The surprising reason food recalls are getting worse

Since May, the United States has seen more than 17,000 lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that can cause watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea. This summer's massive outbreak is unprecedented, with previous records never exceeding a few hundred infections in a single year. The problem extends beyond cyclosporiasis; at least one person died from a listeria infection linked to ricotta cheese, nearly 100 people were sickened by salmonella from recalled eggs, and over 400 people fell ill from a separate salmonella outbreak involving jalapeños.

The Food and Drug Administration recently warned about frozen blueberries potentially contaminated with E. coli, and a recent outbreak of salmonella and E. coli from alfalfa sprouts has hospitalized several dozen people across 15 states. The severity of this outbreak has led some to question whether the summer of unsafe food may never end.

Experts warn that the problem is not just due to the Trump administration's staffing cuts at the FDA and CDC, but also due to the increasingly globalized food supply and the changing climate. Warming temperatures allow pathogens like salmonella and E. coli to thrive, while seasonal changes typically bring more foodborne illnesses during the warmer months.

The cyclospora parasite, historically found only in subtropical climates, is now appearing in the United States, with recent outbreaks traced to iceberg lettuce from Mexico and farms in Florida. As global warming continues, experts predict that such outbreaks will become more frequent and widespread, posing a significant threat to public health.