Cyclospora outbreak has 40% of Americans eating less produce
FDA is probing six Cyclospora outbreaks as CDC counts over 11,500 cases and a CBS News poll finds many cutting produce.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
A widening Cyclospora outbreak is changing how some Americans buy and eat produce, even as federal health officials urge people to eat more fresh food. A CBS News poll conducted over the weekend found about 40% of Americans said they are buying or eating less produce during the Cyclospora outbreak, while 4% said they are eating more in line with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s guidance.
The Food and Drug Administration says it is investigating six foodborne illness outbreaks tied to Cyclospora. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted more than 11,500 confirmed and probable cases across 41 states, including more than 300 hospitalizations.
The largest outbreak has been linked by the FDA to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sold at Taco Bell restaurants and other companies. Federal investigators say that outbreak has affected thousands of people in nine states, an increase from five states identified the prior week.
Michigan is one of the affected states. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported 9,253 cases as of July 27. The FDA has not identified a food source for the other five outbreaks.
What is Cyclospora?
Cyclospora is a one-celled parasite that can cause diarrheal illness, according to federal health agencies. It is known to spread from human feces onto fresh produce, and past outbreaks have been tied to foods including leafy greens, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, snow peas, green onions and raspberries.
The outbreak has complicated Kennedy’s “eat real food” message, which emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables. Susan Mayne, who led the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition from 2015 to 2023, wrote in Stat that the outbreak shows nutrition advice and food safety cannot be separated.
Mayne said she had seen people online say they were turning to processed foods they viewed as safer than salads and produce, including pizza, chips and store-bought cookies. “Consumers should not be faced with a trade-off between nutrition and food safety,” she wrote, adding that “real foods” can also carry pathogens.
How are federal agencies handling the outbreak?
Kennedy said last week that the Cyclospora surge was “under control,” but some public health critics and former FDA officials have disputed that assessment. Brad Woodhouse, president of the nonprofit Protect Our Care, said in a statement that when the Trump administration says a crisis is under control, people should expect worse to come.
Frank Yiannas, a former FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response who served during the first Trump administration and under President Joe Biden, told Politico the outbreak “deserves a lot of questions.” He said it was nearing a “catastrophic level” because of what he described as mismanagement, citing its size, public confusion and a lack of firm federal leadership.
CBS News has reported that the CDC has lost about 25% of its staff and the FDA about 20% under Kennedy’s leadership. The FDA also announced last year that it was delaying a food traceability rule that would have helped investigators track and remove foods linked to illness outbreaks, according to prior FDA reporting cited in coverage of the outbreak.
The case count already far exceeds the typical level seen in recent years, according to Yiannas. The unresolved source of five outbreaks means federal and state investigators are still trying to determine which foods are making people sick.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.