Federal funding cuts to the CDC’s FoodNet program have weakened the U.S. system for detecting foodborne illness outbreaks, according to food safety experts cited in a July 27 KFF Health News report published by CBS News.
The changes come as the CDC and FDA investigate five separate Cyclospora outbreaks across the country, which have collectively sickened at least 4,173 people and spurred more than 300 hospitalizations since May 1. The largest outbreak, tied to lettuce from Taylor Farms, has since expanded to nine states, the CDC said July 24. In total, 1,947 cases have been confirmed in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and West Virginia.
FoodNet, created in the 1990s after four children died from E. coli-contaminated hamburgers, requires 10 participating states to report case data to the CDC. Under changes made during the Trump administration, states are no longer required to report cases of six pathogens that collectively cause hundreds of deaths annually.
Food safety experts told KFF Health News their bigger concern isn’t cyclospora itself, but what comes next. Listeria, one of the pathogens dropped from mandatory FoodNet reporting, hospitalizes nearly 95% of those diagnosed and kills as many as 30% — far more lethal than cyclospora. Experts warn that without mandatory surveillance, a deadlier outbreak could go undetected for longer.
Combined with federal cuts to public health funding and a leaner HHS workforce, food safety experts told KFF Health News that the rollbacks have made it more difficult to identify and respond to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.
“We are starting to see the consequences of an underfunded public health system in 2026,” Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, chief medical executive of Michigan, told KFF Health News. The state has reported more than 7,000 cyclosporiasis cases this year, the most of any state — spurring it to redeploy public health staff from other work to aid in response efforts.
“Currently it’s cyclospora,” she said. “Eventually, we are going to lose the ability to detect something else.”
An HHS spokesperson disputed that the cuts have hindered the federal government’s ability to respond to foodborne illness outbreaks.
“FDA investigators were not affected by staffing changes or force reductions, and the FY 2027 President’s Budget proposes a $33 million increase for food safety activities,” an HHS spokesperson told KFF Health News.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
