What a Food Safety Expert Wants You to Know About All the Food Recalls
Including how to stay up-to-date on the latest recalled products.
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Lately, it may seem like there’s food being recalled left and right. In November 2024, cucumbers from SunFed Produce were recalled due to a salmonella outbreak and organic carrots from Grimmway Farms were recalled due to E. coli. In September, eggs from Milo’s Poultry Farm were recalled because of salmonella, as well as several Boar’s Head deli meats because of Listeria.
High profile recalls aren’t new. In 2022, there were several companies, including Jif, Costco and Target, that recalled contaminated food. In that year, the most common foods recalled were fish, dried fruit and mushrooms due to Listeria concerns, and peanut butter due to salmonella contamination. In 2023, Gold Medal recalled some of its flour, also because of salmonella.
With so many mass recalls on food, is this the new norm? Knowing where to find information about the latest recalls and what to do when you find a recalled item in your home is imperative in order to keep everyone safe, and minimize the possibility of a foodborne illness. Here’s what a registered dietitian and food safety expert wants you to know.
According to the 2024 International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) 2024 Food and Health Survey, 47-percent of the U.S. population felt that the most important issue in food safety is foodborne illness from bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, Listeria and more. In addition, the survey revealed that two in three people say they are familiar with how to handle food that has been recalled, and four in 10 are familiar with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Meat and Poultry Hotline.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, approximately one in six Americans suffer (or 48 million people get sick, 128,000 become hospitalized and 3,000 die) from foodborne diseases.
The Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) provides an annual report on food recalls. In 2023, there were 65 recalls by the USDA (which only regulates meat, poultry and processed egg products) on 4,005,384 pounds of food, compared to 45 recalls on 4,005,384 from 2022. Last year’s numbers were lower than the previous year’s.
Experts commented in a recent story for The New York Times that better testing systems make it possible to detect foodborne illnesses quicker and recall food faster. As such, outbreaks are often smaller than pounds of food recalled.
Here’s some data from the FSIS:
- In 2021: 47 recalls; 15,501,273 pounds of food recalled
- In 2020: 31 recalls; 1,461,019 pounds of food recalled
- In 2019: 129 recalls; 20,427,455 pounds of food recalled
- In 2018 : 125 recalls; 20,552,911 pounds of food recalled
- In 2017: 131 recalls; 20,880,574 pounds of food recalled
- In 2016: 122 recalls; 58,140,787 pounds of food recalled
Recent data reveals between 2020 and 2023, the total number of food recalls issued by USDA and FDA (each organization oversees different foods) grew from 454 to 547, which is an increase of more than 20 percent. With better testing systems, we are now able to detect more quickly. So although the number of food recalls has increased, the pounds of food recalled decreased as food was recalled faster.
What’s the Difference Between a Food Recall and Outbreak?
Food recalls are when foods are removed from the market that are in violation of USDA and FDA regulations. The FDA regulates all food except meat, poultry and processed egg products, which are regulated by the USDA. A food can be recalled due to contamination with a pathogenic microorganism (like E. coli or salmonella), the presence of a foreign object (like pieces of glass or metal) or failure to list major allergens in the food (like soy or shellfish). Food recalls tend to be voluntarily initiated by the manufacturer or distributor of the food. However, the FDA can mandate or request a recall.
A Foodborne Illness Outbreak (or a food outbreak) is defined when two or more individuals exhibit the same symptoms after eating the same food. Many outbreaks occur among people who live far apart but ate food that was contaminated where it was grown or prepared before it was distributed in stores or restaurants across different states.
Do I Need to Be Worried About All the Food Recalls?
The food system is complex and issues we saw decades ago, aren’t necessarily issues in today’s world. Today, the food production system is rapidly changing, with the introduction of more ingredients, greater travel distances and an increase in ready-to-eat foods. Recalling foods with multiple ingredients — think frozen dinners or waffle mixtures — becomes more complicated compared to recalling one ingredient like a nut. In addition, the presence of additives that are not listed on the ingredient list is another reason a food may be recalled, which wasn’t a huge issue many years ago. However, new technology and methods allow us to better detect foodborne illnesses, which could also be a reason why more are being reported.
The most vulnerable to foodborne illness include older adults, children under the age of six years, pregnant and lactating women and people with compromised immune systems (such as those living with diabetes or kidney failure). These individuals or people caring for any of these populations (like caregivers or older adult homes) need to be more cognizant of foods being recalled.
Understanding how recalls work and who recalls food can also provide more insight into the food system in the U.S., which is considered relatively safe. According to the 2022 Global Food Security Index, the U.S. ranks number 13 out of 113 countries in the world for food safety.
Who Recalls Food and Why?
There are a handful of organizations that oversee food recalls. The FSIS, which is a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the safety of the meat, poultry and some egg products which is approximately 20 percent of the U.S. food supply. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the rest of the food supply, including domestic and imported foods. When there is a foodborne illness, the state departments contact the CDC, which then contacts the FDA or FSIS. Plus, food manufacturers work with these organizations to issue food recalls for their own products.
When foods get recalled, they tend to fit into one of three categories: pathogen contamination (like salmonella), physical contamination (like glass or metal) or misbranding (when an undeclared allergen is in a food). Recalls are typically done voluntarily by the manufacturer. If a company needs to issue a recall, the company needs to let the FDA or FSIS know as soon as possible, and provide a plan of action on how it plans on handling the recall, a press release and who is affected. The manufacturer is responsible for removing the product from the market as soon as the issue has been found. The FDA or FSIS rarely issues a recall, but it has happened that the source of the contamination was still undetermined.
How to Get the Best Information About Recalls
To stay updated on recalls, the FDA offers a recall subscription service where you can be notified of any recalls (including food recalls) on a daily or weekly basis. You can also check the USDA’s website.
If you think you have a recalled product in your kitchen, read the recall notice carefully and follow product-specific instructions. Oftentimes you can return the recalled product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund. If not, you should dispose of the product properly and if it is contaminated, wrap it securely before putting it in the garbage. Never give the recalled product to others like a food bank or pets.
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