Layoffs & Tech JobsAug 27, 2026·2 min read

The surprising reason food recalls are getting worse

Vox – Immigration

Aug 27, 2026

The surprising reason food recalls are getting worse

Summary

Summer is supposed to be the best time for fresh produce. Corn on the cob at the cookout. Berries plucked right from the vine. Salads on the cafe patio while you take an extra long lunch break because the weather and the food is that good. But this year, summer’s harvest brought something much different than the flavorful dishes we’ve come to expect. Since May, the United States has seen more than 17,000 lab-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases . Before this summer’s massive outbreak, the country had never recorded more than a few hundred infections in a single year from this parasite, which can cause watery and at times explosive diarrhea. And that isn’t the only bug invading Americans’ digestive tracts. Vox’s senior correspondent Dylan Scott has been on the health beat for a long time, and every week, he’ll wade into sticky debates, answer fair questions, and contextualize what’s happening in American healthcare policy. And the CDC, which helps respond to outbreaks once they start, has lost about a quarter of its workforce from January 2025 to October 2025, according to Reuters ; by this summer, CBS reported, the number of scientists tracking food parasites at the agency dropped from 11 to three.

From the source

While this summer’s spate of foodborne illness is especially bad, the worst may be yet to come. | Wen Tsui/Xinhua via Getty Images Summer is supposed to be the best time for fresh produce. Corn on the cob at the cookout. Berries plucked right from the vine. Salads on the cafe patio while you take an extra long lunch break because the weather and the food is that good. But this year, summer’s harvest brought something much different than the flavorful dishes we’ve come to expect. Since May, the United States has seen more than 17,000 lab-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases . Before this summer’s massive outbreak, the country had never recorded more than a few hundred infections in a single year from this parasite, which can cause watery and at times explosive diarrhea. And that isn’t the only bug invading Americans’ digestive tracts. One person died from a listeria infection traced to ricotta cheese. Close to 100 people came down with salmonella from recalled eggs , while more than 400 peo

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