By Jordan King, May 1, 2025 | From: Newsweek

A Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer has spoken out about her worries for American food, accusing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of lacking transparency.

Deborah Blum, who has written extensively on the history of U.S. food safety regulations, cited how an E. coli outbreak in November 2024, which killed one and hospitalized dozens, was never fully explained publicly despite an official investigation.

"I worry that we are going to see uninspected factories put out really bad stuff, uninvestigated outbreaks piled on uninvestigated outbreaks," she told journalist Talia Lavin's newsletter, The Sword and The Sandwich.

Alleging a government cover up, she added: "I just...my hair is gonna catch on fire."

Newsweek contacted the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for comment via email on Thursday.

The Context

The Poison Squad author Blum cited a lack of information about a 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce.

The November 2024 outbreak spanned 15 states, resulting in 89 known cases, 36 hospitalizations—including seven with kidney failure—and one death. Most documented cases were in Missouri.

The FDA has since confirmed that it did not release information about the outbreak because, by the time it determined the likely source, the contaminated lettuce was no longer available in stores. Without actionable advice for consumers, the agency decided not to issue a public warning.

An official probe concluded in February 2025 without naming further details or any companies involved, according to an internal FDA report obtained by NBC News.

What To Know

Blum said: "You probably saw the story about the romaine lettuce investigation—there was E. coli contamination that sickened people in a number of states in the fall."

"And the Biden administration launched an investigation that concluded in February, and the Trump administration has refused to release the results," she said, "They won't say what happened. They won't even say what companies are involved."

"And so what we are seeing with this federal government is a food contamination case in which the government is conspiring to cover it up. I just...my hair is gonna catch on fire," she continued.

"There's no way for us to keep track of all this information," she said. "I worry that we are going to see uninspected factories put out really bad stuff, uninvestigated outbreaks piled on uninvestigated outbreaks."

Attorney Bill Marler, who is representing three victims—including children who suffered kidney failure—of the E. coli outbreak in two lawsuits, said federal documents confirmed a link between the outbreak and a specific grower, but its name was redacted.

"For me to eat romaine lettuce that the FDA has decided we don't have a right to know who grew, it just doesn't make sense to me," Marler told Missouri station KMOV last month.

What People Are Saying

Former FDA deputy commissioner Frank Yiannas criticized the decision to keep the information quiet. "It is disturbing that FDA hasn't said anything more public or identified the name of a grower or processor," he told NBC News last month.

Taryn Webb, who led the FDA's public engagement for human foods until she was laid off a month ago in a sweeping downsizing of Health and Human Services, said the government had eliminated key channels for public health information.

"We no longer have all the mechanisms in place to learn from those situations and prevent the next outbreak from happening," she told NBC News.

What Happens Next

Lawsuits filed by victims are proceeding in several states. While the FDA says it refrained from naming firms because the product was no longer in circulation, advocates argue the public still deserves to know who was responsible.

Blum and others warn that a system unwilling to share vital food safety information risks putting more people at unnecessary risk.