Recalls Today

July 15, 2026

Record cyclospora outbreak hits 34 states as lettuce becomes the lead suspect

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The CDC's July 14 health alert confirms 1,645 lab-confirmed cases with 5,100 more under investigation, Michigan alone reports over 3,300, and Michigan officials point to lettuce as the leading suspect with no product recalled yet. Plus BMW recalls 29,119 plug-in hybrids over starter fires that can ignite while parked and off, and Nissan recalls 3,788 new LEAFs after a Consumer Reports test found rear seat belts that may not hold a child seat.

The biggest food safety story in the country right now has no recall attached to it yet, and that is exactly why it belongs here. The CDC held a media briefing on July 14 and issued a health alert to clinicians nationwide about a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has already made 2026 the worst year on record for the parasite. The numbers are striking: 1,645 lab-confirmed cases across 34 states since May 1, with 5,100 additional cases still under investigation, 141 people hospitalized, and no deaths. The previous U.S. record was roughly 4,700 cases in all of 2019, and state-level data already surpasses that.

Cyclospora outbreak: 34 states, nearly 7,000 cases, lettuce is the lead suspect

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that contaminates food or water and causes watery diarrhea, cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue that can last for weeks without treatment. The CDC says most cases are linked to fresh produce consumed without adequate washing. Past outbreaks have been traced to bagged salad mixes, cilantro, basil, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions.

Michigan is the epicenter, with over 3,300 reported cases and at least 44 hospitalizations. Northwest Ohio has seen more than 1,100, New York City more than 400, and Illinois more than 200. The CDC believes at least 400 cases across Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia are epidemiologically linked as one multistate outbreak, though many other cases in different states appear to come from separate sources.

Michigan's chief medical executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said the state conducted more than 1,000 patient interviews and lettuce kept emerging as a common product. Michigan officials are advising consumers to buy whole heads of lettuce, discard the outer layers, wash what remains thoroughly, and avoid bagged lettuce and pre-mixed salad kits. She also noted two peaks of illness onset, around June 25 and July 7, which suggests two batches of contaminated produce may be involved.

The FDA's acting deputy commissioner for food, Donald Prater, said the agency is running traceback investigations on multiple produce items, including lettuce, and has not yet identified a specific product, brand, grower, or supplier. Some Taco Bell restaurants in metro Detroit stopped serving lettuce and cilantro in early July, though no official link to the outbreak has been confirmed and the FDA has said it is not aware of any voluntary recall by Taco Bell.

What to do: There is no recalled product to return because no source has been identified. The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water before and after preparing produce, washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and scrubbing firm items with a clean brush. Michigan's specific advice is to prefer whole-head lettuce over bagged or pre-mixed salad kits right now. If you have prolonged gastrointestinal illness, ask your doctor to test specifically for cyclospora, since the CDC's July 14 alert urged clinicians to do exactly that. The CDC expects case counts to keep rising through August.

CDC outbreak page: cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis. Surveillance data as of July 13: cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance.

BMW recalls 29,119 plug-in hybrids over starter fires, park outside

If you drive a BMW plug-in hybrid from the late 2010s, park it outside until it is fixed. BMW is recalling 29,119 vehicles across four models because the engine starter relay can corrode from water contact, short-circuit, overheat, and start a fire even when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is off. NHTSA posted the recall as campaign 26V441, and the advisory is unambiguous: park outside and away from structures until the starter is replaced.

The affected models are:

The defect is not in the high-voltage battery, despite the park-outside language that usually accompanies EV battery fires. Water reaches the starter's electrical relay, and over time corrosion builds up. In some cases that just means the engine will not start. In others, the corrosion causes a short-circuit and the starter overheats, which NHTSA says "could cause a thermal event during vehicle operation or when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is off."

BMW decided to conduct the recall on July 1, 2026, filed the Part 573 report with NHTSA on July 8, and the campaign became public on July 14. The automaker examined roughly 150 starters returned from the field and identified a couple of field incidents involving 3 Series and 5 Series models. No accidents or injuries have been reported for this specific population.

This is the fourth wave in a multi-year starter relay campaign that has now spanned four separate U.S. recalls. In August 2024, BMW recalled 105,588 vehicles (24V576) with a software update that did not eliminate the defect. In September 2025, the automaker moved to physical starter replacement across 196,355 vehicles (25V636). In February 2026, another 87,394 vehicles were added (26V056) after bench testing found a separate but related failure pathway. Each wave targeted a different vehicle population with the same root cause.

What to do: Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. BMW dealers will replace the engine starter with a redesigned unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to mail by August 28, 2026. You do not need to wait for the letter to park outside or to confirm your vehicle's status. If you paid for a starter replacement out of pocket, BMW says you may be eligible for reimbursement. BMW customer service: 1-800-525-7417.

Nissan recalls 3,788 new LEAFs after Consumer Reports found a seat belt flaw

Nissan is recalling 3,788 model-year 2026 LEAF electric vehicles because the rear outboard seat belts may not hold a child seat tightly enough. The flaw was not discovered by Nissan. Consumer Reports flagged it during testing on April 22, 2026, and Nissan later reproduced the problem with a specific child seat model, according to recall documents filed as NHTSA campaign 26V425.

The issue is in the automatic locking retractor, or ALR, the mechanism that locks the seat belt at a fixed length to secure a child restraint. In the affected LEAFs, the ALR can deactivate before the belt has fully tightened around the seat, leaving the child seat looser than intended. The defect traces to a production change: the belt webbing was lengthened from roughly 2,700 mm to 2,985 mm, which may have shifted the point where the locking mode engages. The belts were supplied by Autoliv Japan. The recall covers LEAFs built between June 10, 2025 and June 8, 2026.

Nissan is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the defect. Adult passengers are not affected, and the issue does not appear when child seats are installed using the LATCH system instead of the seat belt.

What to do: If you secure a child seat with the seat belt in the rear outboard position of a 2026 LEAF, switch to the LATCH system until the fix is done, and check that your installation is tight. Dealers will replace the rear outboard seat belt assemblies free of charge. Owner notification letters begin mailing July 17, 2026, and VINs have been searchable at nhtsa.gov/recalls since July 7. Nissan customer service: 1-800-647-7261, recall number R26A7.

Tracking

Clover Hill cheese listeria remains open. The CDC's outbreak page still lists 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and 1 death (Maryland), unchanged since late June. La Ceiba Foods' recalled requeson (sold under La Colonia and Selectos Latinos brands) passed its July 10 expiration date five days ago. If any is still in your refrigerator, throw it out. The cheese may have been repacked under the brands Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo, or Rio Lindo. cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/soft-cheese-06-26

Nara Organics infant formula botulism holds at four hospitalized infants (two in California, one in Pennsylvania, one in Washington), with no new cases in the past month. The FDA's July 13 letter to the infant formula industry, covered in yesterday's issue, remains the most recent regulatory development. cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-june-2026

California Dairies powdered milk salmonella cascade is in its fourth month. The original April 20 recall of 2.7 million pounds of nonfat dry milk and buttermilk powder has rippled through at least eight downstream brands, from Zapp's and Dirty potato chips to Ghirardelli beverage mixes to Target's Good & Gather trail mix. Zero illnesses have been reported. The FDA continues to update its major recall tracking page as new downstream products are identified.