Lettuce. Blueberries. Eggs. Jalapeños. Why are there so many food-safety scares this summer?
The article explores the rise in food safety recalls and outbreaks in 2026, citing factors like climate change, technological detection improvements, and reduced public health infrastructure. Experts suggest that while some of the increase is due to better reporting, systemic vulnerabilities in the food supply chain are contributing to a genuine rise in safety concerns.
Why it matters
Understanding the causes of foodborne illness outbreaks is critical for public health policy and consumer safety in an increasingly complex global food supply chain.
Why does food feel scary in 2026? d3sign/Getty Images In 2026, Americans were warned about Cyclospora in lettuce, E. coli in berries, and Salmonella in jalapeños. There are four main factors driving this barrage of recalls. New technology and climate each play a role. Bill Marler's business is booming — and that's not great for the rest of us. Marler is a food safety lawyer, defending people who've been sickened by foodborne illness . He has been doing this for 33 years, with such high-profile wins that he's become a towering figure in the food safety world. This year, he's so slammed with foodborne-illness cases that, for the first time in years, he's expanding his team — hiring another lawyer and a couple of paralegals. "We just have too much shit to do," Marler said.
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