The FDA Is Investigating 10 Foodborne Outbreaks Right Now — Here’s What to Know About Each One

The investigations span multiple pathogens, several recalls, and foods sold nationwide, with some sources still unknown.

By Korin Miller

Korin Miller has spent nearly two decades covering food, health, and nutrition for digital, print, and TV platforms. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, SELF, Prevention, The Washington Post, and more.

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Published on August 5, 2026

• The FDA is investigating 10 active foodborne illness outbreaks, a higher-than-usual number that experts attribute to improved detection methods and a more interconnected food supply.
• Two Cyclospora outbreaks linked to iceberg lettuce account for the most reported illnesses, with cases in 41 states. Michigan reports the highest number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.
• The remaining FDA investigations involve Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, and Clostridium botulinum. Some are linked to recalled products such as frozen blueberries, powdered infant formula, eggs, and soft cheeses, while others remain under investigation.

The cyclosporiasis outbreak has sent leafy green sales plummeting across the country and sparked renewed interest in food safety. While cyclosporiasis cases linked to iceberg lettuce continue to climb in the U.S., it’s far from the only foodborne illness outbreak under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

According to FDA data, there are currently 10 active investigations into foodborne illnesses across the country. That seems like a lot — and it is, according to food safety experts. However, they say there are likely a few reasons for that.

“Foodborne outbreaks have always occurred, but our ability to detect and investigate them has improved significantly over time,” says Wade Syers, DSocSci, an extension specialist in food safety at Michigan State University Extension. “Public health agencies are better able to connect cases across states and identify potential food sources than they were even a decade ago.”

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Kalmia E. Kniel, PhD, professor and chair of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, agrees. “The majority of types of illnesses transmitted by foods are now detected clinically by culture-independent tests (CIDT),” she says. That means when healthcare providers try to figure out what’s behind a patient’s diarrhea, vomiting, or other potential symptoms of foodborne illness, they may order this test. The results can give patients and providers more information about what’s going on and how to properly treat it, and they can alert public health officials to foodborne illness outbreaks that are emerging. “The majority of hospitals have access to these types of tests,” Kniel says. 

But the rise in cases is likely more complicated than that, according to Darin Detwiler, author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University. “Our food system has become increasingly interconnected,” he says. “A single contamination event can affect products distributed across dozens of states within days, making outbreaks appear larger and more visible than in the past.”

Problems can quickly become widespread before anyone is aware, given the many opportunities for food to become contaminated before it reaches a grocery store or restaurant, Detwiler says. “Problems often originate on the farm or during harvesting, washing, processing, or distribution,” he says. “When failures occur early in the supply chain, they can spread widely before anyone recognizes that people are becoming ill.” As a result, outbreaks often span multiple states, involve more consumers, and require more complex investigations than in the past, Detwiler says. 

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But Detwiler says it’s “concerning” that so many outbreak investigations are active at the same time. “While there is always some level of ongoing foodborne illness surveillance, the number of concurrent investigations appears higher than many experts would consider typical,” he says. Kniel says the number of ongoing outbreaks is “not common,” but adds that this has happened before.

The FDA’s 10 active foodborne outbreak investigations

Two Cyclospora outbreaks (iceberg lettuce)

Cyclospora, the parasite that causes the diarrheal illness cyclosporiasis, has dominated headlines in the U.S. for weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. It can cause “explosive,” watery diarrhea that can last for weeks if left untreated.Public health officials still don’t know exactly what’s driving this outbreak, but it appears to be linked to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de México. The FDA initially reported that Taylor Farms’ lettuce tested positive for Cyclospora, prompting the company to recall the affected product. However, the FDA later updated its statement, calling the result a “false positive,” increasing consumer confusion.

The outbreak initially focused on lettuce distributed to Taco Bell locations across nine states:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Michigan
• Ohio
• Oklahoma,
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

Cases have been reported in 41 states. Michigan has the most cases and is currently reporting 11,234 illnesses, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. As of July 30, 193 people have been hospitalized in the Michigan outbreak, and two have died.  

The Ohio Department of Health reports 4,013 cases, making Ohio the state with the second-highest case count. The FDA has two ongoing Cyclospora outbreaks tied to lettuce — from July 15 and July 22.

Continue/Read Original Article: The 10 Foodborne Outbreaks the FDA Is Investigating Right Now