FDA Says US Food Supply Safe as Cyclosporiasis Cases Top 11,000

A senior FDA official said this week that the US food supply remains safe even as cyclosporiasis case counts continue to climb, with more than 11,000 confirmed and suspected cases now tied to the ongoing multistate outbreak.¹ Donald Prater, DVM, the FDA's acting deputy commissioner for food, made the comments Monday at the International Association for Food Protection's annual meeting, as reported by the New York Times.¹

"The US food supply is safe," Prater said, adding that the agency faces challenges that will take time to resolve but that officials believe they are protecting public health.¹ The comments echo Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who said last week the outbreak was "under control."¹ CDC reported Friday that 4173 laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases have been reported since early May, with more than 7400 additional cases not yet laboratory confirmed still under investigation.¹

CDC confirms 4173 lab-confirmed cases with 7400 more under investigation

The outbreak has been linked primarily to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico and distributed to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. FDA has not confirmed a positive product sample tied to the outbreak, after an earlier positive finding was reclassified as a false positive. A separate, unrelated cluster of 72 cases was added to FDA's list of active investigations in late July, bringing the number of active Cyclospora investigations the agency is tracking to 6.²

Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite spread through food or water contaminated with feces. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, cramping, and bloating, and illness can persist for weeks or months without treatment. Nearly 100 hospitalizations have been reported in connection with the outbreak, and no deaths have been reported.²

Public Confidence in Food Safety Response Has Slipped

A CBS News/YouGov poll published this week found 40% of US adults are buying or eating less produce because of the outbreak, while 4% said they are eating more; 56% reported no change.³ Among the 2193 adults surveyed July 22 to 24, 47% said they do not trust FDA to manage the outbreak amid a growing number of active investigation clusters, and only 13% said they have a lot of confidence in the agency's ability to bring it under control.³

Prater's comments come amid broader scrutiny of the federal response to a summer that has already produced multiple case-count revisions, a walked-back positive test result, and downstream questions about the antibiotics used to treat confirmed infections. FDA maintains that despite the false-positive finding, epidemiological data still link the outbreak to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in central Mexico.¹

References

1. Suter S. FDA official insists 'U.S. food supply is safe' as cyclosporiasis cases hit 11,000. The Hill. Published July 28, 2026. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5995350-cyclosporiasis-cyclospora-fda-food-safety/

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Investigation update: Cyclospora outbreak, July 2026. Updated July 16, 2026. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/07-26/investigation.html

3. Staff. Survey finds cyclospora outbreak changing food habits, less trust in FDA. The Hill. Published July 27, 2026. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://thehill.com/business/5992862-cyclospora-outbreak-produce-fda-survey/