On July 26, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a summary report on the Fresh vanilla Sampling mission.

The mission collected and tested both domestic and imported fresh basil, coriander leaves and parsley. The mission aims to assess the prevalence of cyclospora, Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in these herbs. This is part of the FDA's ongoing efforts to help proactively ensure food safety.

From September 2017 to September 2021, the FDA collected and tested 1,383 samples of fresh basil, coriander leaves and parsley. The agency detected salmonella in 17 of 1,358 samples, cyclospora in 18 of 812 samples and STEC in 1 of 1,350 samples. The FDA worked closely with the company to quickly remove the contaminated product from the market. The sampling mission took longer than expected due to a nine-month pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In light of the mission's findings, FDA encourages industry to ensure compliance with the agency's Agricultural Product Safety Rule, the Human Food Preventive Control Measures Regulation, and the FSMA Final Rule (additional traceability record requirements applicable to certain foods). importers of fresh herbs should ensure they comply with the agency's Foreign Supplier Verification Program rules.