Author: Kit Redwine

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced on October 2, 2026, that it had closed its investigation into the largest cyclospora outbreak in United States history after detecting the parasite in a wastewater tank at a Mexican processing facility and in a drainage ditch at a contract grower’s farm. Investigators could not determine how the contamination occurred. The outbreak infected 12,883 people across 21 states, hospitalized 570, and caused two deaths in Michigan, according to final figures published by the CDC. The FDA’s findings followed an announcement from Mexico’s food safety authority, which conducted its own investigation and reported…

The bacterium lives in the noses of roughly a quarter of healthy adults and on the skin of many more. It causes illness not through infection, but through a toxin it produces when it is transferred from hands to food and left at room temperature. Cooking will not destroy that toxin. Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium found on human skin, in the nose, and in the throat. Between 20 and 30% of healthy individuals are permanent nasal carriers, and another 30 to 60% carry it intermittently. For most people, this carriage causes no symptoms. In a commercial kitchen, it…

Federal and state health officials are investigating a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese produced by Sierra Nevada Graziers, the latest in a series of raw dairy outbreaks that have unfolded across the United States over the past two years. Three of the thirteen people sickened have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a kidney complication that public health officials describe as one of the most serious consequences of foodborne bacterial infection. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on September 25, 2026, that 13 people across nine…

The 2026 foodborne illness season produced the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak in U.S. history, a multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to imported jalapeños, and a recall of nearly 19 million shell eggs. Each event generated costs that extend well beyond the hospital bills of those who fell ill. The economic consequences, measured in lost sales, recalls, lawsuits, insurance claims, and regulatory response, have accumulated into a figure that public health researchers and industry analysts are still calculating. The Baseline Burden The federal government maintains a standing estimate of what foodborne illness costs the United States in a normal year. The USDA Economic…

A multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella infections linked to alfalfa sprouts has renewed attention on a class of bacteria that, despite decades of regulatory reform and scientific advancement, continues to cause severe illness and, in some cases, life-threatening complications across the United States. The outbreak, traced to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts of Minnesota and sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands, has sickened at least 55 people across 15 states, with four hospitalizations reported as of September 15, 2026. Outbreak Overview According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers…

Note: As of today, Ron Simon & Associates, the national food poisoning law firm has confirmed it represents aver 1500 victims in this outbreak. Federal health authorities have declared an end to the largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis in United States history, a months-long crisis linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce from central Mexico that sickened thousands across more than 30 states, hospitalized hundreds, and caused the first two deaths ever attributed to the parasite in a U.S. outbreak. While the active outbreak has been declared over, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) investigation into the root cause and the…

Federal health authorities have concluded an investigation into a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to contaminated soft cheeses, including requesón and ricotta-style products, that resulted in 15 illnesses across four states, 14 hospitalizations, and one death. The outbreak, which spanned more than three years from 2023 to 2026, stresses the persistent risks associated with soft cheeses and the challenges of identifying contaminated products in a complex distribution network. Outbreak Overview As of June 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported a total of 12 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes across four states: Illinois,…

Federal health authorities are investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella infections linked to alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts, LLC of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The outbreak, which has sickened at least 55 people across 15 states, involves multiple pathogens simultaneously, an occurrence that has complicated the investigation and raised questions about contamination pathways in sprout production. Outbreak Scope and Case Counts As of August 21, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported a total of 55 confirmed cases across 15 states. The affected states include Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New…

Federal health authorities are investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Salmonella infections linked to alfalfa sprouts distributed by Everything Sprouts, LLC of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The outbreak, which has sickened at least 55 people across 15 states, involves multiple pathogens simultaneously, an occurrence that has complicated the investigation and raised questions about contamination pathways in sprout production. Outbreak Scope and Case Counts As of August 21, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported a total of 55 confirmed cases across 15 states. The affected states include Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New…

Federal and state health authorities are continuing to investigate the largest known outbreak of cyclosporiasis in U.S. history, which has now expanded to 15 states and involves more than 22,000 confirmed and suspected cases. The outbreak, linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico, has resulted in the first two confirmed deaths ever recorded in a U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreak. Public health officials are urging consumers, restaurants, and retailers to remain alert as the investigation continues and additional cases are expected to be reported. Outbreak Scope and Case Counts As of August 4,…