4\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref4)Nadala et al., *Detection and Characterization of Clostridium botulinum Isolated from Powdered Infant Formula*, Front. Microbiol. 17:1800624 (2026), doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1800624 (ByHeart-commissioned; *C. botulinum* detected in samples where SRC enumeration was negative), [frontiersin.org](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1800624/full?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[5\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref5)Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act of 2026, H.R. 7867, 119th Cong., [congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7867?ref=foodsafetynews.com); provisions summarized at [DeLauro press release (Marler Blog)](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/delauro-introduces-bipartisan-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[6\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref6)H.R. 7867 (note 5) requires standardized environmental monitoring inside the manufacturing facility on an FDA-set schedule — detecting contamination in the production zones before it reaches the finished product. See [DeLauro release](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/delauro-introduces-bipartisan-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[7\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref7)Szalinski, Scientific American (note 1) (*C. botulinum* is a federally classified select agent, which limits the number of laboratories cleared to test for it). [\[8\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref8)Szalinski, Scientific American (note 1) (the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center used a team of seven; a single positive can took roughly five days for a preliminary result and three more weeks to confirm and sequence). [\[9\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref9)Rep. Rosa DeLauro, *DeLauro Introduces Bipartisan Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act* (“a resource-starved FDA has lacked the tools to adequately protect the infant formula supply”), reprinted at Marler Blog, [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/delauro-introduces-bipartisan-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[10\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref10)Szalinski, Scientific American (note 1) (ByHeart’s post-outbreak “Advanced C.Bot Safety Protocol,” which the company describes as more sensitive than the industry-standard indicator test). [\[11\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref11)A Blendhouse facility tied to the ByHeart supply chain carried an “Official Action Indicated” designation — FDA’s most serious inspection classification — before the outbreak. See William D. Marler, *Support for H.R. 7867* (June 23, 2026), Marler Blog, [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/support-for-h-r-7867-the-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act-of-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com); FDA, *FDA’s Actions to Respond to Clostridium botulinum Illnesses*, [fda.gov](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fdas-actions-respond-clostridium-botulinum-illnesses-associated-consumption-powdered-infant-formula?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[12\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref12)William D. Marler, *FDA Confirms the Shared Suppliers — but Hasn’t Linked them to the Nara Illnesses — Yet* (June 26, 2026), Marler Blog, [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/fda-confirms-the-shared-suppliers-but-hasnt-linked-them-to-the-nara-illnesses-yet/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) (FDA traceback: the milk behind both ByHeart and Nara ran through Organic West Milk and Dairy Farmers of America). [\[13\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref13)Marler, *FDA Confirms the Shared Suppliers* (note 12) (the customer list Organic West provided during the 2025 ByHeart investigation omitted Nara). [\[14\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref14)William D. Marler, *An Open Letter to Secretary Kennedy: You Met the CEOs — The Parents Are Still Waiting* (June 25, 2026), Marler Blog, [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/an-open-letter-to-secretary-kennedy-you-met-the-ceos-the-parents-are-still-waiting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[15\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref15)William D. Marler, *Support for H.R. 7867, the Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act of 2026* (June 23, 2026) (Appendix A — statements and photographs of fourteen affected ByHeart and Nara families), Marler Blog, [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/support-for-h-r-7867-the-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act-of-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com); see also *Letter to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions* (June 29, 2026), [marlerblog.com](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/letter-to-the-committee-on-health-education-labor-and-pensions/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[16\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref16)USDA, Food Safety & Inspection Service (in August 1994 FSIS declared *E. coli* O157:H7 an adulterant in raw ground beef), [fsis.usda.gov](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/node/2003?ref=foodsafetynews.com). [\[17\]](applewebdata://D84F3EF2-2A63-4A59-8947-76A2E7FF2A63#%5Fftnref17)Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, S. 272, 119th Cong., [congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/272?ref=foodsafetynews.com) (passed the Senate by unanimous consent on April 29, 2026; reaches only *Salmonella* and *Cronobacter*). ### Short list for FDA Commissioner post takes form URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/short-list-for-fda-commissioner-post-takes-form/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:18:40.000Z Three people have emerged on the short list for the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. White House aide Heidi Overton, oncologist Jeffrey Vacirca and senior Pentagon health official Stephen Ferrara are all in the running, according to multiple media reports. None of the three have experience with food or food safety issues. The FDA oversees 80 percent of the nation's food, including food safety efforts such as outbreak investigations and recalls. Some reports have Ferrara as the front runner. He was previously chief medical officer for the Navy and the Central Intelligence Agency. Overton currently serves as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House, where she focuses on health issues. She holds a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University and was a White House fellow during Trump’s first term, giving her an unusually direct line to the administration. The post of FDA Commissioner has been vacant since May 12 when Marty Makary resigned. He had been commissioner for 13 months. His resignation came amid disagreements with the Trump Administration, including policy about fruit flavored vapes targeted toward children. Makary was opposed to giving the go ahead for the vapes. The FDA oversees products that account for roughly one-fifth of all consumer spending in the United States, making the commissioner role one of the most consequential regulatory appointments in Washington. The vast majority of the FDA’s budget and staff are involved with the drug side of the agency. One significant political variable remains unresolved. It is unclear whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports Overton’s candidacy, a complication that could affect how smoothly the White House consolidates behind a nominee. At the point that Trump nominates a commissioner, that person will have to gain support of the Senate. ### Cereulide incident and deadly Listeria outbreak highlighted in annual EU food safety report URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/cereulide-incident-and-deadly-listeria-outbreak-highlighted-in-annual-eu-food-safety-report/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T04:04:21.000Z Cereulide contamination in infant formula and a fatal Listeria outbreak have been flagged as the major incidents in Europe in 2025. The European Commission’s annual report on official controls in the food chain covers the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN), which is the EU-wide system through which the EU Commission and member states share alerts and notifications of non-compliance, as well as investigating issues. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### England sees Salmonella spike in early 2026 URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/england-sees-salmonella-spike-in-early-2026/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T04:03:57.000Z There were more than 2,000 Salmonella infections in January to March this year in England, but Campylobacter cases declined. Figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports in the first quarter of 2024 slightly increased from 1,541 to 1,588 in Q1 2025\. There was a large increase of 27.2 percent to 2,020 in Q1 2026. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Five questions to ask your grocery store about food recalls URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/five-questions-to-ask-your-grocery-store-about-food-recalls/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T04:01:58.000Z By Roger Hancock Most consumers assume their grocery store has a thoughtful plan for food recalls. Many do, but some are better than others. You don't have to wait for a recall to find out which kind of store you shop at. A short, curious conversation with store management can tell you a lot, and might also prompt them to think harder about how they communicate with customers during recall incidents. Since an average of 600 food and beverage recalls are issued in the U.S. each year, it’s important for consumers to feel comfortable that their grocery store has a plan to keep them safe. The more consumers know about how their grocery store handles recalls and how they can expect to be communicated with during a recall, the better equipped they will be to stay safe during a recall. **Five key questions to ask** Next time you're at your favorite grocery store, ask to speak with the store manager or department manager. Come in curious, not confrontational — you're a regular customer who wants to understand how the store looks out for you. During your conversation with the store manager, these questions will give you a good idea of how they handle recalls and consumer communication: - Is there someone here who is responsible for managing recalls? Every store should have a designated person or role for overseeing recalls. - How do you find out when a product you carry has been recalled? You're looking for a confident, specific answer like "we get notified by our supplier" or "we use a recall management system.” - How quickly do recalled products get pulled from shelves once you're notified about the incident?A store with a good process can give you a timeframe. - How do you let customers know about a recall — especially people who already bought the product? Look for answers that go beyond in-store signage, such as using loyalty programs and posting on their website or social media. - If I'm signed up for your loyalty program, will I get a direct notification if something I bought gets recalled? The answer should be yes, with a clear explanation of how it works. A store with a solid recall process will answer these questions without hesitation. The best outcome is a genuine conversation that leaves you better informed and feeling comfortable that your favorite store has reliable processes in place to handle recalls promptly and properly. Vague answers, deflection, or “I don’t know” aren't necessarily red flags, but they may indicate gaps in their process. Stores that can't answer basic recall questions may not have systems to act quickly when something goes wrong. This isn’t necessarily their fault — it could stem from an issue with recall protocol at the corporate level. But if they seem unprepared to handle a product recall, and unable to quickly notify customers when one occurs, you may want to rethink where you shop. **Consumers are part of the process** Retailers are a critical link in the recall communication chain, since they’re usually the ones responsible for keeping contaminated products out of consumers’ hands. Expressing curiosity and looking to be well-informed helps protect you and your family, as well as other shoppers at the store. Consumer pressure is a useful way to drive accountability and improvement at the retail level. There are also practical steps you can take to make sure recall information reaches you. If your grocery store uses loyalty programs to issue recall alerts, be sure that you’re signed up for these programs. Ensure your contact information remains updated, so you’ll immediately receive the text or email notifications when a recall occurs. When a recall is announced through your grocery store, government organizations, or the news, the notifications will include product identifiers — such as the batch numbers, lot numbers, and sell by dates. Check the product identifiers on the items you’ve purchased to determine whether these products are part of the recall. Companies are increasingly disseminating recall information and updates via QR codes on product packaging, so it’s worth checking the label to see if this resource is available. If you’ve purchased recalled items, follow the recalling company’s instructions to dispose of the items or return them to your grocery store for a refund. If you’re unclear about what to do, contact your retailer or the recalling company’s customer support team. Don’t eat a recalled product or serve it to others. Remember: rinsing or cooking contaminated foods won’t make them “safer.” If you’ve consumed a recalled item and feel ill, contact a healthcare professional and explain what you ate and the symptoms you’re experiencing. They’ll provide guidance about next steps. **Why this conversation matters** You don't have to be an activist to push for better food safety. Engaged customers asking reasonable questions can go a long way in keeping the community safer and more informed. The conversation you have with your store manager isn't just for your own peace of mind — it signals to the store that customers are paying attention and expect accountability. The food safety system works better when consumers are paying attention, and that starts with knowing what to ask. **About the author:* Roger Hancock is CEO of*[ *Recall InfoLink*](https://www.recallinfolink.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*, a company with experience that spans the retail, tech, data, regulatory, and supply chain. Recall InfoLink’s solutions drive immediate action, streamline the recall process, and simplify compliance. Roger is also a steering committee member of the*[ *Alliance for Recall Ready Communities*](http://recallreadycommunities.org/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)*.* ### TNVitamins expands recall of moringa powder products URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/tnvitamins-expands-recall-of-moringa-powder-products/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T00:59:44.000Z Total Nutrition Inc. of Deer Park, NY, has expanded a recall to now include TNVitamins 100% Organic Moringa 1,200 mg Capsules and 100% Organic Moringa Powder following a supplier-initiated recall of the raw organic moringa ingredient because of possible Salmonella exposure. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recalled product was distributed nationally through the online platforms, Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, and Target, as well as the company's website, [http://www.tnvitamins.com/](http://www.tnvitamins.com/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The following lots are included in the recall: | **Product** | **Product #:** | **Lot #:** | **Expiration:** | | ------------------------------------------------- | -------------- | ----------- | --------------- | | TNVitamins 100% Organic Moringa Capsules 1,200 mg | AB9917 | Lot #: 2800 | Exp: 2/2028 | | TNVitamins 100% Organic Moringa Powder | AB9904 | Lot #: 2782 | Exp: 5/2028 | **About Salmonella infections** Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile. Anyone who has consumed any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis. Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization. Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others. ### Frozen cookie dough recalled because of undeclared soy URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/frozen-cookie-dough-recalled-because-of-undeclared-soy/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T00:47:42.000Z Bear Stewart LLC of Chicago, IL, is recalling a single lot of Bakr Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Ready To Bake Cookie Dough pouches because they may contain undeclared soy. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products. The recalled Bakr Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Ready To Bake Cookie Dough was distributed in Southern California, Southern Nevada, Arizona and Utah through Target retail stores starting on June 11, 2026. The Bakr Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Ready To Bake Cookie Dough comes in an 8-ounce blue package and is sold in the frozen section. The recalled product can be identified by lot number 2606022, which can be found on the bottom left corner on the rear side of the pouch. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing soy was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of soy. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary issue in Bear Stewart’s packaging processes where S’mores cookies were packed into Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk pouches. ### Publisher’s Platform: Mr. Abbott, You Are Not Going to Jail After All URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/publishers-platform-mr-abbott-you-are-not-going-to-jail-after-all/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T21:19:17.000Z Four years ago, I wrote two posts with titles I meant: “[Mr. Abbott, you are going to face criminal sanctions](https://www.marlerblog.com/lawyer-oped/mr-abbott-you-are-going-to-face-criminal-sanctions/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)” and, a few weeks earlier, “[Mr. Abbott, you are going to jail for manufacturing tainted infant formula.](https://www.marlerblog.com/lawyer-oped/mr-abbott-you-are-going-to-jail-for-manufacturing-tainted-infant-formula/?ref=foodsafetynews.com)” I was wrong. Not about the facts — about the willingness of this Justice Department to do anything about them. The Wall Street Journal reported last night, in “[The Baby Formula Probe Produced a Pile of Evidence. Then the DOJ Dropped the Case,](https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/the-baby-formula-probe-produced-a-pile-of-evidence-then-the-doj-dropped-the-case-cdc68716?st=k8jTCD&ref=foodsafetynews.com)” that the Department of Justice spent years building a criminal case against Abbott Laboratories over the Sturgis, Michigan plant — the same plant where *Cronobacter sakazakii* was found on equipment, where a former FDA official told Congress five strains of the bug were present and the facility was “out of control,” and where four babies who drank Abbott formula got sick and two of them died. According to the Journal, some prosecutors believed they had the evidence to charge. Some supervisors thought it was a good case. They were looking at a misdemeanor under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and a separate count for misleading the government, and they were weighing charges against at least one individual. Then the people at the top closed it. Instead of a charge, Abbott gets to claw back some of the money it earned selling formula through federal nutrition programs — a civil settlement whose terms, naturally, weren’t revealed. A DOJ spokeswoman explained that this Justice Department “does not believe in regulation by prosecution.” I want to sit with that phrase for a minute, because I have been quoted in this very article saying the quiet part out loud. When the White House issued its [May 2025 executive order on “overcriminalization,”](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/fighting-overcriminalization-in-federal-regulations/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) I said it brought a sigh of relief to CEOs across the country — because the threat of criminal exposure is precisely what kept people in the food business on their toes. I wasn’t being cute. I was describing how deterrence actually works. I [walked through the law when that order came out](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/with-a-felon-at-the-helm-what-would-you-expect/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and I’ll say it again here. [Section 333(a)(1)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-2000-title21-section331&num=0&edition=2000&ref=foodsafetynews.com) of the FDCA is one of the few true strict-liability crimes in federal law. The government does not have to prove a guilty mind. If a food is adulterated and it moves in interstate commerce, the crime is complete — and under the responsible-corporate-officer doctrine, the executives who had the authority to prevent it can be held to answer. That is not a loophole. That is the deal Congress struck in 1938 because babies’ lives can depend on whether a powder is made in a clean plant or a filthy one. I wrote in December that [we still need the risk of criminal sanctions in food poisoning cases](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/we-still-need-the-risk-of-criminal-sanctions-of-food-poisoning-cases/?ref=foodsafetynews.com). The Abbott non-prosecution is the first big proof of what happens when you take that risk off the table. There are two details in the Journal’s reporting that should make every parent’s stomach turn. First, even if DOJ had wanted to prosecute, the office that does this work — the Consumer Protection Branch — [was being disbanded as a cost-cutting measure](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-justice-department-unit-drug-food-safety-cases-being-disbanded-2025-04-25/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the same branch that put away the executives behind the Peanut Corporation of America salmonella outbreak. Second, one of Abbott’s defense lawyers — a former deputy attorney general — reportedly urged the incoming administration to overhaul that very office and strip it of its ability to bring criminal cases at all. Read those two sentences together and ask yourself who is writing the rules now. We have seen this movie before, and the credits still haven’t rolled. Ten people died in the Boar’s Head *Listeria*outbreak. A year and a half later I’m still asking [where the Boar’s Head investigation went](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/ten-people-died-where-did-the-boars-head-investigations-go-hello-doj-and-usda-inspector-general/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) — and the government’s own refusal to release records, on the ground that they were compiled for a law-enforcement purpose, is the loudest confirmation we have that someone with a badge was once looking hard. “Once” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Yes, Abbott denies the link. The company points out that no unopened, distributed formula tested positive, and that CDC’s sequencing of the two available infant samples didn’t closely match the plant strains. FDA, for its part, still calls what was found at Sturgis a serious concern, because plants like this one are among the most likely sources of contaminated formula. And the civil case the government did bring — joined by 31 states — alleged that Abbott knowingly fell short of manufacturing standards and ran a culture of concealment at Sturgis. Knowingly. Concealment. Those are not the words of a clerical error. Those are the words you build a criminal case around — the case DOJ decided not to bring. I litigate the infant formula cases that land downstream of decisions like this one. Right now my firm represents families of babies hospitalized with botulism after [ByHeart and Nara formula](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/fda-confirms-the-shared-suppliers-but-hasnt-linked-them-to-the-nara-illnesses-yet/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), and I’ve spent this spring writing to [Secretary Kennedy](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/an-open-letter-to-secretary-kennedy-you-met-the-ceos-the-parents-are-still-waiting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), to FDA, and to the [Senate HELP Committee](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/letter-to-the-committee-on-health-education-labor-and-pensions/?ref=foodsafetynews.com) asking Congress to put real teeth back into formula safety. Here is the through-line. When the criminal threat disappears, the only accountability left is a civil check — and a civil check is just a cost of doing business. It gets passed along, written off, and forgotten by the next quarter. It does not keep anyone up at night. It does not keep anyone on their toes. I have tried to steer clear of politics on this blog. But there is nothing political about saying that a company whose plant sickened babies should have to answer to more than its accountants. The Journal got the headline right: there was a pile of evidence. What’s missing isn’t proof. It’s the will to use it. We live in interesting times. ### Publisher's Platform: The genome doesn't lie URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/publishers-platform-the-genome-doesnt-lie-2/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T16:21:13.000Z When I started suing food companies more than thirty years ago, after E. coli O157:H7 in undercooked Jack in the Box hamburgers killed four children and sickened hundreds, proving where a pathogen came from was slow, painstaking, and often impossible. Investigators matched bacteria using crude “fingerprinting” methods that could tell you two samples looked similar, but rarely that they were truly the same organism. That world is gone. Whole genome sequencing — reading the complete DNA of a bacterium — has done for foodborne illness what DNA testing did for criminal forensics. Today, when Listeria turns up in a nursing-home resident in California and in a frozen nutritional shake produced two thousand miles away, public-health scientists can say with near-certainty it is the same organism. The FDA’s GenomeTrakr and the CDC’s PulseNet databases and NCBI’s website now hold hundreds of thousands of these genomic fingerprints. The 2025 Lyons Magnus outbreak — 42 sickened, 14 dead across 21 states — was solved this way. So was the largest and deadliest listeriosis outbreak in history: the 2017–2018 South African catastrophe that killed 216 people and was traced, through a single sequence type called ST6, back to polony from one Tiger Brands plant in Polokwane. For public health, the case is overwhelming. WGS finds the source faster, thereby making outbreaks smaller, narrows recalls so they strike the guilty product instead of an entire commodity, and catches contamination at vanishingly low levels. None of that is seriously in dispute. The harder question — and the one companies actually ask me — is whether a food producer should run that same technology on its own products and inside its own plant. Here is the uncomfortable part, and I’ll say it plainly because the industry’s lawyers usually won’t: a positive result you generate today can be used against you tomorrow. If you swab your plant and find Listeria in a floor drain, sequence it, and that genome later matches a sick child’s, you are tied to that case in a way no jury will forget. Some defense attorneys take the logical next step and quietly advise their clients to test less — because what you don’t know can’t be subpoenaed. I have spent decades on the other side of that advice, and I am here to tell you the bad advice is both morally bankrupt and, in the long run, a legal disaster. Choosing not to look is not a defense. It is willful blindness, and juries understand it instantly. The company that finds a resident strain, documents it, and surgically eliminates it has a contemporaneous record of doing exactly what a responsible food producer is supposed to do. The company that decided ignorance was safer has a record of nothing — until the outbreak arrives anyway, larger and deadlier for having gone undetected, and a plaintiff’s lawyer like me asks under oath why a company with hundreds of millions in revenue chose not to use a technology that a public-health lab in a developing nation could afford. And WGS cuts both ways. The same precision that can implicate you can clear you. When your product is swept into an outbreak it had nothing to do with, your genomic data is the fastest route to proving your strain is not the strain — to getting your name out of the headline and your trucks back on the road. I have watched sequencing exonerate an accused producer as decisively as it has condemned a guilty one. WGS is not magic. It demands real bioinformatics expertise, validated pipelines, and reference databases that still have gaps for rare and emerging pathogens. But none of that is an argument for staying in the dark. The food industry’s reflex has been to know as little as possible about its own contamination, on the theory that what it didn’t know couldn’t hurt it in court. The genome has ended that bargain. The pathogens in your plant already have a fingerprint. The only question is whether you are willing to read it before someone’s child does. ### Search ongoing for source of Yersinia outbreak in Norway URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/search-ongoing-for-source-of-yersinia-outbreak-in-norway/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T04:04:23.000Z Norwegian health officials are searching for the source of a Yersinia outbreak that has affected at least nine people. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) also reported a further six suspected cases. Samples from the 15 patients were taken between May 26 and June 15\. They are between 10 and 75 years old, and the median age is 29\. Eleven of them are women. Sick people live in Trøndelag, Vestfold, Telemark, Østfold, Innlandet, Rogaland and Vestland. Patients are infected with Yersinia enterocolitica O3\. Analyses of the samples showed that confirmed cases have the same genotype, suggesting they may have contracted the infection from a common source. FHI has opened an outbreak investigation with help from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. Patients are being interviewed to find out what they ate, drank, and were exposed to before they became ill. In 2025, there were 94 Yersinia infections, compared to 90 in 2024\. Among cases with a known place of infection, 51 were infected in Norway and 20 were infected abroad. Thirty people were hospitalized. No outbreaks were recorded. Symptoms of yersiniosis often develop three to seven days after infection. They include fever, abdominal cramps, watery or bloody diarrhea, headaches, and vomiting. Yersiniosis is typically self-limiting, and symptoms can persist from one to three days up to three weeks. ### FDA warns four importers about safety verification failures URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/fda-warns-four-importers-about-safety-verification-failures/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T04:03:03.000Z *As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until a company has been given months or years to correct problems. Portions of the letters are often redacted from public view.* --- The FDA has issued warning letters to four food importers in California, New York and Pennsylvania after inspectors found they failed to develop required Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs) for imported foods. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Salmonella-contaminated tahini stolen in Israel URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/salmonella-contaminated-tahini-stolen-in-israel/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T04:02:50.000Z Authorities in Israel have reported the suspected theft of products previously recalled because of potential Salmonella contamination. The Ministry of Health said “Prince Tahini” products that were supposed to be destroyed had been stolen. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cottage cheese recalled in connection with deadly Listeria outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/cottage-cheese-recalled-in-connection-with-deadly-listeria-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T02:31:05.000Z La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. is recalling its Requesón Salvadoreño (Salvadoran Cottage Cheese) and Requesón Mexicano (Mexican Cottage Cheese) products marketed under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinosbrands, because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The affected products were distributed to supermarkets, retail stores and restaurants in the states of Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. La Ceiba Foods recalls the below identified affected products from the market. This recall includes all lots/batches within expiry. This recall was initiated after La Ceiba Foods was notified of a recall action by its supplier, Clover Hill Dairy, following the identification of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes in products manufactured at the facility. Additionally, the FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating a multi-state, multi-year outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to requeson, a soft cheese like ricotta, manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy LLC of Mechanicsville, MD. Twelve illnesses and one death have been reported to date. The recalled La Ceiba Foods products can be identified by the following label information: | **Brand** | **Product** | **UPC** | **Size** | **Date of Distribution** | **EXP Date** | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | -------- | ------------------------ | ------------ | | La Colonia | Salvadoreno Requeson,Soft Ricotta Cheese | 736846383099 | 14 oz | 05/11/2026-06/01/2026 | 07/10/2026 | | SelectosLatinos | Requeson Salvadoreno,Ricotta Style SalvadoreanStyle Cheese | 767787984526 | 16 oz | 05/11/2026-06/01/2026 | 07/10/2026 | | SelectosLatinos | Requeson Mexicano,Mexican Cottage Cheese | 767787984519 | 16 oz | 05/11/2026-06/01/2026 | 07/10/2026 | | Clover Hill | Buket of Requeson | | 18 lb | 05/11/2026-06/01/2026 | 07/10/2026 | **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalledproducts and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Sunday Edition: Food Defense URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/sunday-edition-food-defense/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T16:23:02.000Z - A [major Salmonella outbreak](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/more-than-100-sick-in-european-salmonella-outbreak/) has been confirmed in Europe. More than 100 people in 10 European countries and the United Kingdom have been infected, with Finland reporting the largest number of patients. The outbreak has been traced back to alfalfa sprouted seeds from India. - [One person has died](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/patient-count-in-listeria-outbreak-traced-to-cheese-has-increased/) from a Listeria infection traced to cheese made by Clover Hill Dairy LLC of Mechanicsville, MD. A total of 11 cases have been linked to cheese made by the dairy. As a result of the outbreak, Clover Hill has recalled all of its cheese products. - The Louisiana Department of Health is investigating the source of [raw milk responsible for 11 cases of infection](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/raw-milk-outbreak-reported-in-louisiana/). Two of the 11 who tested positive for campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis, have been hospitalized. Under Louisiana law, raw milk may only be sold or distributed for animal or pet consumption. - [Infections from foodborne parasites are decreasing](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/estimates-reveal-considerable-suffering-caused-by-parasites/) overall, but some regions of the globe are still seeing increases, according to recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Overall, 277 million illnesses were caused by potentially invasive parasites, with 171 million attributable to foodborne transmission. The Western Pacific is seeing the greatest increase, possibly due to increased consumption of raw or undercooked fish in Chinese urban markets or warmer, wetter weather affecting snail and fish host populations. - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that [federal law preempts lawsuits at the state level](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/supreme-court-sides-with-manufacturer-of-roundup/) over labeling of potentially carcinogenic pesticides. The decision in Monsanto Company v. Durnell [overturns a Missouri jury decision](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/us/politics/supreme-court-weedkiller-roundup-bayer.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.s1A.7sx0.i-RWCd9pbP6w&smid=url-share&ref=foodsafetynews.com) in favor of a man who sued the maker of Roundup after he developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer. The Supreme Court decision could result in the dismissal of thousands of similar lawsuits against Bayer (which acquired Roundup manufacturer Monsanto) which are currently pending in state courts. --- **Today’s Topic: Food Defense** Forty-two years ago, food was the weapon used in the first and largest bioterrorist attack in United States history. It was simple, effective, and bizarre. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cyclospora sickens almost 150 people URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/cyclospora-outbreak-sickens-almost-150-people/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:46:15.000Z Infections from the Cyclospora parasite has impacted 145 people. The source of the parasite has not yet been determined. Patients have been reported by 17 states. These people became sick after eating food in the United States and did not report any travel during the 14 days before they got sick. Sick people ranged in age from 5 to 86 years, with a median age of 42\. The median illness onset date was May 13, with a range of May 1 to June 6\. Of 145 people with information available, 20 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Local, state, and federal public health authorities are investigating several clusters of cases in more than one state. Investigations to identify potential sources are ongoing. The map shows where the 145 people with cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States since May 1, 2026, lived. Cyclosporiasis cases may not be limited to these states with known cases. The true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis is likely higher than the number reported. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Cyclospora. Cyclosporiasis is a nationally notifiable disease and is reportable in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. Even if it is not reportable in a state, it is important for healthcare providers and the public to inform local health departments about potential cases and clusters of the disease so that they can take appropriate action to prevent additional cases. **About Cyclospora** Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite. Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it's rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas. Food safety experts say there's no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite. ### Chocolate covered raisins recalled because they contain peanuts URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/chocolate-covered-raisins-recalled-because-they-contain-peanuts/ Last updated: 2026-06-27T01:26:07.000Z Lehi Valley Trading Company of Mesa, AZ, is recalling 624 units of its 15-ounce packages of High Valley Orchard chocolate covered raisins because they contain undeclared peanuts. People who have allergies to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. The recalled product was distributed in retail stores through Albertson’s distribution center between May 18 and June 25. The product comes in a 15-ounce, clear plastic package marked with lot # 0160933, best by date of Jan. 23, 2027, on the bottom right-hand side of the front label. No illnesses or deaths have been reported to date in connection with this problem to date. The recall was initiated after the presence of peanuts was discovered in the chocolate covered raisins. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging processes. ### FDA knew of deficiencies at foreign plants that produced infant formula URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/fda-knew-of-deficiencies-at-foreign-plants-that-produced-infant-formula/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T16:23:28.000Z The FDA has revealed that it inspected two foreign plants that manufacture Nara Organics infant formula that has been tied to an outbreak of botulism. The agency found deficiencies at both plants. The Food and Drug Administration has not named the businesses nor reported what country they are in. However, the agency is reporting that the deficiencies observed at the plants resulted in actions by the companies, which are now under review. The FDA inspections were conducted prior to the agency learning about the outbreak, according to a statement issued Friday evening after regular business hours. Officials with Nara Organics continue to refuse to report the manufacturer of their infant formula. However, a company website reveals that the German company Milchwerke Mittelelbe GmbH — also known by its brand name Elb-Milch, a subsidiary of the Krüger Group — is the manufacturer of Nara Organics infant formula. The whole milk powder used in the production of the Nara infant formula was made with milk supplied by Organic West Milk and spray dried by Dairy Farmers of America. “While these are the same suppliers of organic whole milk and organic whole milk powder from the outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart Powdered Infant Formula in November 2025, currently there is not enough evidence to determine if this is the source or route of contamination,” according to the FDA. “Further, FDA conducted a traceforward investigation during the 2025 outbreak to determine if Organic West Milk supplied milk to any other powdered infant formula manufacturers. At that time, Organic West Milk provided an incomplete customer list that did not indicate that their milk was supplied to manufacturers of Nara Organics infant formula. As part of the current investigation, Organic West Milk informed FDA that the customer information previously provided was incomplete and should have included suppliers to Nara Organics.” Officials in two states have collected leftover infant formula for testing. FDA has collected unopened samples from the lot numbers fed to the affected infants for testing. This testing is underway, and results are expected in the coming weeks. As of June 16, the outbreak has sickened three babies in California, Pennsylvania and Washington. All three of the babies have required hospitalization, but none have died. In November 2025 an outbreak of botulism sickened 48 babies across 17 states. That outbreak was traced to ByHeart infant formula. As with the current outbreak linked to Nara Organics formula, the ByHeart formula was made with milk supplied by Organic West Milk and spray dried by Dairy Farmers of America. ### Publisher’s Platform: I’ve written the letters. Now I’m asking 55,000 of You — What’s the next move — Ideas? URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/publishers-platform-ive-written-the-letters-now-im-asking-55-000-of-you-whats-the-next-move-ideas/ Last updated: 2026-06-27T01:09:45.000Z In the last seven months this country has had two outbreaks of infant botulism, both traced to powdered whole-milk infant formula. The first, tied to ByHeart, sickened 48 babies across 17 states — every one of them hospitalized. I represent more than twenty-five of those families. The second, tied to Nara Organics, hospitalized three more infants in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington, all between two and five months old, all treated with BabyBIG. I represent two of those families. Two outbreaks. One ingredient. And, as reporting now confirms, likely the same upstream supply stream behind both. The contamination did not strike two unrelated companies by chance. It traveled through a chain the system missed the first time and missed again. Here is what eats at me. None of this was a surprise. On March 8, 2023 — two years before the first ByHeart baby got sick — the FDA sent a [Call-to-Action letter](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-calls-enhanced-safety-measures-letter-powdered-infant-formula-industry?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to the entire powdered formula industry, signed by the Commissioner and the head of the food-safety center, naming Clostridium botulinum by genus and species and telling manufacturers to control for it across the whole chain. Two years later, under [Operation Stork Speed](https://www.fda.gov/food/infant-formula-homepage/operation-stork-speed?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the agency went further — saying it would test formula and its ingredients for spore-formers, C. botulinum among them, and opening a sampling assignment for the very dairy ingredients at issue — and still no rule required anyone to test whole-milk-powder formula for botulinum before it shipped. The hazard was foreseeable. It was named, in writing, by the regulator, twice. And our federal rules still require finished-powder testing for only two organisms — Salmonella and Cronobacter. There is no botulinum standard for powdered formula at all. A sealed can of liquid formula gets the full low-acid-canned-food botulism regime. A tub of powder gets nothing. That is the hole these babies fell through. Over the past several days I did what I know how to do. I wrote. I wrote [an open letter to Secretary Kennedy](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/an-open-letter-to-secretary-kennedy-you-met-the-ceos-the-parents-are-still-waiting/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), because on June 2 he toured a formula plant and praised whole milk on the same day — and the vehicle in both outbreaks was whole milk powder. He has met the CEOs. He has not met the parents. I asked him to fix that. I wrote [a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/counselor-to-counselor-an-open-letter-to-kyle-diamantas-on-infant-formula/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), counselor to counselor, because before he held the pen at the FDA he spent years defending an infant-formula maker against failure-to-warn claims. He, of all people, knows what a warning is and what foreseeability means. I asked him to write the standard of care into the rule — test and inspect the whole chain, not just the last can on the line. And I wrote [in support of H.R. 7867](https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/support-for-h-r-7867-the-infant-formula-safety-modernization-act-of-2026/?ref=foodsafetynews.com), the Infant Formula Safety Modernization Act, with an appendix of the families’ own words, because the bill closes the exact gaps that let these babies get hurt — and because a second outbreak arrived while the bill was already pending. I believe in those letters. But I have been doing this for thirty-three years, and I am going to be honest with you about what I have learned in that time: a letter appeals to someone’s discretion, and discretion can be ignored at no cost. Reform in this country has almost never arrived because one lawyer wrote a persuasive letter. It arrived when Jack in the Box put enough sick children in the news that USDA had to declare E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant. It arrived when enough people pushed, in enough places, at the same time, that doing nothing became the harder choice. Which brings me to why I am writing this one to you. There are something like 55,000 of you who read Food Safety News — and you are not a casual crowd. You are former regulators and current ones, public-health laboratorians, epidemiologists, plaintiff and defense lawyers, industry quality people who have walked these plants, journalists, academics, and parents who have lived the worst of it. Collectively you know more about how to actually move this system than any single person, including me. I am asking you a real question, not a rhetorical one: **what is the next move?** Here is where my own head is, to prime the pump — and I want you to tell me what I have wrong and what I am missing: • **A formal citizen petition** under 21 C.F.R. § 10.30 to add C. botulinum and Bacillus cereus to § 106.55 and require upstream sampling of dairy ingredients — a filing the agency is legally obligated to answer, in a docket the public can join. • **A congressional hearing with the parents at the witness table**, not just the bill — testimony under oath that takes “meet the families” out of anyone’s discretion. • **Following the supply chain** all the way up, in the litigation and in the public record, so the shared-supplier story is a documented fact and the whole chain — not just the brand on the can — understands the cost of leaving the gap open. • **An unlikely coalition** asking for the same fix: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the public-health labs, the responsible manufacturers who already test for spore-formers voluntarily, and a state attorney general or two. • **A GAO or HHS Inspector General review** of the testing gap and the inspection-resource cuts, so there is an institutional finding that outlives any one administration. That is my list. I am sure it is incomplete. Maybe the best idea is one I have not thought of and one of you has lived. Maybe it is a state-level testing requirement. Maybe it is something inside industry I am not seeing from the outside. Tell me. Email me at **bmarler@marlerclark.com** with the subject line “Next Move.” I will read every one of them, and in a follow-up Publisher’s Platform I will print the best of what you send — with credit, or anonymously if you would rather — and then I am going to act on it. Also, feel free to comment here. The hazard was named in 2023\. We have buried no babies yet, thank God, but we have filled too many hospital beds, twice, with a danger the government wrote down years before it arrived. I have written the letters. Now help me figure out how we make someone answer them. ### More than 100 sick in European Salmonella outbreak URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/more-than-100-sick-in-european-salmonella-outbreak/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T15:41:30.000Z More than 100 people have fallen sick in 11 countries as part of a Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouted seeds from India. Between January and May, 109 confirmed Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections were reported in 10 European countries and the United Kingdom. Finland had the most patients with 35, followed by 30 in the UK and 17 in the Netherlands. Patients range in age from 4 to 88 years old with 77 females and 31 males ill. Eighteen people required hospitalization. It was [previously known](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/04/salmonella-outbreak-spreads-across-europe/) that 50 people were sick in seven countries. Two deaths were reported in Finland. Both cases had underlying health conditions, and one was receiving terminal care. Another 50 probable cases are under investigation in four EU countries. Alfalfa sprouts, and possibly other sprouted seeds, are the primary food vehicle in the multi-country outbreak, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). According to a Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) alert, the suspected sources were alfalfa seeds, clover seeds, broccoli seeds and radish seeds from Italy. In April, Ireland reported three related Salmonella Bovismorbificans infections to the European surveillance portal EpiPulse. After this alert, other European countries reported cases clustering with the Irish strain. **Connection to India** Many of the interviewed patients in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK had consumed sprouted seeds before illness. Epidemiological evidence identified alfalfa sprouted seeds from Italy as the primary vehicle of infection. Microbiological evidence included detection of the outbreak strain in water samples collected during alfalfa sprouted seed harvesting in the Netherlands and the UK. A Finnish sprouted seed producer was epidemiologically linked to cases in Finland. One positive was an internal control sample of rinsing water from a harvest of sprouted alfalfa seeds at the site of a company in the Netherlands in February. The other was of irrigation water from sprouted seeds collected at the premises of a producer in the UK in March. Traceability investigations in Italy identified a common seed supplier in India. The outbreak strain is thought to have entered Europe in October 2025 via two alfalfa seed consignments, before being distributed across multiple countries. Control measures included the withdrawal of implicated consignments, recalls of related products, halting production and destruction of suspected products. ECDC and EFSA said further infections may occur until the source of contamination is fully identified and controlled, particularly because sprouted seeds can be sold as ready-to-eat products. ### Concerns voiced after Listeria found in chicken supplied to hospitals; withdrawal initiated URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/concerns-voiced-after-listeria-found-in-chicken-supplied-to-hospitals-recall-initiated/ Last updated: 2026-06-27T07:11:36.000Z Health officials in the United Kingdom have opened an investigation after Listeria was found in chicken supplied to hospitals. Chicken products imported by Foodbridge EU and Foodbridge UK from Brazil have tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. According to Horsham District Council, C Vale - Cooperativa Agroindustrial handled the chicken in Brazil. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was notified of the problem by the National Health Service (NHS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The level of Listeria detected is within the legal limit of 100 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g). However, the products are supplied to NHS food chains and other health and social care settings. **Supplied to hospitals** Products are supplied frozen but are labeled as ready-to-eat (RTE) once defrosted, increasing the potential public health concern, particularly for vulnerable groups. A withdrawal has been initiated by Yearsley Food covering eight frozen chicken products. Express Foodservice, a wholesaler based in West Sussex initially detected the Listeria monocytogenes contamination. These are certain codes and sizes of diced and strips of cooked chicken breast, strips and diced steam cooked chicken breast, and shredded chicken. Products include the tikka, hot and spicy, and barbeque varieties of flavoured chicken pieces. On June 9, the NHS was told a supplier requested local destruction or return of frozen cooked chicken products following the detection of low levels of Listeria monocytogenes. The product appears to be mainly supplied to catering services, including those in the NHS, where it may be further processed. There are currently no confirmed cases of listeriosis related to the incident. However, UKHSA is waiting for Listeria monocytogenes isolates from contaminated chicken to be sequenced by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) to determine whether there is a match against reported cases. One NHS trust has identified a group of vulnerable patients who may have been exposed, and testing of cooked chicken products is being arranged. Companies who received affected products have been told they can continue to be used but chicken pieces must be thoroughly cooked before being served. This must be to an internal temperature of more than 70 degrees C (158 degrees F) for at least two minutes to destroy any Listeria present. Business also need to consider if there could have been any cross-contamination of equipment, facilities, or other products during handling of the chicken in their premises and take appropriate actions to control any hazards identified. Dr Gauri Godbole, Deputy Director, Gastrointestinal Infections, Food Safety and One Health at UKHSA, said: "We are aware that a manufacturer has withdrawn frozen cooked chicken products after Listeria monocytogenes was detected. The level of Listeria is within the legal limit for commercial sale and there have been no reported Listeriacases in people linked to this product to date. “The products have been supplied to some settings where low levels of Listeria pose a risk to vulnerable groups. Therefore as a precautionary measure, UKHSA is working with FSA and NHS to inform these settings not to use the product and sharing further advice.” **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the chicken and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten the implicated chicken should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, and other complications. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. ### Supreme Court sides with manufacturer of Roundup URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/supreme-court-sides-with-manufacturer-of-roundup/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T04:01:08.000Z The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with pesticide manufacturer Bayer in Monsanto Company v. Durnell, ruling that federal law preempts lawsuits brought by cancer patients who allege its Roundup product was to blame for their disease. According to Food and Water Watch the ruling extends the legal shield to all pesticide corporations, leaving patients harmed by toxic agricultural chemicals without the recourse of litigation that has cost Bayer billions of dollars. Roundup was created by Monsanto in the 1970s and is one of the most popular weedkillers in the world. Concerns over glyphosate, a chemical that is absorbed by plants, traveling into their roots and blocking an enzyme used for their growth, have prompted one of the biggest waves of class-action lawsuits in U.S. history. In response to the Supreme Court’s action, Food & Water Watch Legal Director Tarah Heinzen said the ruling is a disaster for public health. “Once again, the Supreme Court has sided with big business over people and the environment. Today’s ruling is a disaster for public health — and it has Trump’s name written all over it,” Heinzen said. “If one needed any further proof that the president’s feigned mission to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ was a farce, today’s decision is all the evidence needed. Trump has been all too willing to endorse Bayer’s crusade to pollute with impunity, while the administration doubles down on a failed pesticide regulatory scheme. “Industrial agriculture is poisoning America. The fight against toxic pesticides does not end here. Congress must pass the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act to safeguard access to justice for all harmed by these toxic chemicals, and a Farm Bill that finally puts public health first. Until then, the Supreme Court has shut the courthouse doors to tens of thousands of sick and suffering Americans.” The court ruling comes despite evidence suggesting that glyphosate, the key ingredient in Bayer’s Roundup pesticide, is carcinogenic, and that the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide registration process is fatally flawed. The World Health Organization has defined glyphosate as a probable carcinogen since 2015\. Roundup is the most widely used pesticide in the United States. The decision completes Bayer’s years-long quest to stifle cancer lawsuits cutting into its bottom line. Since purchasing Monsanto in 2018, Bayer has spent more than $11 billion settling over 100,000 cancer lawsuits related to Roundup. The Center for Food Safety, a legal nonprofit working on food and agriculture issues in the U.S., [filed a brief](https://us.cisionone.cision.com/c/eJxEzUvO3CAQBODTwK4t3o8Fi3%5Fja1htaDIk9ngCTKzcPpooUrZfValKUiEb4Tgl6YMywksX-CMhxogxkKy47zZnGyRJmYOxIu8BHW%5FJoS62Vokm6LxJb6oS1sTgAzNitEI%5F2k84sR3UB3iXiw17DAa-z%5Fk6l0%5FAj%5FSY8zWY%5FmJqZWq973vJ9JzU69XrdZWBlebv5erfmFprO2gwtSqhHAgDQkJ59ycdB-Q6gCbgAXi2%5FB7bp1s277Rzy6tUflJpCJ0OwkHQSvoL2z9g-ksL76PiPeWdMD-YEf%5F%5Fn3SPJV8nH7MTnZ-5DNGhIAHZOgOGooeIMoAv2vrqSGmM%5FFdSfwIAAP%5F%5FZ55uJg?ref=foodsafetynews.com) to the Supreme Court in the case on behalf of a broad array of nonprofit public interest stakeholders representing famers, farmworkers, medical professionals, consumer protection advocates, and conservationists. "Overturning decades of well-settled law, today the Supreme Court eliminated one way the public held pesticide corporations accountable for their products’ harms," said George Kimbrell, Legal Director at the Center for Food Safety. "But the fight is far from over. EPA’s regulation of pesticides just became all the more vital to protecting the public health and public interest. We will continue to hold EPA accountable when it does not. And states and other governing bodies have other robust roles. The Roundup cancer cases are a telling sign that people are fed up with corporations poisoning their health and environment and want to choose a different future for their food. This decision, while tragic, is a clarion, galvanizing call to continued action: Americans need to continue speaking truth to power and demand their representatives are protecting their health, not corporations’ profit margins." Food and Water Watch says Bayer has been pushing widely-opposed Cancer Gag Act bills nationwide, seeking to shield pesticide corporations from health-related lawsuits in multiple states and Congress. So far this year, the immunity legislation has failed in 11 states and was stripped from the House Farm Bill and left out of the Senate version. Leaders of other public health watchdog groups also spoke out against the ruling. Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America and an advocate for the MAHA movement, issued a public statement on Thursday calling the ruling “worse than treason” and said it reflected a betrayal of President Trump’s promises to the MAHA movement. “It really is chemical warfare on the American people,” she said. In a separate statement, Alex Clark, a leading voice in the MAHA movement and a supporter of Trump, posted on X, “For an administration that promised to take on corporate capture and Make America Healthy Again, this is a stunning betrayal. Farmers, families, and cancer patients currently in litigation with Bayer will never forget this.” U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-NJ, said the Supreme Court decision was corrupt. “Today's a really a grievous day where the people of the United States saw that their Supreme Court corrupted by massive gifts from billionaires and people of interest in matters before them. A court that takes gifts, from RVs to tuition to lavish gifts, sided with the wealthy, powerful multinational corporation reversing years and years of precedent, dismissing ultimately effectively hundreds and hundreds, in fact 1000s of cases. They sided with the big multinational corporations against the people. Shaughnessy Naughton, 314 Action President, said the High Court’s ruling handed chemical manufacturers a “get out of jail free card” when working with chemicals and the nation’s food supply. **“**This decision throws out over 100,000 lawsuits and really puts poison and politics over patients. It's a major setback for the MAHA movement, and that's exactly what the Trump administration was asking for. RFK Jr was also quick to endorse it. I think it’s important to call out what a betrayal of the MAHA movement this is. RFK Jr. built his reputation suing Monsanto on behalf of patients who may have cancer from their product and promised to ban glyphosate. He didn't do that, and he's not doing anything to change the direction of how we use this in our food production. It’s a big win for chemical manufacturers, and real loss for farmers and the American people that should have their day in court.” Kayla Hancock, Director of Protect Our Care’s Public Health Project, said the move supports the new views of Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. “It's shocking how carelessly our nation's health secretary RFK Jr., who spent decades fighting against the use of this very chemical, and this company has essentially bowed down to the pro-pollution and corporate agenda of the Trump administration and has defended this decision to put more Americans at risk, while abandoning the cancer survivors that are now denied a pathway to damages for injuries.” David Murphy, founder of United We Eat and former finance director for Kennedy’s presidential campaign, also said the ruling would jeopardize the health of Americans. “For decades, Republicans have preached about the importance of states’ rights and ‘pro-life values,’ but today’s ruling in favor of Bayer-Monsanto’s right to shield themselves from cancer lawsuits is more proof that this is just empty rhetoric from a morally bankrupt party and a Supreme Court that continues to put corporate profits over the health of Americans.” ### FDA imposes stricter import controls because of pesticides, Salmonella and heavy metals URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/fda-imposes-stricter-import-controls-because-of-pesticides-salmonella-and-heavy-metals/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T04:00:10.000Z The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### USDA issues warning about chicken wraps contaminated with Listeria URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/06/usda-issues-warning-about-chicken-wraps-contaminated-with-listeria/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T00:46:31.000Z The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat chicken Caesar wraps because tests of the product showed contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase. The ready-to-eat chicken Caesar wrap items were produced on June 16 and have a sell by date of June 24\. Consumers can determine whether they have the wraps by looking for the following label information: - 8.7-oz. clear plastic wrapped packages of “FRESH SEASONS Kitchen Chicken Caesar Wrap” with “Sell By:6/24/2026” printed on the back label above the ingredients. The products have establishment number “P- 45091” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were shipped to Holiday convenience stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS product testing when a sample confirmed positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. **About Listeria infections** Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalled product and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure. Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._