Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that the multistate cyclospora outbreak, which has sickened 1,644 people and hospitalized 94 across five states, has been brought “under control.” Kennedy stated that federal officials, working with involved companies, have identified the source of the outbreak and implemented recalls, despite ongoing investigations by the FDA to pinpoint the exact source of contamination. This declaration follows an earlier FDA report that a positive cyclospora test on a Taylor Farms lettuce sample was deemed a false positive after further laboratory review. While traceback investigators identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations linked to the outbreak, the FDA has not yet confirmed a positive product sample. Taylor Fresh Foods voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17, emphasizing the recall was limited to lettuce grown and processed there and did not affect retail-branded salads. Kennedy also defended the administration’s response, refuting claims that cuts to the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) hindered the investigation, asserting that forensic investigations are continuing nationwide and dismissing criticism as “invalid.”
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
