FDA Releases the CORE+EP 2025 Annual Report
Last week, FDA’s Office of Coordinated Outbreak Response, Evaluation, & Emergency Preparedness (CORE+EP) released its annual report summarizing the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks and certain adverse events in FDA-regulated human foods for the 2025 calendar year.
In 2025, CORE teams evaluated 69 incidents, responded to 26, and issued advisories for 11. FDA said the numbers remain similar to those from previous years, with 72 incidents evaluated, 26 responses, and 10 advisories issued in 2024. In 2025, FDA said that CORE investigations resulted in numerous public health actions, including recalls, public health advisories, warning letters, and the addition of firms to import alerts.
The 2025 annual report highlights a few noteworthy outbreaks: a historical outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cucumbers, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to prepared meals that challenged investigators, and an outbreak of infant botulism linked to a specific powdered infant formula brand.
Read the full report here.
FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Traceability Rule Enforcement for Smaller Retailers and Restaurants
The FDA is issuing draft guidance on the Food Traceability Rule for certain smaller retail food establishments (RFEs) and restaurants not covered by the rule’s full exemption. Under the draft policy, FDA said it does not intend to enforce the rule’s requirements for those whose average monetary value of food sold or provided over the previous three years is greater than $250,000 but not more than $1 million, adjusted for inflation from a 2020 baseline. FDA said the policy would have minimal public health impact and maintain the rule’s intended public health benefits, since it affects only a small percentage of total food sales while relieving numerous smaller operations.
FDA plans to offer additional flexibilities and, as part of a Congressionally directed series of engagements, will hold a public meeting on November 6, 2026, on lot-level food traceability efforts and implementation challenges. The free meeting requires registration. Those wishing to speak during the public comment period must register by October 26, and general registration closes November 5.
Read the full update here.
Large and Small Brands Survey Results Fresh Take Fridays Recording Available
AFDO’s free Fresh Take Fridays series is back this fall. The October 2 webinar, Is Food Safety One-Size-Fits-All? A Comparison of Small vs. Large Brands, is now available on YouTube. In the session, AFDO’s Deanna Copeland and Carrie Rigdon compare food safety policies, practices, and culture across retail operations of different sizes. Discover what these findings mean for operators and regulators working to strengthen food safety from corporate headquarters to the corner store. Watch the webinar here.
Register below for future sessions.
New World Screwworm: What Food Safety Professionals Need to Know
Friday, November 6
This Fresh Take Fridays webinar will provide an overview of the New World screwworm, including how the parasite affects animals, the current situation in North America, ongoing prevention and response efforts, and what regulators and food industry professionals need to know. Registerhere.
From ChatGPT and Claude to Desktop Agents: The Next Step in Putting AI to Work
Friday, November 20
This session, part of AFDO’s Fresh Take Fridays spinoff focused on artificial intelligence and tech, introduces the shift to AI tools such as Codex, which are working environments where AI can access files, execute code, analyze data, and more. Registerhere.
Beyond the Label: What Food Safety Professionals Need to Know About Kosher and Halal Foods
Friday, December 4
Learn what makes food kosher or halal, discuss key production and certification considerations, and explore strategies for building effective working relationships between food safety professionals and kosher and halal operations. Register here.
All one-hour sessions start at noon ET, so grab your lunch and listen in. You can also catch past Fresh Take Fridays webinars here.
Senators Call on Trump Administration to Issue Emergency Scheduling Order for 7-OH
Last week, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and U.S. Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) urged the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FDA to take immediate action to protect Americans from deadly kratom and related semi-synthetic substances.
The senators are requesting that the Trump administration:
- Immediately issue the emergency scheduling order for 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7-OH).
- Permanently place all substances found in kratom, including 7-OH, MGM-15, MGM-16 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, meaning they have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
- Develop a permanent scheduling recommendation for the full kratom plant and its derivatives.
Read the full letter here.
AFDO Presents at Texas Environmental Health Association Annual Educational Conference
Last week’s Texas Environmental Health Association (TEHA) Annual Educational Conference, held October 6-9 in Fort Worth, Texas, brought together more than 300 environmental health professionals. AFDO Retail Food Safety Director Deanna Copeland shared information on the association’s offerings such as training, resources, and more.
Copeland also presented Is Food Safety One Size Fits All? The session highlighted findings from national surveys comparing food safety policies, practices, and culture across retail food operations of varying sizes. The presentation encouraged dialogue and collaboration between regulators and industry to strengthen food safety systems and outcomes.
AFDO.org Pro Tips
AFDO Directory of State and Local Officials and Retail Food Regulatory Program Directory
In this regularly updated eNews section, AFDO staffers will share their pro tips on how to get the most from afdo.org. Program Director Patrick Kennelly offers a pro tip on using AFDO’s Directory of State and Local Officials and Retail Food Regulatory Program Directory.
“Finding the right program contact at a state or local agency can be time-consuming. AFDO helps streamline that process through the Directory of State and Local Officials (DSLO) and the Retail Food Regulatory Program Directory, which connect users with key regulatory contacts across the country.”
Pro Tip: Once you find the contact you need, click the blue “Download vCard” button on their profile to instantly save their information to your contact list.
ICYMI: Worth Another Look
Making America’s Food Safer Act Advances to U.S. House of Representatives
Last week, the Making America’s Food Safer Act of 2026 passed out the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent. The bill will go to the U.S. House of Representatives next for consideration. The updated bill language is available here.
Sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), the bill would expand FDA’s use of accredited third-party certifications, strengthen food safety information sharing with state and local partners, and enhance FDA authorities related to unsafe imported foods. The portion of the bill related to food safety information sharing uses language similar to a previous bill supported by AFDO.
AFDO appreciates Sens. Tuberville, Cassidy, and Kaine for sponsoring this legislation; the HELP Committee, including ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), for its support; and the government/regulatory association, industry, and consumer group partners whose efforts helped advance the bill.
Roberta Wagner, Longtime Food Safety Leader and AFDO Member, Retires in 2027
Roberta Wagner, senior vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), announced that she’ll retire from the organization, effective February 15, 2027. Spanning four decades, Wagner’s career has been spent in public service, food safety, regulatory policy, and industry leadership. She has spoken at numerous AFDO Educational Conferences, including as a panel member for this year’s FSMA at 15 discussion.
Read more about Wagner’s career and the IDFA succession here.
Outbreak Investigation of Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli & Salmonella in Sprouts
FDA’s investigation of shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella in alfalfa sprouts is ongoing. An October 1, 2026, update links recalled alfalfa seed lot SAL2-24JB. Sprouts grown from the recalled alfalfa seed lot have been recalled and should no longer be available for sale. A total of 76 persons infected with multiple strains of E. coli and one strain of Salmonella have been reported from 16 states.
Read the October 1, 2026, update here.
Regulatory Professionals Honored by 2026 40 Food Safety Professionals Under 40 List
The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness has announced its 2026 40 Food Safety Professionals Under 40. Launched in 2023, the annual recognition program celebrates the innovation, leadership, and impact of rising stars in food safety around the world, according to the Alliance.
Several state, local, tribal, and territorial regulatory professionals are included on this year’s list:
- Ashlee-Rose Ferguson, Program Manager, Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Animal Feed Program
- Jannese Covington, Environmental Health Program Manager, Jefferson County (Alabama) Department of Health Food & Lodging Protection Division
- Kendall Vela, Retail Food Safety Operations Manager, Texas Department of State Health Services
- Rashelly Bland, Food Safety Manager, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Food Safety Program
This year’s list also includes federal-level regulatory professionals:
- Angela Fields, Senior Consumer Safety Officer, Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network, FDA
- Laura Ford, Epidemiologist, National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch, CDC
- Robert Breazu, Health Communicator, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, CDC
AFDO congratulates them all on the recognition. Read more about the full list here.
Lisa Potopsing Named New CASA Affiliate Representative
Lisa Potopsingh began her career with Suffolk County Department of Health Services in 2006. She was responsible for conducting regulatory inspections of food service establishments, food vending vehicles, childcare facilities, and special events with food service. After serving as a foodborne illness officer for 10 years, Potopsingh is currently an Associate Public Health Sanitarian-Hearing Officer and serves as the Program Manager for the Food Protection Program within the Bureau of Public Health Protection.
AFDO congratulates her on the new position.
Investigation of Multistate Cyclospora Illnesses Related to Iceberg Lettuce Closes
On October 2, 2026, FDA announced it has concluded its outbreak investigation of Cyclospora infections linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. CDC previously declared the outbreak over on September 11, 2026. FDA will continue post-outbreak response activities and will collaborate with CDC as well as state, local, and international partners, as appropriate.
The FDA’s traceback investigation identified several farms and a processing facility in Mexico that provided recalled lettuce distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods.
Read the full update here.
In the wake of the multiple summer 2026 Cyclospora outbreaks, FDA announced 10 activities to mitigate and prevent future Cyclospora outbreaks.
The activities, meant to happen before the 2027 growing season, are focused on surveillance, outreach, and finding solutions to prevent Cyclospora contamination of fresh produce. For example, an Outbreak Investigation Report that summarizes the multistate outbreak investigation and provides recommendations to help mitigate and prevent future outbreaks.
Read the full update here.
FDA, ISSC, NCIMS, and AFDO Offer Training Sub Awards to Milk and Shellfish Programs
The application period for Training Sub Awards to State and Territorial Milk and Shellfish Programs opens September 28. The awards are part of a partnership between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, and the Association of Food and Drug Officials. The funds support state and territorial (Puerto Rico) agencies with regulatory authority to implement the National Grade “A” Milk Safety Program and/or the National Shellfish Sanitation Program. The application window closes November 6, 2026.
Applicants can learn more details here.
Discover FoodSHIELD 2026 Training
The new self-paced FoodSHIELD Training Series is now available, allowing FDA, USDA, and state and local food safety and laboratory professionals to learn on their own schedule. Explore the redesigned FoodSHIELD portal to find:
- Short, feature-focused videos
- Step-by-step SOPs and quick reference guides
- Monthly live Q&A sessions with recordings available afterward
- No fixed schedule, no deadlines
Register here for an account, or enroll in the training series here.
Regional Affiliate News
Join NEFDOA in Massachusetts for Its Annual Conference This October
Registration is now open for the Northeast Food and Drug Officials Association Annual Conference in historic Northampton, Massachusetts, October 22-23, 2026. Find registration, hotel, and agenda Information at nefdoa.org/events. You can renew NEFDOA membership during the registration process, and interested exhibitors or sponsors can find additional details.
Save the Date: 2027 MCAFDO Annual Educational Conference, March 22-25, 2027
Planning is underway for the 2027 MCAFDO Annual Educational Conference, March 22-25, 2027. The conference will be at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. A draft agenda is forthcoming and will eventually be made available on the MCAFDO website. The affiliate is also welcoming awards nominations. Find more information here.
