Lettuce   Image by Petra from Pixabay

July 15, 2026 - WASHINGTON – Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is urging the CDC and FDA to reinstate funding and staffing for federal and state food safety programs to fight the currently uncontrolled Cyclosporiasis outbreak happening across the United States. Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by eating contaminated food or drinking water and can lead to severe dehydration, fatigue, and other health issues. So far, across the country, nearly 2,800 cases and 87 hospitalizations linked to this outbreak have been confirmed. 

“I write to urge the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restore funding and staffing cuts made by the administration to federal and state food safety programs, including the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), Public Health Infrastructure Grants, Preventive Services Block Grant, Food Safety Inspection Service, and Food Emergency Response Network,” wrote Klobuchar. “As a currently uncontrolled large foodborne outbreak across the country continues, cuts to these programs are impacting our nation’s ability to prevent, detect, and contain foodborne illnesses and protect public health.”

“Preventing foodborne illnesses like Cyclosporiasis and expediently detecting and responding to outbreaks are life-saving and economically essential functions of the FDA, CDC, and state health and agriculture departments working in collaboration and coordination with one another,” Klobuchar continued. “The recent actions taken by the administration have significantly weakened federal and state defenses and undermined nationwide coordination against foodborne illnesses, particularly when there is no longer a central location for reporting and comparing data across state lines.”

Klobuchar has long led efforts to improve food safety, particularly by reducing harmful heavy metals in baby food and children's products. In 2024, Klobuchar introduced the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 to limit the levels of harmful heavy metals allowed in commercial food for infants and toddlers. In 2009, Klobuchar led the bipartisan Food Safety Rapid Response Act to strengthen federal, state, and local officials’ ability to detect and investigate food safety outbreaks, which was signed into law as part of the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2012. Her legislation also established eight food safety centers of excellence, including the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence.

The full letter is available here and below. 

Dear Acting Director Bhattacharya and Acting Commissioner Diamatas:

I write to urge the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restore funding and staffing cuts made by the administration to federal and state food safety programs, including the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), Public Health Infrastructure Grants, Preventive Services Block Grant, Food Safety Inspection Service, and Food Emergency Response Network. As a currently uncontrolled large foodborne outbreak across the country continues, cuts to these programs are impacting our nation’s ability to prevent, detect, and contain foodborne illnesses and protect public health. 

Last year the administration made reporting of foodborne illnesses caused by parasite Cyclospora optional when it cut the CDC FoodNet program’s tracking of ten pathogens, including Cyclospora, known to cause foodborne illness, to just two. Similarly in April 2025, the administration suspended the FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network program following the firings of key scientists as part of the administration’s layoffs of federal public health employees. More recently, the administration terminated Congressionally-appropriated Public Health Infrastructure Grants and Preventive Services Block Grants, which pay for state health department staff, laboratory capacity, diagnostics, tracking, and surveillance.

Currently, a still uncontrolled outbreak of Cyclospora, first detected on May 1, has spread across at least 31 states. As of July 9, two state health departments alone have reported nearly 2,000 combined cases of Cyclosporiasis. This outbreak has resulted in at least 86 hospitalizations so far. While Cyclosporiasis is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed, it continues to pose a risk of severe dehydration and other health issues that can result in higher health care costs and lost productivity.

Preventing foodborne illnesses like Cyclosporiasis and expediently detecting and responding to outbreaks are life-saving and economically essential functions of the FDA, CDC, and state health and agriculture departments working in collaboration and coordination with one another. The recent actions taken by the administration have significantly weakened federal and state defenses and undermined nationwide coordination against foodborne illnesses, particularly when there is no longer a central location for reporting and comparing data across state lines.

As Americans look to our public health agencies to keep their families safe and healthy, I urge you to fully restore the FERN, Food Safety Inspection Service, FoodNet, Public Health Infrastructure Grant, and Preventive Services Block Grant programs. I also urge you to continue to work closely with state public health departments to ensure they have the resources and expertise to efficiently detect and respond to foodborne illnesses and take proactive steps to keep our food supply safe.

Source: Senator Amy Klobuchar