Contamination Control

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Between 1,600 and 5,000 people are sick in a five-state cyclosporiasis outbreak, according to CDC and Michigan officials. Iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms of Mexico to companies like Taco Bell and Walmart has been identified as the vehicle of infection. FDA has rescinded a previous positive product sample finding.

The X56 DXD+ is a dual-energy photon-counting X-ray inspection system designed for improved detection of low-density physical contaminants in complex packaged food applications.

The outbreak cluster includes more than 1,600 people in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Outside of the outbreak cluster, Michigan and other parts of the U.S. continue to experience elevated rates of Cyclospora infections compared to previous years.

JEMRA convened in June to review the latest scientific evidence on microbiological hazards that have recently been associated with public health events due to the contamination of powdered infant formula or its ingredients.

Public health experts say the ongoing cyclosporiasis situation exposes growing weaknesses in national foodborne illness surveillance, highlighting how funding and program cuts and CDC staff attrition could undermine outbreak detection and delay response, affecting public health communication and consumer confidence in food safety.

More than 400 cases in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia appear to be epidemiologically linked, although a food source has not been confirmed. Michigan alone reports more than 3,300 Cyclospora infections.

The co-occurrence of biofilm formation, acid tolerance, and antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli isolated from irrigation water, soil, and crops could complicate downstream microbial control efforts in produce production systems.

The Memorandum of Understanding expands interagency collaboration on food contaminant monitoring, including for toxic heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), under the National Residue Program.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to exposure scientist and toxicologist Dr. Alex LeBeau about the generation, interpretation, and responsible communication of food contaminant testing data—a conversation raised by recent reports on arsenic in candy from Florida officials.

Effective July 20, to support risk surveillance, the agency will perform metals analysis on samples that are already collected for allergen verification.