Confusion abounds in the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands in at least 41 states, as officials identify a new cluster of cases and more potential products come under scrutiny.
The recall of products during this outbreak of explosive diarrhea has been an unusual one, complicated by poor communication, politicization and the delay of a new regulatory rule could have helped trace the cyclosporiasis outbreak faster.
Apparently the kind of intestinal upset created by cyclospora generally doesn’t do other terrible things, so nobody has died, that we know of. Of course, news of any deaths would be suppressed by RFK the lesser and his merry band of health grifters.
The whole piece is worth a read, but let me pick some highlights (or lowlights):
The FDA’s proposed food traceability rule, which was mandated by a 2011 (!) piece of legislation, was postponed yet again to 2028 after industry pressure.
You can’t get a straight story from Taylor Farms, the probable supplier of the lettuce that led to the first outbreak. They have a recall in place, but they also say that the FDA was wrong about cyclospora in their lettuce (apparently it’s hard to trace) even though epidemiological studies using Taco Bell’s data trace it back to Taylor Farms lettuce.
I listend to parts of Sarah Taber’s recent updates on this outbreak, and one point she made is that Taco Bell actually has a good program for tracing what products were used at their restaurants. Also, the reason people say they get intestinal upset at Taco Bell is mainly because it’s higher fiber than the average fast food meal (they put oatmeal in their ground beef to keep it moist, in addition to using a lot of beans) — and people often consume Taco Bell after they’ve been drinking.
In addition to the cyclospora, our least favorite failson also has to deal with a salmonella outbreak in eggs that’s caused a recall of 1.5 million eggs (so far). Here’s a year-old article at Science News detailing the cutbacks at the FDA:
A pause in checking milk-testing labs. A withdrawn proposal to reduce Salmonella bacteria in raw chicken. A dearth of information about an E. coli outbreak in lettuce.
All have made recent headlines, and all have rung alarm bells about the safety of the United States food supply — as have layoffs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far, I think Democrats have done an OK job of making RFK Jr an object of hate, but, I think it’s one place where a concerted effort could yield a resignation or firing. I mean, even the most poll-watching consultant would have to agree that diarrhea isn’t popular.
