Nancy Glick

The Message of This Year’s National Food Safety Month: Make Food Safety a National Priority

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By Nancy Glick, NCL’s Director of Food and Nutrition Policy

National Food Safety Education Month was established in 1994, a year after the deadly Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 outbreak sickened over 700 people and killed four children, making it the most infamous restaurant-associated foodborne illness crisis in U.S. history. Recognizing that foodborne illnesses affect one in six Americans annually, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations annually and more than 3,000 preventable deaths, every September the observance raises awareness of ways to prevent consumers from getting sick by eating contaminated food.

However, this year’s food safety observance was different. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG, there have been about 200 separate food recalls thus far in 2026, similar in number to 2025 but involving disease outbreaks large enough to sicken many thousands of consumers. This situation has led news outlets to describe 2026 as the “year of living dangerously” as consumers worry about the safety of everything from blueberries, soft cheese, eggs, and sprouts to iceberg lettuce.

The highly publicized Cyclospora outbreak tied to imported iceberg lettuce is the best example of “living dangerously” in 2026. Considered the largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak in U.S. history, nearly 20,000 lab-confirmed cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) across 49 states and Washington, D.C., between May 1 and August 31, 2026. By the time the outbreak officially ended on September 11, cyclosporiasis resulted in 1,064 hospitalizations and two deaths.

However, since January 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued public health advisories following investigations into 12 other foodborne illness outbreaks. This includes these recent outbreaks of foods contaminated with E. Coli and Salmonella:

  • A new multistate investigation of E. coli O26:H11 infections tied to Sierra Nevada Graziers grass-fed raw milk cheese products sold in retail outlets and online. Announced in late September, the recall began after the CDC learned of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 13 people across nine states, resulting in eight hospitalizations, most of whom were children under age 5.
  • A recall of broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC contaminated with
  • a strain of Salmonella that was sold to grocery stores, restaurants, and foodservice customers in six states (Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Minnesota, and Oregon). According to the FDA, 32 people have been infected with Salmonella as of September 3, resulting in three hospitalizations.
  • A recall of fresh jalapeños from Mexico distributed to wholesalers and restaurants in the U.S. that were also contaminated with Salmonella. The contaminated jalapeños sickened 431 people across 32 states. Because the peppers were used as ingredients in various meat and poultry products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a separate public health alert warning consumers to check their refrigerators for food items containing the recalled jalapeños.

Unsurprisingly, the number and severity of foodborne illness outbreaks have shaken Americans and sharply eroded confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply. Of particular concern to policymakers and the food industry, the latest International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food & Health Survey found that consumer confidence in the U.S. food supply hit a 13-year low in 2025 before rebounding to 62% in 2026.

The survey also found that foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria are one of the three most important food safety concerns, fueled by beliefs identified in a 2025 survey that not all parts of the food system work together to ensure safety (54%) and government regulation is insufficient to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks. Reinforcing these concerns, a recent Quinnipiac University survey found that 55% of U.S. registered voters have little or no confidence in government oversight of food safety, while only 12% have a lot of confidence.

Thus, the message from observing this year’s National Food Safety Education Month is simple: ensuring the safety of the U.S. food supply is a 24/7 necessity for the health and prosperity of the nation.

Each year, food safety incidents and foodborne illness outbreaks cost the nation $7 billion. But the price tag for a lack of trust in the food safety system is far higher. When consumers have little confidence that government regulators and food producers are committed to food safety, companies will be forced to go out of business or file for bankruptcy liquidation after contamination outbreaks and the subsequent legal fallout destroys their operations. Moreover, consumers will vote with their wallets, no longer buying specific foods and brands and changing their food habits.

Instead of “living dangerously” another year at the supermarket or when going to a restaurant, it is in everyone’s interest for lawmakers and food producers to make food safety a top priority and invest in critical federal and state food safety and surveillance programs. Congress can take the first step by reversing delays on federal traceability rules, adequately funding foreign food inspections, and protecting core public health research.