FDA closes two outbreak investigations on same day

Files now closed on Salmonella in jalapeños and Cyclospora in lettuce

October 2, 2026

Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers

On August 5, 2026, the CDC alerted the public to a Salmonella outbreak linked to consumption of jalapeño peppers imported from Mexico.

The initial report described 345 cases in 27 US states, and 36 people required hospitalization due to the severity of their symptoms. The first confirmed patient in the outbreak developed symptoms on June 16, according to the CDC timeline chart, although the verbal description accompanying the notice stated that illnesses “…started on dates ranging from June 19, 2026 to July 20, 2026.”

By the time the CDC issued its final update on October 2, 2026, the size of the outbreak had grown to encompass 488 outbreak victims and had spread to include 34 states. Sixty-five people were hospitalized for treatment of their symptoms.

The FDA conducted traceback investigations based on outbreak victims’ reports on where and what they had eaten in the week prior to falling ill. The traceback led to a single importer, Coast Citrus Distributors, and a single source, identified simply as a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico.

In its final outbreak investigation update, the FDA reported:

FDA investigators visited a common Mexican distributor identified through traceback and conducted an inspection that included observing operations, reviewing records, and sample collection. At the time of inspection, no jalapeños were available for sampling. FDA collected environmental samples which were all reported as negative for Salmonella. FDA was unable to determine a route or source of contamination for this outbreak.

Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce

On June 25, 2026, the state of Michigan notified the CDC of an alarming number of Cyclospora infections reported by patients in that state.

By July 22nd, 6,065 cases had been documented in 69 of Michigan’s 83 counties, with illness onset dates ranging from May 10th through July 18th. More than 51% of the patients identified iceberg lettuce and consumption at one restaurant chain (Taco Bell) as possible exposure sources.

The general public first learned of the outbreak on July 18th, when the CDC posted its first notice of the outbreak. The notice acknowledged “more than 400 people” in four states, with additional cases under investigation.

By the time the CDC posted its final update, the outbreak had grown to 12,883 confirmed cases in 21 states, with 570 hospitalizations and two deaths (both in Michigan).

While the CDC struggled to catch up with the burgeoning number of illnesses, the FDA pursued its traceback investigation.

The FDA determined that iceberg lettuce consumed by outbreak patients was supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico.

On August 20th, the FDA announced that it had initiated an on-site inspection and sample collection at lettuce growers identified in the traceback investigation.

On October 2nd, the agency announced that two samples tested positive for Cyclospora: a sample taken from a tank that held outgoing wastewater from the Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility, and a sample collected from a drainage ditch of an iceberg lettuce grower identified in the traceback investigation.

The FDA offered the following summary conclusion, but has promised to release a full outbreak investigation report.

While there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine how contamination occurred in this outbreak, the positive samples show that Cyclospora was present in the environment where lettuce was grown and processed. This adds to the strong epidemiological data and traceback convergence supporting the link between this outbreak and recalled shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico.

TAINTED formats 3 — “Reads like a true crime novel” – Food Safety News

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Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

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Pet food company ignores FDA inspection report

FDA issues Warning Letter to Raaw Energy LLC

The story begins, as these stories often do, with a consumer complaint about a sick dog.

In December 2025, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CDoAg) was contacted by a pet owner who complained that her dog suffered a gastrointestinal illness after being fed a Raaw Energy Chicken Medley dog food.

On December 18, 2025, the CDoAg collected a sealed sample of Raaw Energy Chicken Medley (lot 7.17.25) from the complainant, who stated this was the same lot that she had fed her dog. The state lab found three different pathogens in that sample. Specifically, the lab was able to confirm the presence of Salmonella Infantis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter jejuni in the sample of raw dog food.

On January 14, 2026, the CDoAg issued a “withdraw from distribution” to the company for the contaminated lot of product.

Raaw Energy, LLC is based in Adelphi, New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) was informed of the Connecticut consumer’s complaint, and visited the production plant on December 22, 2025, to collect samples at their source. The New Jersey state lab found Listeria monocytogenes in two different products: Chicken Medley (lot code not released) and Salmon (lot 12.5.25).

The NJDA issued a “stop sale” notice to the company for those two lots on January 8, 2026, and returned to the production facility to collect samples of additional finished products. Five of those samples contained Listeria monocytogenes and one of the five also was contaminated with Salmonella Kentucky.

On January 13, 2026, an investigator from the FDA arrived at the Raaw Energy production facility.

On April 7, 2026, the NJDA performed additional follow-up sampling and found additional products that were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The NJDA issued a “stop sale” notice on April 21st, and the FDA notified Raaw Energy of the state’s findings on May 13th.

What the FDA found

The FDA investigator carried out an inspection of the manufacturing plant, including a review of records. The findings were disturbing. In addition to the eight different production batches of Raaw Energy’s dog food that New Jersey and Connecticut found to be contaminated, there were several serious flaws in the company’s physical plant and in its procedures. These included:

Conditions that could cause contamination of the dog food from the production environment
- an employee using a high pressure water hose that caused aerosols and overspray to contact open containers of chicken and unfinished product in the area
- plastic totes that were cracked, allowing product contained in the totes to contact the floor
- plastic totes were reused through the production day without cleaning or sanitizing between uses
- floor was pitted and cracked, and was not sloped to allow water to drain off
- condensation from overhead air conditioning units dripped directly onto raw chicken and other ingredients
Poorly maintained equipment and utensils may have allowed pathogens to contaminate raw ingredients and in-process materials
- meat-grinding equipment had rust on food-contact surfaces and uneven edges with missing and bent metal at the chute where food is dispensed
- apparent rust on the extrusion point of a grinder and on a pitchfork used for chicken ingredients
Frozen products were shipped to customers in unfrigerated trucks over long distances, and the company had no procedures in place to ensure that finished products remain under appropriate time and temperature conditions while in transit.
Whole genome sequencing of the various Listeria monocytogenes cultures found by NDJA in the Chicken Medley and in three sample of the Salmon product were nearly identical, indicating a resident strain of Listeria monocytogenes that was not being addressed by the company’s sanitation procedures
- the Chicken Medley and Salmon products used two different recipes and had no common ingredients
- the various pathogen-positive samples were produced over a five-month period (between July 17, 2025, and December 20, 2025).
- an additional Listeria monocytogenes-positive sample, manufactured on May 13, 2026, also matched the same genetic profile.

At the close of the inspection, the FDA investigator issued a Form FDA 483, listing all of the issues that needed correction, and reviewed each one with company management.

In view of the pathogen-positive lab results, the FDA recommended that Raaw Energy voluntarily recall eight lots of raw dog food. On January 23, 2026, concerned about the adequacy of the company’s action, the FDA issued an advisory to consumers, urging that the eight lots not be fed to their pets.

How the company responded

On January 26, 2026, Raaw Energy recalled three lots of Chicken Medley, two lots of Salmon, and one lot each of Beef and Chicken Medley, Beef and Turkey Medley, and Beef and Chicken Tripe Medley.

In response to the results of follow-up sampling reported by the NJDA, on May 22, 2026, the company expanded its recall to include all products manufactured between July 17 and December 23, 2025, and one lot manufactured on March 31, 2026. That same day, the FDA updated its public advisory, providing a list of the additional recalled products.

The company’s response to the issues raised in the FDA Form 483 was less satisfactory. According to the FDA’s Warning Letter, issued on August 21, 2026, the company never responded in writing to the Form 483.

Raaw Energy addressed the recall situation on its website at least two months before the May 22nd expanded recall. The identical notice is still in place today and states,

The recall was the result of bacteria identified during required safety testing. From the start, we worked closely with the FDA and followed all safety and reporting guidelines to ensure the situation was handled responsibly.

Since then, we’ve taken important steps to move forward and strengthen our processes:

Streamlining our product selection so that we can focus even more closely on quality

Enhancing sanitation and food safety practices

Renewing our commitment to continuous improvement at every stage

Food safety isn’t just a priority — it’s an ongoing responsibility we take seriously every single day.

What happens next?

Raaw Energy was given fifteen working days from receipt of the warning letter to respond in writing with specific steps the company has taken to address the list of violations. In that absence of an adequate response, the FDA, with the cooperation of the Department of Justice, could take legal action, including the possibility of seizure and injunction.

Whether and in what way the FDA chooses to act remains to be seen.

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations?

Click on the link to listen to a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital, print or audio copy to your personal library.

Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

Order TAINTED now from your preferred on-line retailer

9-state E. coli outbreak linked to raw milk cheese

8 hospitalized, 3 with HUS

Thirteen people have become infected with shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26:H11 after consuming Graziers raw milk cheeses made and sold by the Sierra Nevada Cheese Company.

More than one half of the thirteen victims are children 5 years old and younger, according to the CDC.

The outbreak has been percolating since early July of this year, with the first victim developing symptoms on July 7th.

The raw milk cheese implicated in the outbreak was distributed across the United States. When contacted by the FDA, the company agreed to recall several varieties of cheese and posted a notice on social media and is cooperating with the FDA’s ongoing investigation.

Outbreak cases have been reported in California (3), Colorado (1), Georgia (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (1), Nevada (3), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), and Utah (1). Two of the three California victims live in San Diego County and are less than five years old.

Although the outbreak appears to be associated with Graziers Raw Milk Medium Cheddar, the company has recalled all Graziers Raw Milk cheeses, as indicated in this recall notice posted on the company’s Facebook page.

Same play, different cast

This is the second multistate outbreak linked to consumption of raw milk cheeses this year, and the third since 2024.

In March 2026, the CDC notified the public of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections in three states. Those cases were linked to consumption of raw cheddar cheese and raw milk from Raw Farm, LLC, a California dairy. Raw cheddar cheese from the same dairy was also linked to a five-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in 2024.

Although cheeses from Sierra Nevada Cheese Company have not been linked to an illness outbreak in the past, a specific lot code of the company’s raw goat milk cheese was the subject of a California-wide recall and quarantine order in August 2025 after the state found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of the cheese.

What the public needs to know

Consuming cheese made from raw (unpasteurized) milk bears a heightened risk of foodborne illnesses, including those caused by Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Aging a cheese for six months is not a “kill step,” and does not eliminate the risk.

Children, especially those under the age of five years, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are at an elevated risk of serious illness as a result of a foodborne disease, and should avoid consuming raw dairy products, including raw milk cheeses.

FDA recommendations:

Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheeses (medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeno jack, or Monterey jack varieties). Consumers who purchased recalled cheese may return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
This product has a long shelf life. Check your refrigerators and freezers for the recalled raw milk cheeses and throw them away. If you refrigerated or froze cheese without the original packaging and can’t tell if it’s part of the recall, throw it away.
Consumers, restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers who purchased or received recalled raw milk cheese, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Retailers that received recalled product and repackaged it for individual sale should not sell it and remove the product from the market.
Consult your health care provider immediately if you ate recalled this brand of cheese and have any symptoms of an E. coli infection.