Food Recalls Leave Cooks, Guests Nervous About Upcoming Thanksgiving Feasts

THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Diarrhea-causing cyclospora found in iceberg lettuce. Jalapenos, frozen blueberries and broccoli tainted with salmonella.

This year has seen wave after wave of high-profile food recalls.

Now we’re heading into Thanksgiving, and some hosts might well be worried that their holiday table offerings might sicken loved ones.

Nearly 3 out of 5 U.S. adults (60%) are more concerned about foodborne illnesses this year than in previous years, according to a new national survey from Orlando Health.

However, there are some time-tested steps people can take to protect guests, experts said.

“It sounds scary to hear about all of these different bacteria or these new infections, E. coli, Salmonella, Cyclospora, Campylobacter, Giardia, but in reality, they’re not new. We’ve treated them before,” Dr. Daniel Egan, an infectious disease physician with Orlando Health Medical Group, said in a news release.

“If you’re more aware of it, you’re also going to take more steps to prevent those kind of infections,” Egan said.

Nationally, foodborne illnesses sicken 48 million people every year, causing 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, experts said.

Egan’s tips include:

• Wash your hands frequently between kitchen tasks, especially when switching from handling raw meat or poultry to chopping vegetables or preparing stuffing.

• Never wash or rinse raw poultry, as water splashing off the bird can splatter bacteria onto surrounding countertops, plates and utensils.

• Use separate cutting boards, tools, utensils and containers for raw meat and poultry.

• Keep raw meat and poultry covered and stored on a separate shelf from produce.

• Use a food thermometer to check internal temperature for poultry and meat.

• Rinse all produce and leafy greens, even if they are labeled as “pre-washed.”

• Limit the amount of time food sits out, aiming for one or two hours maximum before packing and refrigerating leftovers.

“Holiday cooking is unique compared to your normal daily or weekly cooking,” Egan said. “Cooking large meals, you might skip a few steps here and there to try and be more efficient. But that increases your risk for transmitting infection.”

Symptoms of food poisoning can include vomiting, nausea, cramps, diarrhea and fever, Egan said. These can crop up anywhere from six hours to several days after exposure to foodborne bacteria.

Mild cases that clear within a day can usually be managed at home. Egan said people should go to a doctor if their symptoms get worse or persist.

“If it resolves within a day, then it’s resolved,” Egan said. “If it’s not going away or it’s even escalating, your body is losing fluids, it’s losing electrolytes. We can do testing to see if there’s anything wrong with your electrolytes and if there’s any particular infection that needs antibiotics.”

More information

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has more holiday food safety tips.

SOURCE: Orlando Health, news release, Nov. 12, 2026