Massive Cyclospora Outbreak Causes 40% of Americans to Avoid Fruits and Vegetables
A severe Cyclospora outbreak has led 40% of US consumers to shun fresh produce, as former FDA officials criticize the government's 'catastrophic' mismanagement.
The Food and Drug Administration delayed a new food traceability rule last year, which would have helped investigators identify contaminated products like lettuce linked to illnesses. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy declared the Cyclospora surge 'under control,' but critics strongly disagree. 'If history is any judge, when the Trump administration declares a crisis under control, it's time to brace for the worst yet to come,' said Brad Woodhouse, president of public health nonprofit Protect Our Care. Frank Yiannas, former FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response under both Trump and Biden, called for an independent investigation, describing the response as 'catastrophic mismanagement on multiple fronts.' He noted the outbreak is more than double the typical annual case count, along with mixed messaging and consumer confusion, and a 'lack of strong federal leadership.' Susan Mayne, who led FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition from 2015 to 2023, called the outbreak a 'wake-up call.' In an op-ed for Stat, she highlighted consumers turning to processed foods like pizza, chips, and cookies—foods Kennedy has tried to steer Americans away from. 'Oreos never gave me explosive diarrhea,' one person stated online. Mayne argued that consumers should not face a trade-off between nutrition and safety, emphasizing that 'real foods are vulnerable to real pathogens.'
