A former senior Trump administration food-safety official has called for an independent review of the federal response to a large Cyclospora outbreak. The appeal highlights concerns over whether health agencies have responded quickly and transparently enough to identify the source and protect the public.

Cyclospora is a foodborne parasite that can cause prolonged diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal illness. The outbreak has sickened thousands of people, while the Food and Drug Administration is investigating several illness clusters; apart from an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce, sources for other clusters had not been identified.