For further reading on the work of CORE+EP in 2024, read this FDA-authored article from the October/November 2025 issue of Food Safety Magazine describing how the Office uses information collected during foodborne illness outbreak investigations to inform and improve future investigations and prevention activities.

CORE+EP Activities in 2024 by the Numbers

The 2024 report showed that CORE+EP evaluated 72 incidents, initiated 26 response investigations, and issued ten public health advisories. Incidents evaluated included potential outbreaks, confirmed outbreaks, and adverse events that were analyzed by the CORE Signals and Surveillance (Signals) Team. Not all incidents evaluated by Signals are transferred to one of FDA’s CORE Response Teams for follow-up.

These figures are consistent with 2023 activity levels, which were maintained even as FDA underwent a major reorganization in 2024 to establish the new Human Foods Program. The investigations conducted in 2024 led to a range of public health actions, including recalls, advisories, a Warning Letter, and a consent decree of permanent injunction.

For further reading on how the Signals Team evaluates and identifies foodborne illness outbreaks, read this FDA-authored article from the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Food Safety Magazine.

CORE Expands Scope to Emergency Preparedness

In October 2024, FDA expanded the CORE Network into CORE+EP, adding responsibilities related to food defense, traceability, and supply chain management under the agency’s Human Foods Program. This expansion is intended to strengthen outbreak response and prevention capabilities.

CORE+EP continued to coordinate closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state, local, and international partners, to identify outbreak sources and implement control measures.

Produce Dominated Food Vehicles of Illness

Among foodborne illness outbreak investigations in which a food vehicle was identified, produce was the leading contributor. Vegetables represented 55 percent of implicated foods, followed by multi-ingredient products at 20 percent. Dairy (10 percent), fruits (5 percent), eggs (5 percent), and nuts (5 percent) were less frequently linked to illnesses.

FDA noted that not all investigations result in public advisories, often because a specific product is no longer available or actionable consumer guidance cannot be provided.

Public Health Actions and Regulatory Outcomes

FDA issued ten advisories in 2024, including nine that were related to foodborne illness outbreaks and one that was tied to an adverse event. Investigations also prompted multiple recalls and enforcement actions, including Warning Letters and import alerts.

The agency emphasized that outbreak investigations support longer-term prevention efforts, such as follow-up inspections, risk assessments, and the development of targeted prevention strategies.

Notable Outbreaks and Adverse Events

The report highlighted several significant investigations in 2024:

• Escherichia coli outbreak linked to organic carrots: FDA and CDC identified carrots produced by Grimmway Farms as the likely source in a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121:H19, marking the first time this pathogen-commodity pair was confirmed in an outbreak investigation. A recall affected 20 brands and had international distribution implications.
• Listeria monocytogenes outbreak tied to queso fresco and cotija cheese: An investigation into a decade-long L. monocytogenes outbreak was reopened and solved in 2024, including related illnesses dating back to 2014. FDA linked illnesses to queso fresco and similar cheese products produced by Rizo-López Foods Inc. Environmental sampling and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain in a Rizo-López Foods production facility, leading to a recall. The firm was later subject to a consent decree of permanent injunction.
• Adverse events associated with Diamond Shruumz products: FDA investigated a series of illnesses (i.e., seizures, central nervous system depression, abnormal heart rates, etc.) linked to chocolate bars, cones, and gummies containing muscimol, psilocin, and other compounds. The products, sold under the Diamond Shruumz brand, were available nationwide, including at smoke/vape shops and retailers that sell hemp-derived products such as cannabidiol (CBD) or delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC). The investigation included the analysis of Diamond Shruumz products, which provided an opportunity for FDA and CDC medical officers to better understand the health effects and risks associated with the compounds included in such products. Additionally, unlike outbreaks of foodborne illnesses caused by genetically related pathogens, CORE had to rely on self-reported adverse event information as an initial step in determining a shared source of exposure among complainants, making it more complicated to establish a causal relationship.

Advancing FSMA 204 Implementation

The report also highlighted CORE+EP’s role in advancing the Food Traceability Rule, fulfilling Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204). Activities in 2024 included industry and regulator training, deployment of internal product tracing systems, and stakeholder outreach.

It is worth noting that, in March 2025, shortly after the Presidential Administration change, FDA delayed the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months.