Cyclospora outbreak followed years of declining FDA foreign inspections
Summary
A nationwide outbreak of cyclospora, linked to contaminated lettuce from Mexico, has raised concerns about the safety of imported food in the U.S. Inspections of foreign food sites by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have dropped by about 35% since 2019, partly due to inspector retirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.Key Facts
- Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause foodborne illness.
- The recent outbreak is connected to contaminated lettuce imported from Mexico.
- FDA inspections of foreign food producers have decreased nearly 35% since 2019.
- The decrease in inspections began before the pandemic but worsened due to retirements and staff leaving during COVID-19.
- The Mexican farm linked to the current outbreak is among those inspected less often.
- The FDA is responsible for checking imported foods to ensure they are safe for U.S. consumers.
- Reduced inspections may make it harder to catch unsafe food before it reaches Americans.
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