Cyclospora boosts fears that deadlier foodborne outbreaks are ahead
www.cbsnews.com

... The next foodborne illness outbreak could be much worse.

That's the concern of food safety leaders across the U.S. who are raising alarms over federal cuts they say have made it harder to detect and stop the spread of foodborne illnesses, such as the recent outbreaks of cyclospora, which has sickened thousands in dozens of states. And they're especially worried the next pathogen will be much more deadly. ...

But in President Donald Trump's second term, his administration has slashed billions of dollars in public health funding and fired thousands of workers at federal health agencies. It has also curtailed FoodNet, stopping the program's mandatory tracking of cyclospora and five other pathogens that together kill hundreds of people in the U.S. each year. ...

Weakened policies, reduced funding preceded cyclosporiasis outbreak
www.upi.com

... Before the outbreak of cyclosporiasis, the Food and Drug Administration delayed the enforcement of a policy designed to improve the process of tracking and removing potentially contaminated foods, including iceberg lettuce.

The FDA announced on March 20 that it is extending the Food Traceability Final Rule by 30 months. The policy was originally supposed to take effect on Jan. 20.

The FDA described the rule as allowing "for faster identification and removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, resulting in fewer foodborne illnesses and deaths."

Due to funding cuts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention terminated the Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network program. This program was used to track foodborne illnesses, supporting state and local food safety programs.

The FoodNet program was a joint effort between the CDC, FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was used to track infections from eight pathogens, including Cyclospora, salmonella and E. coli.

In July 2025, the federal government made FoodNet tracking optional. Before the change, surveillance of the eight identified pathogens, including cyclospora, was mandatory. ...