Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week
A cyclosporiasis outbreak that has affected more than 5,000 people has been traced to iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. The lettuce was supplied by Taylor Farms, which traced it to a source in Mexico. At least 102 people have been hospitalized, and public health officials warn that the actual number of people dealing with the parasite could be much higher.Among EU member states, many national authorities report challenges associated with implementing controls related to food safety culture. Such controls have been required under European Union legislation since 2021. Some countries report they are implementing the controls under current systems, while others say such controls are time-consuming, ineffective and inefficient.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a letter to the infant formula industry calling on manufacturers to reduce the risk of contaminated ingredients entering the formula supply. Packagers, distributors, exporters, importers and retailers also have roles to play when it comes to identifying and addressing potential contamination. Two recent outbreaks of botulism were traced to infant formula that used contaminated powdered milk. More than fifty infants were affected.A major E. coli outbreak sickened almost 500 people in Germany in the latter part of 2025. Three people died, including a 7-year-old boy. Patients were concentrated in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Nordrhein-Westfalen regions. Authorities have not been able to identify a specific food item responsible for the outbreak.