US finalizes new guidance on freshly cut produce after salmonella and ⁠cyclosporiasis outbreak

The US Food and Drug Administration on ​Tuesday finalized guidance for companies that ‌prepare and package fresh fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of ​foodborne illness. The guidance lands amid ​ongoing outbreaks of salmonella and ⁠cyclosporiasis affecting lettuce and jalapenos ​that have sickened thousands of people ​in the U.S.

The guidance is aimed at manufacturers and processors of products such ​as chopped lettuce, sliced cantaloupe, ​diced onions, shredded carrots, coleslaw mixes and ‌fruit ⁠salads.

Produce can be contaminated by pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella during growing, harvesting, packing, ​or holding ​on ⁠farms, said the FDA’s guidance.

These foods are considered ​higher risk because they are ​usually ⁠eaten raw and do not go through cooking or another “kill ⁠step” ​that would destroy harmful ​bacteria.

Read More: Salmonella outbreak in the US – All You Need To Know

The Outbreaks

This month, U.S. health officials continued investigating a multistate Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. According to recent updates, at least 345 people across 27 states had been infected, with 36 hospitalizations and no reported deaths; illness onset dates ranged from mid-June to late July.

Epidemiologic data pointed to common exposures at Mexican-style restaurants including Chipotle and QDOBA, where jalapeños were among frequently reported ingredients, and Taylor Fresh Foods issued a related recall of jalapeño peppers in early August. Public health agencies advised consumers and businesses not to eat, sell, or serve the recalled products while traceback and laboratory investigations proceeded.

Separately, a large cyclosporiasis outbreak driven by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis remained a major concern this month, primarily tied to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico. Federal data as of early August showed roughly 6,358 laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases linked to the multistate cluster across 15 states (including heavy impacts in Michigan and Ohio), with hundreds of hospitalizations and two deaths reported in Michigan among people with underlying conditions.

Broader national surveillance since May recorded over 10,000 confirmed domestically acquired cases across dozens of states, plus many additional reports still under review, reflecting one of the largest such outbreaks on record; some state health departments noted the pace of new cases beginning to slow by mid-August after a July recall of the implicated lettuce.

These concurrent foodborne outbreaks highlighted ongoing challenges with contaminated produce distributed widely through restaurants and retail channels, prompting recalls, enhanced surveillance by the CDC and FDA, and public advisories to discard affected items and practice careful food handling.