Why Food Keeps Making Everybody Sick This Summer

This summer, a series of foodborne illness outbreaks across the United States have left many people sick. The latest outbreak, linked to tainted jalapeños, has already caused 431 illnesses and 57 hospitalizations in more than two dozen states. This follows a cyclospora outbreak caused by contaminated iceberg lettuce, which has now been identified as the largest the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has investigated since the 1990s, even though it undercounts the actual number of people infected.

Experts attribute this summer's wave of sickness to a combination of chronic underfunding in food safety systems, gaps in federal food policy, and recent cuts to the country's public health infrastructure.

The FDA has identified over 12,800 illnesses tied to foodborne outbreaks in 2026, far surpassing the number reported in any previous year since 2020. In comparison, there were only 895 cases related to foodborne outbreaks last year. Barbara Kowalcyk, director of George Washington University's Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition, suggests that the summer of sickness demonstrates vulnerabilities in the food safety system and what happens when it is stressed.

Among the outbreaks, the one caused by contaminated alfalfa sprouts has affected 55 people across 15 states, with a dual-pathogen outbreak of E. coli and salmonella. However, the true extent of these outbreaks is likely higher. The CDC estimates that about 67% of the 17,180 laboratory-confirmed cases in the US have been linked to Taylor Farms' iceberg lettuce, while the rest are linked to other outbreaks or isolated infections, requiring a full FDA investigation.

The cyclospora parasite, which typically causes a few hundred to a few thousand illnesses a year, has become more prevalent this summer due to its tendency to hide in leafy greens, herbs, and berries. These raw foods are particularly difficult to sanitize and remove the parasite since it forms a tough protective outer shell. However, the scale of the outbreak cannot be solely attributed to the parasite.

Recent years have seen the CDC and FDA facing significant staff reductions, leading to a lack of expertise in handling outbreaks. For example, the CDC's lab responsible for responding to cyclospora outbreaks was cut from 11 people to just three. Additionally, the Trump administration cut roughly $12 billion in grants for state health departments, which are often the first responders to outbreaks.

Michigan, for instance, lost 23 infectious disease workers and 123 county health staff, making it difficult for them to investigate the numerous cyclospora cases in the state.

Despite the existence of a traceability rule issued by the FDA in 2022, requiring businesses to maintain detailed recordkeeping for high-risk foods, the rule has yet to be implemented. The rule does not apply to importers, brokers, or trading companies that handle foreign food products, allowing contaminated food to enter the US without proper traceability information. This loophole makes it difficult to trace outbreaks tied to foreign products, especially if the original supplier is not keeping detailed records.