WASHINGTON (TNND) — Americans have been seeing a steady stream of headlines about recalled lettuce, blueberries, jalapeños, eggs, sprouts, meat and other foods heading into the midterm elections.
That raises a question: Is the U.S. food supply actually becoming less safe, or are several unusually large outbreaks making it feel that way?
The answer is more complicated than the headlines suggest.
Food recalls are not necessarily increasing
There have been roughly 200 food recalls so far in 2026, according to data cited by KFF Health News. That is about on par with the number of recalls around the same point last year.
That means the overall number of recalls does not, by itself, show that food is becoming less safe.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 13: Lettuce and other vegetables are displayed in a Brooklyn market on August 13, 2026 in New York City. New government data show that lettuce prices plunged 16.4% from June to July, as a Cyclospora outbreak continues to spook shoppers. The outbreak, which causes nausea and diarrhea, has been tied to iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
At the same time, Americans are dealing with several significant foodborne illness investigations this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking investigations involving foods including iceberg lettuce, frozen blueberries, jalapeños, shell eggs, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts, powdered infant formula, soft ricotta cheese and raw dairy.
The pathogens involved include Cyclospora, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and botulism.
One unusually large outbreak changed the picture
One of the biggest food-safety stories of 2026 has involved Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness.
The CDC says nearly 20,000 laboratory-confirmed Cyclospora cases have been reported in the U.S. during the 2026 season.
That is dramatically higher than the number reported during the same period last year.
A large outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce accounted for 12,883 illnesses across 21 states, according to the CDC. The outbreak also resulted in at least 570 hospitalizations and two deaths.
But there is an important distinction: The CDC’s nearly 20,000-case figure represents the broader 2026 Cyclospora season, while the 12,883 cases were associated with the specific iceberg-lettuce outbreak.
The size of this year’s outbreak helps explain why food safety has received so much attention.
More illness does not automatically mean every food is less safe
The data show a real increase in some types of foodborne illness this year.
But that is different from proving that the entire U.S. food supply has become less safe.
The number of food recalls is roughly on par with last year, while some individual outbreaks have been much larger.
That distinction matters because recalls and illnesses measure different things.
A recall can happen because a company or government agency identifies a potential contamination before large numbers of people become sick. And a single large outbreak can produce thousands of illnesses without meaning that contamination is increasing across every category of food.
So while the large outbreaks of 2026 are a legitimate food-safety concern, the current data do not support a blanket conclusion that the entire U.S. food supply is becoming less safe.
There are serious foodborne illness outbreaks this year, including an unusually large Cyclospora outbreak. But the number of food recalls is roughly in line with last year, and the available data do not establish a broad decline in the safety of the U.S. food supply.
Dining and Cooking