RSS Feeds

This summer, it’s been hard for consumers to know what to put in their grocery cart. Recalls have affected hundreds of products, including lettuce, which was linked to a Cyclospora outbreak; eggs and jalapenos that were connected with salmonella; and blueberries that were potentially contaminated with E. coli.

These incidents have left shoppers across the United States wondering whether this summer has been a particularly bad one for foodborne illnesses.

Here’s what to know—and why consumers may be perceiving a greater number of outbreaks than usual, despite what the data shows.

Read More: What Food Safety Experts Are Eating During the Cyclospora Outbreak

The number of food recalls are about average, but a few have been unusually severe

According to federal data, the number of food recalls regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is relatively on par with an average year. So far, there have been 483 recalls in this fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026), with a projected total of 551 by the end of October. In the past decade, the U.S. has seen a range of 400-800 annual recalls. 

But what stands out in 2026 is the severity of some of the outbreaks caused by contaminated food this year.

“I don't know that I would necessarily say there are more outbreaks,” says Janet Hamilton, the executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. “However, what I would say is the scale and magnitude of outbreaks that we're facing right now are unprecedented. It's like we're being eclipsed by the scale and magnitude of these outbreaks with the staffing levels that we have.”

The summer’s Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce alone sickened more than 10,000 people, caused over 400 hospitalizations, and led to at least two deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Epidemiologists believe it could be among the largest documented foodborne illness events in U.S. history. 

"We've never seen anything like that before,” Hamilton says.

The volume of food affected is higher than average

While the total number of recalls has been about average, USDA-regulated recalls affected more than 37 million pounds of food during the first half of 2026—the highest it has been in a decade.

At the same time, epidemiologist and former CDC adviser Katelyn Jetelina says that it’s very hard to tell just how bad this summer’s outbreaks have been—and our lack of federal data does not help.

“Our data is just not great in the United States,” she tells TIME. “We’re patching things together to try to figure out what is reality versus concern and public perception, and it's hard to know where the line is.”

“That’s what's most frustrating for me as an epidemiologist as well as a mom,” she adds.

There are seasonal factors, and surveillance has improved

It’s normal for foodborne illnesses to peak in the summer, since warmer temperatures help bacteria and other organisms multiply. That is why there have been more outbreak incidents in recent months. But this is a consistent seasonal threat, epidemiologists say, and not specific to 2026. 

There has also been an increase in media attention around food safety, which can make it seem like the magnitude of any given event is higher than it actually is. This increased coverage is partially due to improved surveillance tools. Laboratories are better equipped than ever to detect foodborne illnesses, track how bacteria multiply, and find links between patients. 

Because we have more information than ever on some of these bacteria, and we are able to process data faster than ever before, this means that the information can be quickly and easily shared with the population—which potentially makes it feel like the country is experiencing more outbreaks, when consumers are really just seeing more updates.

Federal staffing shortages may be weakening the safety net

Experts say that while we are able to more quickly detect and identify food safety issues in past decades, health departments at the federal and state levels have experienced significant decreases in funding and staffing—potentially weakening food safety oversight. It can be hard to tell how this is impacting outbreaks.

One potential outcome is having less ability to monitor and control an existing outbreak, Hamilton says.

“Health departments are mounting responses quickly, but when the outbreaks need additional sustained surge support, the system is quickly overwhelmed,” she says. “That leads to situations like what we have seen with Cyclospora. This would have been a complicated outbreak to begin with, and then when you don't have the staffing to keep pace with the level of detailed interviews that you need, the ability to rapidly control the outbreak diminishes.”

Hamilton and her colleagues at the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists conduct regular surveys to track staffing levels in state and territorial health departments, and their recent reports found that one-third of public health officials in state health departments have left their positions since the Trump Administration took control in 2025. On the federal level, some of the staffing cuts were led by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Federal cuts to the CDC and FDA also affect state and local health departments, since federal funds provide more than half of their total budgets, according to KFF.

Hamilton says that public health officials are like a “protective shield” around the complicated food systems in our country. Workers look at data “carefully and thoughtfully,” interview people impacted by foodborne illness, and “tease apart” what foods might be contaminated.

This work is harder with fewer staff members who are stretched increasingly thin. Even advanced tracking and surveillance technology may not be able to counter the loss of knowledgeable human engagement amid these outbreaks.

“Our food supply chains are complicated, and I don't know that people really appreciate the detailed work and the complexity that goes behind understanding where foods and ingredients come from and exactly how people are exposed,” she adds.

Jetelina adds that part of the role of public health officials is distinguishing “correlation from causation”—a consideration that applies directly to questions about whether and how staffing and funding cuts have affected responses to illness outbreaks this year. Reduced oversight may have allowed some contamination events to go undetected or unaddressed, while staffing shortages may have delayed the collection and dissemination of information that could have helped officials contain outbreaks and reduce the risk to consumers. But without further investigation, it is difficult to determine exactly how the cuts affected the number of recalls, the speed of outbreak responses, or other key measures in 2026.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that cuts to the CDC and FDA have not hampered the investigation of Cyclospora.

“Those criticisms are invalid,” Kennedy said during a press briefing on July 21. “We had no cuts in the surveillance program. We did cuts in the FoodNet program, but they were for redundant surveillance.”

FoodNet, short for the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, was no longer required to actively report on six of eight pathogens, including Cyclospora, as of 2025. The CDC characterized the change in a statement to the Associated Press in August 2025 as a way to “prioritize core activities” and “steward resources effectively.”

TIME has reached out to the CDC and FDA for comment.

When it comes to consumer safety, it’s important to note that the vast majority of food moving through the system is free from contamination. Experts say consumers can stay safe from outbreaks by keeping up with food recalls, washing produce well, refrigerating produce properly, and monitoring symptoms linked to foodborne illnesses. 

For many Americans, accessing fresh, clean water is as simple as turning a tap. 

But amid a growing water crisis in the West, and periodic droughts in other parts of the country, constant water access is not a given. 

“it's a resource that, in this case, can quite literally run dry,” says John Atkinson, an associate professor of environmental engineering at the University of Buffalo. 

Earlier this month, federal officials announced sharp cuts in how much water Arizona, California and Nevada would be allowed to take from the Colorado River over the next two years as the water levels for the nation's two largest reservoirs reach record lows. Under the Bureau of Reclamation’s new plan, the three states will have to collectively reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet annually over the next two years—or potentially face larger cuts. 

The average American uses roughly 82 gallons of water a day at home, according to the EPA. Much of that water use is the result of habits that most people rarely give a second thought— like leaving the sink running while washing dishes or setting up an automatic sprinkler system to maintain a green yard. 

Experts in water sustainability say that there are small steps they take at home to help them save water. 

Qizhong George Guo, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rutgers University, notes that there are plenty of small habits that can add up to significant drops in water usage. Only run the dishwasher or washing machine when you have full ones. If you’re washing dishes by hand, be mindful to not leave the tap running when it's not in use. Soak pans before cleaning them, and turn off the faucet when scrubbing. 

Many older appliances use more water. Switching to newer models, which tend to be more energy and water-efficient, could yield savings in the long run. “The fixtures have become much more efficient in the last 20 years or so—from dishwashers to showerheads, to faucets,” says Guo. 

Switching to low-flow faucets, which use less water than older models, are “a low-hanging fruit,” says Helen Dahlke, professor of integrated hydrologic sciences at the University of California, Davis. “You can save several hundreds of gallons of water per year, and that will also show up on your water bill as a benefit.” When looking for a newer model, keep an eye out for products which have a WaterSense label, which meet EPA standards and can save up to 700 gallons per year.

Another tip: Check around your home for leaks, which can add up to a lot of wasted water over time. 

“People would be surprised by how much water gets wasted due to leaks,” says Atkinson.  

According to the EPA, household leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons annually nationwide. That's equal to the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.

Where households use the most water

One of the biggest ways to save water is outside the home. The average homeowner uses 30% to 70% of their water outdoors—watering lawns, flowers and vegetables, the EPA estimates. 

“It’s the staple picture of the American home—a nice house and a green lawn in front of it,” says Dahlke. “But in regions where water is scarce, you should really think, is it worth it spending several hundreds of dollars a year and several hundreds of gallons a year just keeping green grass that has no use?” 

Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. Dahlke bucked that trend by embracing xeriscaping, or drought-tolerant landscaping. Instead of a traditional green yard, she's planted native plants and flowers that attract local pollinators. She’s noticed bees and hummingbirds have begun stopping by. 

Another added bonus? “I get a lot of compliments from the neighbors when they walk by,” she says.