Trump Administration Halts 2 USDA Cyclospora Projects as 17,000 Fall Ill This Summer
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 31
Trump Administration Halts 2 USDA Cyclospora Projects as 17,000 Fall Ill This Summer
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Aug 31
Summary
Two of USDA’s three cyclospora research projects were defunded this year, and the third is being moved from Maryland to Iowa with all current scientists declining to relocate, effectively hollowing out the federal effort.
More than 17,000 people have been sickened this summer, including an outbreak tied to over 11,000 cases across 20 states, making the cuts especially damaging to efforts to trace and prevent future contamination.
USDA says Congress eliminated funding for the two Beltsville projects and insists research will continue without disruption, but a USDA employee said work has been reduced to preserving samples from past outbreaks.
The FDA has raised its recall of Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico to Class I, while investigators remain at the processing plant in Mexico that has been temporarily closed.
As thousands fall ill from a stealthy foodborne parasite, what hidden dangers remain on grocery shelves while critical scientific tracking programs vanish?
Can new technology predict future foodborne outbreaks before they strike, or will the loss of specialized federal labs leave our food supply completely blind?