Biggest FDA Recalls of 2026: Taylor Farms, Blueberries, Eggs and More
Newsweek · C · trust 49/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has overseen a string of major food recalls in 2026, ranging from fresh produce linked to outbreak investigations to nationwide withdrawals of products sold at some of the country's largest retailers. Several recalls have been tied to multistate outbreaks involving cyclospora, E. coli and salmonella , prompting warnings from federal health officials and widespread product removals from store shelves.
The FDA and public health officials have responded to several major food safety events involving products sold by some of the country's largest food companies. Among the most significant were the recall of Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce linked to a multistate cyclospora outbreak that sickened thousands, a nationwide blueberry recall over contamination concerns, egg recalls that affected consumers across multiple states, and a jalapeño recall over salmonella concerns.
While dozens of FDA-regulated products have been recalled this year, a handful stand out because of their size, the number of states affected, or their connection to foodborne illness outbreaks.
Newsweek reached out to the FDA via email for comment.
Arguably the highest-profile food recall of 2026 so far involved Taylor Farms and a nationwide cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce.
In July, FDA investigators identified Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce as the likely source of a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis that sickened thousands and killed two in Michigan . The company voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market after traceback and epidemiological evidence converged on the product. Taylor Farms stresses, though, that as of August 13, "there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora," according to the FDA.
Subsequent FDA reports showed that the recalled lettuce products were pulled from distribution across 17 U.S. states. The recalled products reached major retailers and food-service companies, including Walmart's Marketside brand and suppliers to Subway and Taco Bell.
The outbreak became one of the year's largest food-safety investigations and helped drive intense public scrutiny of produce safety and outbreak-response procedures.
Another major recall involved frozen organic blueberries sold at Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
In July, the FDA announced an outbreak investigation involving E. coli and frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries. Publix recalled multiple blueberry and mixed-berry products after investigators linked illnesses to the frozen fruit.
The recall eventually expanded beyond a single product lot. Consumers in eight states were advised not to eat recalled GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and GreenWise Organic Whole Mixed Berries and to discard any affected products.
Because frozen fruit is often stored for months, FDA officials warned consumers to check freezers carefully, even if they purchased the products weeks earlier.
Related Story Foodborne Illnesses Are Up Across US: Which To Look Out For Salmonella Jalapeño Recall A major salmonella investigation centered on fresh jalapeños imported from Mexico.
According to FDA and company notices, Coast Citrus Distributors recalled fresh jalapeños because of potential salmonella contamination. The recall triggered a cascade of secondary recalls involving prepared foods, salads, dips, guacamole and salsa products sold by numerous retailers.
Taylor Fresh Foods subsequently recalled products made with the affected peppers, while major grocery chains including Kroger, Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Stop & Shop and Hannaford were among those receiving impacted items.
Impacted Taylor Farms jalapeño products were sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
The recall's breadth highlighted how a single contaminated ingredient can spread through the food supply chain and affect dozens of finished products.
Eggs were also the focus of a significant FDA investigation this summer.
Federal officials linked a multistate salmonella outbreak to recalled shell eggs distributed across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and New Mexico. The affected products included both white shell eggs and brown cage-free eggs sold through retail and food-service channels.
Consumers were urged to check carton codes and either dispose of the eggs or return them to stores for refunds.
This year, the recalls drawing the most national attention have largely involved produce, particularly lettuce, berries and peppers. Those products are often consumed raw, making rapid recalls especially important when contamination is suspected.
Beyond the headline-grabbing outbreaks, FDA records show a steady stream of recalls involving fresh produce, prepared foods, salad dressings, soups, bakery items and ready-to-eat products. Many were initiated because of potential contamination with salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes or foreign materials such as metal fragments.
Food safety advocates have raised concerns about the number of recalls and outbreaks in recent years, arguing that they highlight vulnerabilities in the nation's food safety system. Some experts point to challenges ranging from increasingly complex supply chains and large-scale food production practices to regulatory oversight and outbreak-detection capabilities, though no consensus exists on a single factor driving the trend.
As 2026 enters its final months, federal investigators…
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