A senior official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has accused an advocacy group with connections to multiple processed food corporations of undermining Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to improve the nation's food supply. The official singled out the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP), claiming it is a "fake 'food borne illness advocacy' group" funded to criticize Kennedy's "real food" campaign and promote ultraprocessed foods as safer.

The accusation comes amid a cyclospora outbreak linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 10,000 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases since May 1, 2026, with an additional 12,000 cases still under evaluation. Secretary Kennedy stated during a July 21 press conference that the outbreak is under control and the source has been identified.

Kennedy, who has promised special attention to the U.S. food supply, dismissed criticism of HHS's handling of the outbreak as "invalid" and unrelated to recent agency staffing reductions, according to a Politico report. He also announced the launch of "The Real Food Show" on July 30, aimed at empowering families to make healthy eating more practical and affordable.

STOP, founded in 1994 to raise awareness of foodborne illnesses following a 1993 E. coli outbreak on the West Coast, has not responded to requests for comment, nor have HHS or the official who made the allegations.

A CBS News poll published July 26 found that approximately 53% of Americans have "some" or "a lot" of confidence in the Food and Drug Administration's management of the outbreak.

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