Key facts
- Critics allege that funding cuts and staffing reductions under the Trump administration have weakened U.S. food safety oversight.
- The FoodNet program's mandatory tracking of Cyclospora and five other pathogens was curtailed.
- Over 10,000 cases of cyclosporiasis were confirmed in the U.S. this summer, with 517 hospitalizations.
- Taylor Farms de Mexico products have been linked to the current Cyclospora outbreak and previous Salmonella outbreaks.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services denies that changes have elevated risk and points to proposed budget increases.
Critics contend that the U.S. food safety system has been weakened by funding cuts and staffing reductions implemented during the Trump administration, potentially leading to more severe foodborne outbreaks. The recent surge in Cyclospora infections, which has sickened thousands across the country, is cited as evidence of this erosion.
The U.S. food safety network relies on a combination of state and federal agencies, including the CDC's FoodNet program, to detect and investigate foodborne illnesses. However, the Trump administration curtailed FoodNet's mandatory tracking of Cyclospora and five other pathogens, including listeria, which has a high mortality rate. This change means states are no longer required to report cases of these pathogens, potentially allowing outbreaks to continue undetected.
Food safety advocates and legal experts warn that these cutbacks make it harder to identify the sources of contamination, leading to more widespread illness. Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer, stated that such actions "basically allow for outbreaks to continue without being figured out." Neal Fortin, director of the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University, expressed concern over listeria being removed from mandatory surveillance.
Despite these concerns, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) denies that the changes have increased risk. HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard stated that FDA investigators were unaffected by staffing changes and that the proposed FY 2027 budget includes a $33 million increase for food safety activities. She also noted that the CDC continues to monitor Cyclospora illnesses through other surveillance systems.
However, Barbara Kowalcyk of George Washington University pointed out that these passive systems rely on states to report problems, with no mandated timeframe for doing so. The current Cyclospora outbreak, which has seen over 10,000 confirmed cases and 517 hospitalizations, has been linked to factors including funding cuts, corporate control of the food supply, and climate change. Products from Taylor Farms de Mexico have been implicated in this outbreak, as well as previous Salmonella outbreaks, raising questions about accountability.