Experts warn of weakened food safety as CDC narrows FoodNet pathogen tracking

U.S.A – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sharply scaled back its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), reducing the number of pathogens it actively tracks from eight to just two: Salmonella and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC).

The change, which took effect on July 1, was first revealed in an NBC News exclusive.

FoodNet, a long-standing partnership among the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and 10 state health departments, previously monitored infections from Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia, in addition to Salmonella and STEC. 

These pathogens can cause severe or even life-threatening illness, particularly in newborns, pregnant individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.

The surveillance program covers approximately 54 million people, about 16 % of the U.S. population, across Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, and select counties in California and New York.

According to documents cited by NBC, the CDC attributed the cutback to insufficient funding, noting that “funding has not kept pace with the resources required to maintain the continuation of FoodNet surveillance for all eight pathogens.”

Food safety experts warn that the reduction could weaken the nation’s ability to track trends in foodborne illness and respond rapidly to outbreaks. 

Without comprehensive monitoring, officials may struggle to determine whether cases of certain diseases are increasing or to compare long-term trends accurately.

While the CDC emphasized that other national systems, such as the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Listeria Initiative, will continue tracking these pathogens, experts told NBC that these programs are not as proactive or comprehensive as FoodNet. 

It also remains unclear how individual states will handle the loss of federal support, as ongoing surveillance may depend on state-level resources and funding.

The CDC has requested US$72 million for food safety initiatives in its proposed 2026 budget.

Leadership turmoil deepens at CDC

The news of FoodNet’s scaling back comes amid leadership turmoil at the CDC. 

The White House announced on August 27, 2025, that it had dismissed Susan Monarez, the agency’s recently appointed director, following a tense confrontation in which Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly pressed for her removal. 

A spokesman for President Donald Trump, Kush Desai, said Monarez “was not aligned with the president’s agenda of making America healthy again,” prompting her immediate termination.

Monarez’s firing triggered a wave of resignations among senior CDC leaders. 

Those stepping down include Dr. Debra Houry, chief medical officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jen Layden, who led the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology. 

The departures deepen uncertainty for an agency already facing questions about its capacity to safeguard the public against emerging health threats.

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