Federal food-safety officials are investigating a growing list of foodborne illness outbreaks involving products ranging from iceberg lettuce and jalapeños to shell eggs, frozen blueberries and cheese, with one major Cyclospora outbreak alone now linked to more than 6,300 illnesses.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s active foodborne illness investigations include several outbreaks in which investigators have identified a food source, along with others for which the product responsible remains unknown. The investigations involve Cyclospora, Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, among other pathogens.
Lettuce Outbreak Tops 6,300 Illnesses
By far the largest current outbreak involves iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. As of Aug. 5, the FDA reported 6,358 Cyclospora illnesses across 15 states, including at least 278 hospitalizations and two deaths in Michigan. Illnesses began June 22 and continued through July 31.
The outbreak was initially associated with shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants, but subsequent investigation expanded the scope to include people reporting exposure to either Taco Bell or recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce. Recalled product also reached foodservice customers in 28 states and Marketside-brand products sold at select Walmart stores.
The FDA cautioned that the number of confirmed cases could continue rising because it can take as long as six weeks to determine whether an illness is part of a Cyclospora outbreak.
Another major investigation involves a Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 345 illnesses across 27 states as of Aug. 4, including 36 hospitalizations and no deaths. Ninety-three percent of 191 people interviewed reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming ill.
CDC said Aug. 10 that epidemiological and traceback evidence points to the jalapeños as the source of the outbreak. Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA stopped serving affected peppers, and Taylor Fresh Foods subsequently recalled jalapeños and products containing them. Recalled foods were distributed to numerous major retailers, including Albertsons, Kroger, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s.
Eggs, Frozen Fruit, and Cheese Also Implicated
Federal officials are also investigating a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked in part to shell eggs produced by Midwest Poultry Services.
The outbreak has resulted in 98 illnesses across 17 states and 26 hospitalizations, with no deaths reported. Midwest Poultry recalled approximately 1.59 million dozen white and brown cage-free shell eggs produced in Texas. The recalled products were sold under several brands, including Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire’s, Country Morning and Cal-Maine Sunups.
FDA said Midwest Poultry does not account for all illnesses associated with the outbreak, and investigators are working to determine whether additional sources are involved.
Frozen fruit is another category under investigation. Twelve people in two states have been infected with E. coli O145 in an outbreak linked to organic frozen blueberries from Chilean producer Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur. Four people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
Publix recalled all lots of GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries following the investigation. The products were shipped to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Meanwhile, an ongoing Listeria investigation has been linked to requeson, a soft cheese similar to ricotta, manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy in Mechanicsville, Md.
The outbreak has been associated with 12 illnesses in four states, 10 hospitalizations and one death. Recalls ultimately expanded to include all cheeses manufactured at the Clover Hill Dairy facility, with affected products reaching retail stores, supermarkets, restaurants, farmers markets and distributors in Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Several Outbreak Sources Remain Unknown
Not every current investigation has yielded a source.
The FDA’s active investigations list also includes an ongoing Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak involving 90 illnesses for which a food has not yet been identified, as well as an unidentified Cyclospora outbreak involving 10 illnesses. Federal investigators are conducting traceback, sampling or other investigative work as they attempt to identify the products responsible.
The number of simultaneous investigations does not by itself demonstrate that foodborne illness outbreaks are becoming more frequent. FDA notes that cases on its active list are at different stages of investigation, and some can remain listed even after an outbreak has ended while the agency completes its work.
For grocery retailers, restaurants and food manufacturers, however, the current investigations have a notably broad footprint. Fresh produce, dairy, frozen fruit and eggs are all involved, while recalls and distribution networks have reached retailers and foodservice operators across much of the country.