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A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net
Federal officials linked more than 17,000 cyclosporiasis cases to processed iceberg lettuce as experts questioned reduced outbreak surveillance.
- Since May, a record-breaking cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to processed iceberg lettuce from Mexico has sickened more than 17,000 confirmed cases, resulting in at least 922 hospitalizations and two deaths.
- The Trump administration reduced the CDC workforce by 28% and FDA staff by 23% since December 2024, while terminating $5.78 billion in federal CDC grants appropriated by Congress.
- Surveillance capacity collapsed as the CDC's parasite staff was downsized from 11 people to three; the administration also scaled back FoodNet tracking and delayed implementing food safety rules.
- Sandra Eskin, of Stop Foodborne Illness, likened the cuts to removing blocks from a Jenga tower, while White House spokesperson Allison Schuster claimed the administration has not cut frontline food inspectors.
- Michigan, at the center of the outbreak, used local resources to bolster responses after suing over federal funding losses; experts warn consumers remain vulnerable without sustained public health investment.
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19 Articles
19 Articles
As food recalls mount, experts warn Trump has hollowed out America's food safety system
Jalapenos. Frozen berries. Beef. Alfalfa sprouts. A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has raised many Americans’ fears of contracting a foodborne illness. The recalls have focused attention on the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding and staff at several public health agencies, and […]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left15Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution88% Left
Bias Distribution
- 88% of the sources lean Left
88% Left
L 88%
12%
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