Agency Alters Scale of Food Poisoning Surveillance

In a significant shift, the federal monitoring system for foodborne illnesses, known as FoodNet, has been reduced as of July 1. The system, which was previously tracking eight different pathogens linked to foodborne illnesses, is now focused on only two pathogens: salmonella and a dangerous strain of E. coli called STEC.

This change has raised concerns among food safety specialists, who fear it will make it harder to understand the prevalence and trends of foodborne illnesses. The reduction in FoodNet has affected the monitoring of infections caused by campylobacter, listeria, shigella, vibrio, Yersinia, and cyclospora.

Some states, like Maryland, plan to keep reporting all eight pathogens, while others, such as Colorado, may scale back if funding drops further. The future of FoodNet depends on resources and political will.

The change in FoodNet is a concern among advocates, who view the system's active tracking as unique and crucial. Other national systems still collect some reports, but they largely depend on states to send data rather than actively searching for infections.

The White House has stated that the health and safety of Americans remains a top priority. However, federal budgets for food safety have remained nearly flat, which means programs are stretched thin. For 2026, the CDC requested $72 million for food safety, the same amount it has asked for in past years.

The CDC confirmed that the changes are tied to funding issues, as budgets have not kept up with the cost of operating FoodNet at full capacity. Some officials fear the change could lead to fewer regulations down the road. Morris, a food safety expert, stated that if foodborne disease is no longer actively looked for, it could open the door to rolling back rules meant to protect people.

These bacteria and parasites can cause serious foodborne illnesses, particularly in pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems. The response of states regarding the change in FoodNet remains unclear.

Despite the reduced scope of FoodNet, agencies will continue working together to protect the food supply. Agencies will need to find new ways to monitor foodborne illnesses, and the impact of this change will be closely watched. The reduced scope of FoodNet marks a major shift in how the U.S. monitors foodborne illness, and it remains to be seen what the long-term effects will be.