Food Safety News: On the Beat

Europe’s Salmonella Outbreaks with Joe Whitworth, International Staff Writer for Food Safety News

In this episode of Food Safety News: On the Beat, hosts Morgan Holm and Jonan Pilet welcome UK-based Staff Writer Joe Whitworth for a closer look at Salmonella outbreaks affecting the United Kingdom and Europe. Joe explains how investigators are tracing suspected sources, why some outbreaks persist for years, and how gaps in international data sharing complicate the response. Morgan and Jonan also break down the week’s food safety headlines, from questions about outbreak transparency to the debate over defining ultra-processed foods.

Topics Discussed:
• Tracking Salmonella across Europe: Investigations involving eggs and tomatoes, the challenges of tracing complex supply chains, and how whole genome sequencing and patient interviews help connect cases.
• U.S. outbreaks, recalls, and transparency: Questions surrounding public notification of an E. coli outbreak linked to chicken wraps, differing case counts in an oyster-associated Salmonella outbreak, and other recall updates.
• Food safety policy and oversight: The dispute over USDA reorganization and the ongoing debate over how to define and regulate ultra-processed foods.

Food Safety News has provided independent reporting on foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls, research, regulations and public health since 2009. Food Safety News: On the Beat brings that reporting into a weekly conversation, giving listeners more context behind the stories shaping our food supply.

Joe Whitworth's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-whitworth-30b6b052/?isSelfProfile=false

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Food Safety Attorney Bill Marler on Cyclospora and Corporate Accountability

In this episode of Food Safety News: On the Beat, hosts Morgan Holm and Jonan Pilet speak with Bill Marler, a nationally recognized food safety attorney and the founder and publisher of Food Safety News. Marler has represented victims of foodborne illness since the landmark 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak and has spent more than three decades advocating for consumer protection and food safety reform. He joins the podcast to discuss the Cyclospora outbreak, gaps in outbreak response, and why traceability, transparency, and industry accountability matter. Following the interview, Morgan and Jonan recap the week’s food safety headlines, including E. coli and Salmonella investigations, changes to deli meat inspections, and recent recalls.

Topics discussed:

• Cyclospora and produce safety: Bill’s perspective on the outbreak, Taylor Farms’ sourcing pause, and the challenges of preventing contamination.
• Prevention and accountability: How traceability, public health funding, and transparency affect outbreak response and consumer trust.
• The weekly outbreak update: Investigations involving ready-to-eat chicken wraps, broccoli sprouts, and eggs linked to Salmonella cases in the UK.
• Deli meat inspections and recalls: Expanded testing aimed at preventing Listeria contamination, plus a roundup of recalled products.
• The farmed seafood supply chain: Questions about sourcing, oversight, and the environmental and public health concerns behind seafood production.

Food Safety News has provided independent reporting on foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls, research, regulations and public health since 2009. Food Safety News: On the Beat brings that reporting into a weekly conversation, giving listeners more context behind the stories shaping our food supply.

Stay informed with Food Safety News:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/

Join the free Food Safety News newsletter or become an FSN+ member:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/membership/

FREE — $0/year

Get a taste of FSN with the weekly Monday newsletter featuring recalls, outbreaks and selected opinion articles, plus access to the Food Safety News article archive from 2009 through November 2025.

FSN+ — $79/year

Get the full Food Safety News experience, including:

• Early access to podcast episodes

• Members-only FSN Daily newsletter Monday through Friday

• Members-only Sunday edition

• Full access to all website articles

• Ad-free website reading

• Access to the comments section

Your membership helps support Food Safety News and its coverage of food safety issues around the world.

Subscribe to Food Safety News on YouTube and follow Food Safety News: On the Beat wherever you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to the first episode of Food Safety News: On the Beat, the weekly podcast breaking down the biggest stories in food safety and explaining what happened, what we know and why it matters.

Hosts Morgan Holm, Executive Director and Editor in Chief of Food Safety News, and Jonan Pilet, Newsletter Editor and Social Media Coordinator, discuss some of the most important food safety stories making headlines.

In Episode 1, Morgan and Jonan take a closer look at the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak, including rising case numbers, hospitalizations and the challenges investigators face when trying to identify the source of foodborne illness outbreaks. This pilot episode was recorded Sept. 3, 2026.

They also discuss ongoing Salmonella outbreaks, the difficulty of tracing contaminated food across an increasingly global food supply, and the balance between giving consumers timely information and avoiding conclusions before investigators have enough evidence.

The conversation also covers food recalls, meat inspection and traceability, and an emerging area of food safety research: how artificial intelligence could help improve food traceability, workplace food safety and even food safety practices at home.

In this episode:

• The latest developments in the Cyclospora outbreak

• Salmonella outbreaks and the challenges of tracing their sources

• Why transparency and traceability matter during foodborne illness investigations

• Recent recalls involving mangoes, ranch dip and chicken products

• Food inspection and the changing challenges facing the meat industry

• How AI could help improve food traceability and food safety

Food Safety News has provided independent reporting on foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls, research, regulations and public health since 2009. Food Safety News: On the Beat brings that reporting into a weekly conversation, giving listeners more context behind the stories shaping our food supply.

Stay informed with Food Safety News:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/

Join the free Food Safety News newsletter or become an FSN+ member:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/membership/

FREE — $0/year

Get a taste of FSN with the weekly Monday newsletter featuring recalls, outbreaks and selected opinion articles, plus access to the Food Safety News article archive from 2009 through November 2025.

FSN+ — $79/year

Get the full Food Safety News experience, including:

• Members-only FSN Daily newsletter Monday through Friday

• Members-only Sunday edition

• Full access to all website articles

• Ad-free website reading

• Access to the comments section

Your membership helps support Food Safety News and its coverage of food safety issues around the world.

Subscribe to Food Safety News on YouTube and follow Food Safety News: On the Beat wherever you listen to podcasts.