The state of US food safety
Just a few weeks ago, you couldn’t escape headlines about cyclospora — the parasite that somehow found its way into U.S. produce.
What started out as a concern over Taco Bell lettuce in the Midwest has turned into seven active outbreaks, affecting more than 10,000 people across 47 states. Last week, health officials in Michigan shared that two people with severe underlying health issues died due to the region’s outbreak.
Deaths linked to the parasite are still rare. But that’s not the only public health problem that officials are tracking. There’s salmonella linked to jalapeño peppers, E. coli linked to frozen blueberries, Listeria linked to cheese, and Botulinum toxin linked to baby formula. And that’s just a handful of the ongoing foodborne illness outbreaks the FDA has reported since June.
What does this record summer for foodborne illness tell us about the state of food safety in the U.S. right now?
