Does anyone know if the many incidents of contaminated produce and/or eggs that have already sickened people if related to the many personnel cuts and firings by the T administration or DOGE?

I don't see how it wouldn't be the case because so many government workers have been let go and yet, of course, their work would not go away but most likely remains undone. These firings would have to be coming to haunt us now in many ways, I suspect. Some more dangerous than others.

I read about Taylor Farms latest recalls this morning. I hadn't realize how very large a company it is. I believe they are in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, right? That is a lot of people to be exposed to illness from their products.

Back to growing my own stuff!

Yeah, we never had any problems with contaminated produce or eggs before 2024. Weird.

Thank-you! I'd seen a teaser about the peppers on TV, but hadn't found the details yet. Mine are from a specific farm that has nothing to do with the problem :)

I do buy Taylor Farms salad kits. Mine says from California and not from Mexico. There are no known cases in Canada and this is a very popular salad purchase.

Maybe the Pees Prize winner’s idea of swallowing a UV lamp would work for the psycholospora? His crypto spawn should test it out for everyone.

^^^ please translate into english if you can.

There are videos of harvesting workers on Taylor Farms working in fields without porta potties and taking bathroom breaks on the harvested ground.

I just saw that there are currently 11 active food borne illness outbreaks around the country being tracked by FDA...

https://www.foodandwine.com/fda-foodborne-outbreak-investigations-12034027

^^^ Why I might want to buy an air fryer afterall.

" ^^^ please translate into english if you can. "

No need. It's perfectly understandable as is.

I buy Olivia's organic spring mix which is all sourced from US organic farmers.

Keep in mind that unfortunate instances of food contamination often come from contaminated water used for irrigation or to wash or rinse the produce after harvest.

As a reminder of past discussions, water and produce contamination doesn't happen only outside US borders. There have been many instances of contaminated produce grown in the US. Two fields or producers side by side, one raising produce to qualify as organic and one not, could be using water from the same source and could have the same problem.

Yes. Something I recently read said that even if produce is ”organic” is no guaranty that the produce is not contaminated with organisms that could infect those who consume the product.

It must be technically possible to test all along the processs for pathogens. Test the irrigation and the washing water. Provide toilet and washing amenities for all workers and visitors.

Test samples of the finished product — slice up, test. I doubt if this is rocket science, but it will require diligence and vigilance.

But if certain producers can turn a quick nickle without regard for consumer safety and wellbeing, and if nobody is watching, they just might.

An example of where "From the US" is a black mark and not something to be prized, is in the area of meat contamination. Europe has much higher standards and inspection rates than here. And more closely monitored food handling standards.

I love steak tartare (deliciously seasoned raw hamburger) in its various forms and names - I'll eat it in Europe but wouldn't think of eating it here

(Edited to remove incorrect comments)

• Also with eggs - I think the EU requires egg laying chickens to be vaccinated against salmonella. Not a requirement here, where salmonella contamination of chicken AND eggs is at higher rates than desired.

You think? Source

The only ”organic” I trust is what I grow in my backyard.

Thanks for the question, lonejack. I checked my comment and I was wrong. I've edited and removed it.

My comment about inspection rates was accurate and remains.

USDA definition: Organic certification requires that farmers and handlers document their processes and get inspected every year. Organic on-site inspections account for every component of the operation, including, but not limited to, seed sources, soil conditions, crop health, weed and pest management, water systems, inputs, contamination and commingling risks and prevention, and record-keeping. Tracing organic products from start to finish is part of the USDA organic promise.

That doesn't mean it can't get contaminated, just that they try harder. :)

Organic certification doesn't suggest anyone tries more or others try less, it's just a designation that there are requirements to qualify for. Your wording talks about an assessment of contamination risks and prevention. It says nothing about testing or inspections looking for contamination.

Is there more to know?

There is more to know: USDA organic certification absolutely does involve inspections and testing. Certified operations receive at least annual inspections, can receive unannounced inspections, and certifiers collect samples for analysis for pesticides and other prohibited substances.

However, the organic designation itself does not mean that organic food is free from contamination or that organic producers generally exercise greater care than conventional producers.

" certifiers collect samples for analysis for pesticides and other prohibited substances. "

Sure. There are qualifiers for the designation and testing to help insure no cheating on the rules. But this wasn't what was being discussed.

Your second paragraph seems to go in the direction I was suggesting.

Another egg difference between the EU and Canada/US is that here eggs are washed and sanitized before going to market, whereas in the EU they don't (that's why eggs there are sold without refrigeration). Some believe that an unwashed egg, that retains it's natural cuticle, is less likely to become infected with Salmonella. Obviously our health departments don't agree.

I only know what I've heard casually, but I thought our tortured, infected chickens transmitted the salmonella to the eggs as they develop. Is that not true?

I don’t know anything about this topic but since it came up. We had a case of Salmonella poisoning in our family two weeks ago in FL. Our cousins 9 month baby girl was in the hospital for Salmonella poisoning for a few days. She is home and fine now and I have not had a chance to ask questions about it yet. Pondering it now and thinking about what a 9 month old would consume has me curious.

" transmitted the salmonella to the eggs as they develop "

It's one of the ways - another way is through external contamination from the outside in through the pores of the eggshell.

" about what a 9 month old would consume '"

Babies put everything in their mouths, so even something transmitted from another person or object to their hands to their mouths could do it. They don't have to consume it as in a food or drink; it could get on their hands from something they touched that got it from food/drink/dog food/outdoor toys, etc.

So there's a good chance they might have no idea where it came from? I'm glad she is ok now.

I had a BBQ a few years ago and two of the children that attended had Salmonella poisoning the next day. I was worried sick wondering what on earth I had served to cause it. The strange thing was that nobody else that attended became sick.

We discovered later that it came from the frogs that they were catching in the grass. They probably touched their mouths with their hands.

“The strange thing was that nobody else that attended became sick.”

We had something similar happen years ago but never did figure out the cause. I was probably the sickest of all. It was just some of the adults, and none of the kids got sick.🤷‍♀️

Interestingly, as I suspected, states have separate agricultural and processing center regulations, testing and inspections (even at the local level). Cooperation agreements exist. As you might expect, in California especially, the regulations and standards go beyond the Federal (there is even apparently a self testing agreement on top of that, the LGMA, for leafy greens). And to note, of course, escapes still occur. The produce from Mexico is handled via the Mexican agencies and the US feds.

The way I understand the difference between countries in treating eggs is pretty much either/or: either chickens are vaccinated against pathogens at the production/source level and not washed during processing, or the eggs are washed and treated at the processing level, and both are similarly effective in reducing pathogens. Washed needs refrigeration, unwashed might not right away, but will eventually.

It seems one method favors the producers, while the other favors the processors.

I see it a bit differently, at least when comparing the US and Europe. The EU has long had strict laws governing food wholesomeness and proper practices for production and handling that are strictly enforced with large and rigorous inspection efforts. Its approach is more prevention-oriented rather than detection oriented. The percentage of food products that are inspected at various stages in production and processing stages is much higher there than here.

I just read an interesting article about the issue of EU vs US food regulations, and being offensive vs defensive. https://wisdomschool.com/p/what-happens-when-americans-escape There are other food issues discussed, but that difference in approach is what stuck with me after I read it.

That article is interesting but, but, but........

The internet is full of websites written by uncredentialled people writing about matters they're untrained and inexperienced with. A polite way to say, many with hidden agendas who are full of BS. Many of whom hide their credentials and bona fides. This seems to be one.

The article linked was written by a person named Thom Hartman. If this is the same one as described on a wiki page as " Thomas Carl Hartmann (born May 7, 1951) is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressive political commentator. ", he's completely unqualified to talk about the subject matter.

If it's someone else, who in the world is the author and what are his qualifications? The website itself is also not transparent or forthcoming in explaining its existence, mission, and leadership staff.

Look at the wiki link, is it the same one?

Thom Hartmann - Wikipedia

Is it full of BS? That's the only part I care about, not whether or not there's a conflict of interest or if it's a personal opinion.

" Is it full of BS? "

I don't know, that was the question I asked.

What I said was that a common thread present on sites of many purveyors of unsourced and intentionally presented hogwash is that credentials, bona fides, and sources of the information being presented and of the presenters themself are not mentioned. The opposite is true for information provided by people with the training and experience and thus credibility to speak authoritatively on the particular topic.

What I said was that this standing and credibility of the author and the website itself seemed to be of the opaque and intentionally vague or intentionally omitted provenance, which casts doubt on anything said there.

Here are two related articles to the outbreak, and Taylor Farms. The FDA is inspecting the farm in Mexico, the first time in 7 years.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-farms-mexico-fda-inspection-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/

This article is similar, but from a trade industry source. It notes the efforts of industry watchdogs to protest the delayed implementation/defunding of new traceability rules:

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/11732-fda-begins-inspection-at-taylor-farms-mexico-as-official-cyclospora-outbreak-case-count-nears-10-000

ETA: One of the articles I read in this cluster of recent news noted that prices are driver of why there is a geographical supply differences between the west coast and the rest of the US during the summer. Note the rate of inspections overseas are well below even the revised target, which is less than the legal target. However domestic testing is higher, due to the combination of state, local and federal inspections.

" One of the articles I read in this cluster of recent news noted that prices are driver of why there is a geographical supply differences between the west coast and the rest of the US during the summer. "

I don't want to wade through your links to find the comment. Can you cut and paste it here please?

Prices are drivers of many things. If the public wants tighter regulations, the products will cost more. If they want more comprehensive screening and inspections, products will cost more. Products come from China and the Far East these days because of price-driven purchasing choices.

When oversight is lax, producers (motivated to make money) won't do more than is required. We get what we pay for and don't get what we don't pay for. Can't have it both ways.

I'm willing to pay more for higher quality and more wholesome goods and services. Until the general public has broadly similar views and demands law changes to accomplish these goals, nothing will change.

Kushner Farms — maybe Albania

Just saw reporting from NYT that a rule that would have made tracking more timely was delayed to 2028...

"...Cases of cyclosporiasis were mounting rapidly in Michigan and state health officials were homing in on a common thread: Many of those who had fallen ill had eaten at Taco Bell.

On July 1, they asked the company for its supply chain records, crucial information in tracing ingredients that may have caused the outbreak.

On July 3, they wrote and asked for the records again.

On July 6, they wrote a third time.

“With the rapid nature of this outbreak and the number of people affected, we need to ensure we are completing traceback in a timely manner to preserve public health,” Lauren Edwards, an epidemiologist on the state’s rapid response team, said in an email to executives at Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell. (The New York Times obtained the correspondence under Michigan’s open records law.)

Later that day, Taco Bell provided some records to the state, which by then was working with the federal Food and Drug Administration. The F.D.A. asked for additional records two days later. Finally, on July 13, the agency received all the records it needed to pinpoint lettuce from a Taylor Farms plant in Mexico as a source of the outbreak.

A federal rule that had been scheduled to take effect in January would have required Taco Bell to send those records within 24 hours. But last year, the...administration delayed the implementation of that rule until mid 2028, saying companies needed more time to prepare...."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/health/cyclospora-invesigation-fda.html