As Americans cook vegetables to an internal temperature of at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the diarrheal parasite Cyclospora, which has sickened more than 24,000 people and caused two deaths this summer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is criticizing Health Secretary Robert F. Kenney Jr. over what she called the government’s “disastrous response” to the record-breaking outbreak.
In a letter sent Thursday, the Massachusetts Democrat said the federal response to the Cyclospora outbreak had “failed” and was “marred by mismanagement.” Warren also questioned whether alleged conflicts of interest, political influence, and ties between the Trump administration and Taylor Farms, a major produce distributor, contributed to delays in responding to lettuce linked to the outbreak.
“Taylor Farms’ political contributions and direct lobbying of the White House raise urgent questions about the role this influence peddling played in weakening federal food-safety oversight and impeding the federal response to the outbreak,” Warren wrote.
As previously reported by Ars Technica, Taylor Farms donated $1 million to MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting President Trump, in March 2025. The donation came days after the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would postpone implementation of food-traceability rules designed to make it easier to identify contaminated products and respond to foodborne illness outbreaks.
Warren’s letter also cited additional donations from Taylor Farms to groups aligned with Trump, saying the contributions totaled millions of dollars. She noted that the company hired Trent Morse, a former senior Trump administration official, to lobby on its behalf.
Morse reportedly helped arrange a direct phone call between Taylor Farms and the White House after the FDA linked the company’s lettuce to the Cyclospora outbreak. During that call, Taylor Farms allegedly made an “urgent plea” to delay recalling the potentially contaminated lettuce.
Questions grow over delay in federal response
Warren said significant questions remain about how federal agencies handled the outbreak. Local media reported that Taco Bell restaurants in Michigan and neighboring states began removing iceberg lettuce from their menus as early as July 7.
A notice at one restaurant said the lettuce could not be sold “due to a national recall.” However, federal agencies had not announced a recall at the time, raising further concerns about delays and communication during the Cyclospora outbreak.
Source: arstechnica.com