Biosecurity Report – July 2026

US Foodborne Pathogens

Cyclospora cayetanensis

What likely began in May, with cases reported in both Michigan and New York, became the largest outbreak of cyclospora ever recorded in the United States with over 20,000 cases throughout the US, with many cases being reported in Michigan. There are currently at least four ongoing outbreaks being investigated by the FDA. These outbreaks have not been linked. As of early August, the cyclospora outbreaks have resulted in two deaths.

Source. For weeks the specific sources of the cyclospora outbreaks eluded health officials. By the middle of July, US health authorities had linked at least one cyclospora outbreak to shredded lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants in five states, but were unable to determine the actual lettuce farm responsible for the outbreak.

News sources reported that the initial cyclospora contamination was thought to be from lettuce sold to Taco Bell originating from Taylor Farms located in California with production facilities throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe. The FDA and Taylor Fresh Foods also recalled certain Marketside-brand bagged lettuce products sold at Walmart.

On July 18th the FDA stated that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms in Mexico tested positive for cyclospora. However, due to the complexity of detection of cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and concluded that the finding did not represent a true amplification and should be considered a false positive. However, Taylor Farms in Mexico voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.

As of the end of July, there has been no confirmed source for the cyclospora outbreak.

Cyclospora Contamination. Cyclospora are microscopic parasites that only infect humans. It can be spread if a farm worker’s hands are not properly cleaned after a bowel movement. The eggs of the parasite, called oocytes, can be transferred from an infected worker’s hands to crops, such as lettuce. If the oocyte-infected crop (i.e. lettuce) is then eaten by another person, that person will then grow the parasite in his intestine and will shed oocytes in the newly infected person’s feces. Cyclospora oocyte contamination of water used for crops irrigation can also spread the disease.

Cyclospora infection can cause severe, prolonged gastrointestinal distress, to include explosive diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, dehydration, and relapses which can last for weeks. While death does not generally occur from a cyclospora infection, death may occur in persons with other co-morbidities.

Complicating the investigation into cyclospora is that there is no whole genome sequencing(WGS) detection for this parasite, only targeting genotyping, which is slower and less precise than WGS.

Cyclospora Outbreak Impact

• Consumers are refraining from eating fresh produce.
• Some school districts have removed fresh produce from school cafeterias.
• Visits to US Taco Bell locations were down as much as 31%.
• Because farmers can not sell their lettuce the crop is being plowed back into fields.

Recommendations

• End-to-end produce traceability with the implementation of US Food Traceability Rule (FSMA 204).
• Rebuild public health surveillance systems. Federal employees have expressed concerns that the cuts over the last year to federal programs are behind the poor response in management of the outbreak stating that budget cuts, policy delays, and personnel turnover are exacerbating an already delicate situation.
• Federal CDC grants to support to state and local health departments was decreased by $5.78 billion. This needs to be reversed.

Listeria

Frozen Blueberries. The FDA issued a recall for 55,000 pounds of frozen blueberries due to a potential Listeria contamination. Source information was not provided.

Fresh Peaches. Fresh peaches sold at Kroger and Trader Joe’s were recalled over a Listeria risk.

Listeria monocytogenes. The FDA reported eight confirmed patients with Listeria monocytogenes infections. While the FDA has begun traceback and onsite inspections, it has not reported what food is being traced or what location is being inspected.

Salmonella

Salmonella Javiana. The FDA reported 106 patients confirmed to have Salmonella Javiana infections. No information was reported concerning the food the FDA was tracing.

Moringa Leaf Powder Capsules. Moringa Leaf Powder Capsules produced by Relay Peak Research LLC under the brand name of Zen Principle Naturals were recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Eggs. Nearly 1.6 million white and brown eggs were recalled over possible contamination with the bacterium salmonella enteritis. The eggs were shipped to foodservice and retail customers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mississippi. Nearly 100 people may have been sickened by the same Salmonella strain found in the recalled eggs.

E. coli

Organic Frozen Blueberries. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. recalled organic IQF frozen blueberries under the brand name GreenWise due to possible E. coli contamination.

New World Screwworm

The USDA is lifting a more than yearlong ban on Mexican cattle imports caused by the spreading of the flesh-eating New World Screwworm, a move that could ease soaring beef prices. The US plans to resume importing Mexican cattle at the port of entry in Douglas, Arizona in August and eventually open two additional ports of entry in New Mexico. The border has been closed to cattle imports since November 2024 after the worm was detected in southern Mexico. Mexican cattle entering a US port of entry will move through a disinfectant dip vat.

Other Food Contaminants

Plastics

PT Organics Limited recalled banana and Strawberry Fruit Puree pouches under the brand names of Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics due to the potential presence of soft plastic in the puree.

Mars Petcare US, Inc. recalled Pedigree high protein chopped chicken and duck flavor wet dog food due the potential of foreign plastic contamination in the food.

Legal Issues

Agricultural Act of 2026 (“Farm Bill 2.0”)

The Agricultural Act of 2026 is a 902-page discussion draft released in the US Senate by Agricultural Committee Chairman John Boozeman (R-AR). This bill is intended to be “for the people who feed America” and is intended to strengthen the farm safety net, expand crop insurance and bolster rural economies. This bill is designed to counter and negotiate with the House-passed “Farm, Food, and National Security Act” and is to provide long-term policy certainty and predictability to producers facing high inflation, steep input costs, and volatile market prices. Specifically, the bill intends to:

• Expand crop insurance options to cover losses caused by a decline in market prices, as opposed to traditional policies which only covering natural disasters.
• Provides dedicated funding for specialty crop mechanization, automation research, and assistance programs.
• Codifies the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program, invests in essential services like safe drinking water, and creates new market opportunities for American-grown products.

Pesticides and Driscoll

The world’s largest berry company, Driscoll’s, is facing a consumer fraud class action lawsuit alleging that the California fruit company’s strawberries contain “forever chemicals”. The Watsonville-based berry company is accused of consumer fraud and deceptive practices in a lawsuit filed by six people living in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois.

The lawsuit hinges on a laboratory report that tested two boxes of Driscoll’s strawberries and found that the produce “contained residues of 12 different pesticides at levels prohibited in the European Union, Taiwan, Chile, Korea, and Russia.

The reporting did not state whether or not “forever chemicals” are banned in the four US states where the lawsuit has been filed.

Mexican Dumping of Strawberries

US Senator Rick Scott has called on the federal government to investigate what he describes as the suspected dumping of Mexican strawberries during Florida’s peak strawberry season.

Scott said more than 200 million kilograms of Mexican strawberries entered the US market between November and March, which coincides with Florida’s main production period. He said that the dumping of Mexican strawberries on US soil is more than just an economic threat to American farmers; it is a health and safety issue for American consumers.

The investigation was the result of a petition filed by Strawberry Growers for Fair Trade with the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission. The group alleges that Mexican strawberries are entering the US market at prices below those of Florica-grown fruit.

Issues Outside the United States

Russia

Tomato Seeds. Russia’s phytosanitary authority, Rosselkhoznadzor, said it will ban imports of tomato seeds from French producer BAYER SEEDS SAS, Mas de Rouzel, Chemin des Canaux, 30900 Nimes, from July 17, 2026, including shipments transiting through Belarus.

The measure was introduced to prevent the entry and spread of Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) and Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), both of which are quarantine pest for Russia and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.

The two viruses were reportedly detected previously during phytosanitary checks in tomato seed consignments originating from the French shipping location and arriving in Belarus.

Pests. Russia’s phytosanitary authorities reported several cases of import restrictions and quarantine pest detections in late June and early July. Inspectors blocked entry of 499.7 tonnes of fresh cabbage, onions, tomatoes, dried fruit, nuts, and other high-risk regulated products, as well as 228,000 units of saplings and greens at the Russian-Kazakh border in the first half of 2026 due to missing or invalid certificates, document discrepancies, and the detection of quarantine organisms. Non-compliant shipments were returned to senders, while infested consignments were destroyed.

Infested crops and pests noted were Western flower thrips in peppers, potato tuber moths in potatoes, South American tomato moth in tomatoes and easter fruit moth in a variety of fruits.