This episode of Food Safety Five highlights new research on cold storage practices for fresh-cut produce, food safety perspectives among small-scale produce growers exempt from FDA's FSMA Produce Safety Rule, and water management strategies that reduce arsenic in rice.
The Brix level for Florida oranges has been steadily declining over the past few decades due to severe weather and citrus greening, making it challenging to meet the original Standard of Identity (SOI) for pasteurized orange juice, which was established in 1963.
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 FDA has rescinded a previous positive product sample finding.
Of the products (including chips, mayonnaise, and salad dressings) labeled to contain avocado oil as the sole declared edible oil, 89 percent contained fatty acid and sterol profiles indicating the presence of other oils.
The country has seen a 66 percent increase in food poisoning incidents during the first half of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, including 12 events in school cafeterias. Top officials have ordered relevant state departments to take specific actions to improve oversight.
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.
Food-related priorities under the four pillars include post-market ingredient safety reviews, GRAS reform, food labeling modernization, and reducing dietary exposure to contaminants like toxic heavy metals.
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.
In a letter, Senator Amy Klobuchar urged CDC and FDA to fully restore food safety programs that have been affected under the Trump Administration and continue supporting state public health agencies with the resources needed to detect, investigate, and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks.
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