By Michael J. Critelli | MakeUsWell Newsletter, 

On July 20, 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported an embarrassing reversal by the Food and Drug Administration.

On July 18, 2026, the FDA had said that a sample of iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from central Mexico had tested positive for Cyclospora, the microscopic parasite associated with a major outbreak of gastrointestinal illness. After reviewing the laboratory data, FDA concluded that the result did not represent “true amplification” and should be considered a false positive. As of July 19, 2026, the agency had no confirmed positive product samples.

That reversal might appear to demonstrate that our food-testing system is unreliable.

The more important lesson is different: no laboratory test, however sophisticated, can carry the entire burden of keeping food safe.

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By Michael J. Critelli | MakeUsWell Newsletter, 

Our beta test for our new food product is underway. We continue to learn a great deal as we talk with potential users or others who can help us get our product into the market.

But today’s topic relates partly to food and partly to other substances that we have believed to be allergens or other substances to which we believe either intolerances or sensitivities. In the past week, I learned that a friend of ours who will be undergoing hip replacement surgery believed from childhood that she had an allergy to penicillin and antibiotics like it. 

She didn’t. She had adverse reactions to it as a child, but these were side effects, and did not activate the immune system to attack the body. She might even have been allergic to the preservatives used to store and deliver it. Penicillin is the preferred antibiotic, so it is good that she will be able to take it. Her experience prompted me to re-examine a long-held diagnosis that I had a broad lactose intolerance, but that my personal experience seemed to challenge.

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By Michael J. Critelli | MakeUsWell Newsletter, 

Historically, if others or I wanted to know whether a food was healthy, whether a supplement was safe, whether a diet claim was credible, or whether one product was better than another, we went to Google. We typed in a question, scanned a page of results, opened a few links, and tried to make sense of competing answers.

That process gave people access to an extraordinary amount of information. But you had to know what question to ask, which sources to trust and how to interpret technical language. You had to decide whether the answer applied to his or her own age, health goals, medications, budget, preferences, and daily life.

That is especially hard in food and nutrition.

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By Michael J. Critelli | MakeUsWell Newsletter, 

One of the more revealing food trends of the moment is not a new snack, diet, supplement, or restaurant concept. It is a beverage trend: taking drinks that are already sweet and adding even more sugar, cream, syrups, fruit purées, coconut cream, energy drinks, and other dessert-like ingredients.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the rise of “dirty soda,” a trend that began with customized sodas and has spread through social media, influencers, celebrities, and fast-growing beverage chains. The basic idea is simple: start with soda, lemonade, an energy drink, or another sweet beverage, and then add flavored syrups, cream, fruit, or candy-like flavor combinations. The result is marketed as fun, personalized, indulgent, and visually appealing.

That is exactly why the trend matters.

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By Michael J. Critelli | MakeUsWell Newsletter, 

We are living in a world in which nutrition guidance has never been more available or more dangerous.

For years, social media has been filled with exaggerated claims about foods, beverages, vitamins, and supplements that supposedly “cure” difficult medical conditions. Artificial intelligence now makes those claims look and sound more believable. Deepfake videos, once difficult and expensive to create, can now be produced quickly, cheaply, and convincingly by many more people.

People dealing with frightening or hard-to-treat conditions are understandably vulnerable. When someone is in pain, losing sleep, frightened about cognitive decline, struggling with a chronic condition, or frustrated by conventional medical care, they may try almost anything. A persuasive video featuring a trusted celebrity, physician, or news anchor can become a powerful sales tool for a questionable remedy.

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