How Trump admin cuts have compromised food safety - CBS News

What the report says

CBS News reported that a large cyclospora outbreak has sickened more than 11,000 people in 41 states since May, with the FDA attributing the biggest cluster, affecting nine states, to contaminated iceberg lettuce from Mexico distributed nationally by Taylor Farms. The parasite can cause severe diarrhea lasting weeks, and former FDA food-safety chief Susan Mayne, now an adjunct professor at Yale, described the scale as unprecedented.

The report connected the outbreak to broader concerns about produce safety, noting that fruits and vegetables account for a major share of foodborne illness because they are often eaten raw. CBS described voluntary industry safeguards under the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, including water testing, sanitation measures, field traceability tools and state inspections, while industry representatives said outdoor farming cannot eliminate every risk.

CBS also reported that federal food-safety capacity has been reduced during President Trump’s second term, saying the FDA has lost about 20% of its staff and the CDC about 25%. The report said the CDC’s team tracking food parasites fell from 11 scientists to three, a federal advisory committee on microbial contamination was disbanded, and FoodNet surveillance that previously covered eight pathogens now requires reporting for only salmonella and E. coli, leaving cyclospora optional.

A traceability rule passed after a 2011 food-safety law, which CBS said would require detailed supply-chain records for vulnerable foods, has been delayed until 2028. Health and Human Services head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rejected criticism, saying surveillance cuts were aimed at redundancy. Mayne disputed that and advised consumers to avoid bagged salads because contamination can spread widely during processing.