I led the FDA’s food safety and nutrition center. Here’s what people are missing about the cyclospora outbreak

By Susan MayneJuly 24, 2026

Mayne served as director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition from 2015-2023.

I spent nearly a decade leading FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. That role convinced me that food safety and nutrition are interdependent in so many ways, and if we want to make our population healthier, we need to support both.

Over the past few weeks, record numbers of cases of cyclosporiasis have driven that message home broadly, including to consumers. FDA is currently investigating six cyclospora outbreaks, only one of which is currently linked to shredded iceberg lettuce.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, which nutritionists have been promoting for decades, are especially vulnerable to cyclospora contamination. In response to a diarrheal disease outbreak caused by cyclospora, the public has been advised to be cautious about consuming fresh fruits and vegetables. Social media has erupted with comments like “more pizza!” and “oreos never gave me explosive diarrhea!” Even before this outbreak, such as during outbreaks involving E. coli and romaine lettuce, I heard from many that they would rather eat “a bag of Doritos than a salad.”