Public Urged to Avoid All Lettuce Products in Taylor Farms’ Voluntary Recall
The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, continue to investigate a Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. These illnesses are a subset of the Cyclospora infections identified nationwide, an outbreak now including illnesses in nine states: IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, OH, PK, PA, and WV.
Of the 1,947 people infected with Cyclospora and reporting exposure to Taco Bell, there have been at least 98 hospitalizations, and no deaths reported. The number is expected to rise; it can take as long as six weeks to determine if a sick person is part of this outbreak.
On July 19, 2026, FDA provided an update about a false positive sample collected at the border, which does not change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms. To help with work on a related investigation, check out AFDO’s Investigating Fresh Produce Cyclospora Outbreaks guidance document and the
AFDO Cyclospora webinar recording.
Read the FDA’s July 19 Cyclospora update here.
AFDO Goes to IAFP in New Orleans
The AFDO crew landed in New Orleans for the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting being held this week. AFDO staffers have been chatting with attendees and sharing what the association can do for them and their teams.
Yesterday, AFDO Executive Director Steven Mandernach joined a panel discussion called FSMA at 15: Promise, Progress, and Priorities for the Future. The session offered attendees a candid conversation and a chance to gain practical insights from perspectives including legal, regulatory, public health, and industry on lessons learned, best practices, and opportunities for innovation in preventive controls, data-driven metrics, and cross-sector collaboration. Moderated by Jennifer McEntire, Food Safety Strategy, other speakers for the session included Sandra Eskin, Stop Foodborne Illness, Donald Prater, FDA, Michael Taylor, STOP Foodborne Illness, and Hilary Thesmar, FMI – The Food Industry Association.
FDA Takes More Steps to Remove Outdated Color Additive Authorizations
On July 22, 2026, the FDA announced it is issuing a final order revoking the authorized use of Orange B as a color additive in food and proposing to revoke the authorized use of Citrus Red No. 2 as a color additive in food. The agency has tentatively concluded that use of Citrus Red No. 2 has been abandoned by industry.
Read the entire bulletin here.
FDA Takes More Steps to Remove Outdated Color Additive Authorizations
On July 22, 2026, the FDA announced it is issuing a final order revoking the authorized use of Orange B as a color additive in food and proposing to revoke the authorized use of Citrus Red No. 2 as a color additive in food. The agency has tentatively concluded that use of Citrus Red No. 2 has been abandoned by industry.
Read the entire bulletin here.
Wanted: 2027 AFDO AEC Topics
Planning for the next AFDO Annual Educational Conference is underway! Please let AFDO know what subjects, trends, or other areas of discussion you’d like to see covered at the 131st AEC June 5-9, 2027, in Glendale, Arizona.
Submit your suggestions here.
Food Safety Bill Passes out of Senate Committee
Last week, the Making America’s Food Safer Act passed out of committee by a 22-0 roll call vote.
The final bill language is available here.
Video of today’s session is available here.
Last week, U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the Making America’s Food Safer Act (S. 4974), which 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 and Cassidy for introducing this legislation, the HELP Committee for its support, and the government/regulatory association, industry, and consumer group partners whose efforts helped advance the bill.
Attend FDA Food Protection Seminar in Philadelphia This September
Join stakeholders from state, local, territorial, and tribal regulatory agencies, industry, federal partners, and academia to focus on current and emerging issues in retail food protection at the annual FDA Food Protection Seminar. Hear critical updates on the Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, Food Code revisions, and FDA initiatives in a collaborative forum.
Attendance is required at the event for all FDA standardized Retail Food Safety Inspection Officers.
Learn more about the three-day seminar (September 16-18) in Philadelphia and register here.
AFDO.org Pro Tips
State Legislation Tracking
In this regularly updated eNews section, AFDO staffers will share their pro tips on how to get the most from afdo.org. Assistant Program Director Steve Moris offers pro tips on how to get the most out of AFDO’s State Legislation Tracking.
“If you’re a state or local food safety program manager, industry representative, or simply interested in legislative issues, keeping up with bills across all 50 states can be a challenge. While most state legislative sessions are winding down for the year, now is the ideal time to begin preparing for next year’s activity. AFDO’s State Legislation Tracking page allows users to review legislation introduced across the country, identify emerging trends, anticipate issues that may arise in their own state, and learn from approaches taken elsewhere. Whether you’re planning for the next legislative session, monitoring topics of interest, or looking for ideas and solutions that have been proposed in other states, this resource helps you stay informed and prepared for what’s ahead.”
Pro Tip: Use the search field in the upper right to narrow down the page’s 900-plus entries by state, commodity, or subject. Search for kratom, cannabis, food additives, and more. You can also review bills from previous sessions in the archive at the bottom of the page.
ICYMI: Worth Another Look
2026 AEC Session Recordings Now Available on YouTube
Miss a session at the 2026 AFDO Annual Educational Conference? Want to revisit a favorite presentation? Select session recordings from this year’s conference are now available on AFDO’s YouTube channel. Available videos include the pre-conference Data & AI in Food Safety Workshop, the Glenn W. Kilpatrick Memorial Conversation on FSMA at 15 years, a presentation on how to make better, faster, and safer decisions, and more.
Browse the playlist and catch up on the conversations, ideas, and insights shared: Watch the 2026 AFDO AEC Playlist.
Human and Animal Food Facilities Need to Protect Their FFR, Advises FDA
On July 20, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reminded businesses of how important it is to register their food facilities with the FDA, to protect their Food Facility Registration (FFR) from any potential misuse, and to register only when required.
Read the full update for examples of misuse and inappropriate registration circumstances.
AFDO Contributes Article on Training to QA Magazine
In its July/August 2026 issue, Quality Assurance & Food Safety magazine published an article by AFDO staffers Sally Flowers, Scientific Affairs Director, and Carrie Rigdon, Research Director. With funding, staffing, and time constraints reshaping food safety training, the article looks at how AFDO-led focus groups show a growing need for flexible, role-based programs that blend technical instruction, soft skills, and shared learning between regulatory and industry professionals.
Read the article here.
Arkansas Association for Food Protection Meets in Fayetteville September 1-3
The 8th Annual AAFP Conference is September 1-3, 2026, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The program’s regulatory and public health topics include foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls, food safety culture, emerging AI tools, New World screwworm, alpha-gal syndrome, and more.
Find hotel information and register here.
Help Shape Guidance for Dry-Aging Fish
AFDO members are invited to take part in a research study titled “Food Safety Regulators – Fish Dry‑Aging Knowledge Assessment,” which is being conducted by Dr. Katheryn Parraga‑Escalante, Food Safety Research and Outreach Specialist in the Department of Food Science at Purdue University.
The project seeks to better understand food safety regulators’ and inspectors’ knowledge and concerns related to fish dry‑aging techniques and products in the United States. Insights will help inform future research, guidance, and outreach efforts.
You can access the survey here.
August 18-19
Join a Public Meeting on Listeria Monocytogenes Risk Prevention
Learn the best practices for managing risks posed by L. monocytogenes at the FDA’s public meeting August 18-19, 2026, in College Park, Maryland. Topics for presentations and listening sessions are the advances in control of the cause of foodborne disease, best practices, dose-response modeling, and more.
Days and Times:
Tuesday, 8/18, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, 8/19, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
For more details and to learn how to register to attend either in person or virtually, click 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.
AFDOSS AEC Registration Open for August in Gatlinburg
Association of Food and Drug Officials of the Southern States (AFDOSS) is hosting this year’s AEC back in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, August 23-26. Register here. If you’re interested in sponsoring the conference or donating items for raffles, gift bags, etc., contact AFDOSS Treasurer Craig Nielsen at afdoss.craig@gmail.com.
2026 Mega AEC Has Mega Opportunities
The Colorado Environmental Health Association, in partnership with the Western Association of Food and Drug Officials and the Rocky Mountain Food Safety Conference, hosts the Mega Annual Education Conference, September 21-24, 2026, in Lakewood, Colorado, at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel.
“Better Together” is the theme for this year’s meeting, training, education, and networking with environmental health professionals from across Colorado and the western United States.
To read more about the conference, register, or submit an abstract, click here.
