Why Are There So Many Food Recalls This Year? A Food Safety Expert Weighs In
From the almost annual E.coli breakouts in romaine lettuce (2018 to 2022 as the most notable years) to massive meat recalls, it can feel like another food crisis is always lurking right around the corner. Here’s what you need to know about food recalls, plus some expert advice on what to do in the event a recall affects you.
What does a food recall mean?
A recall is an issued statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), or the FDA noting a “hazard” within a food product sold to the public, and also a call to action for the company who produced the food to recall the product. Dedicated pages on both the FSIS website and FDA website for each recall will let you know the category of problem (meaning a bacteria outbreak, a mislabelling, etc), the product name, where it was sold, and which sell-by or expiration dates are affected.
For USDA recalls, this includes an EST number, which is a unique number assigned to each facility in the U.S. that produces meat, poultry, or eggs (on packages, it looks like a little round stamp).
Some recalls are very isolated to one line of product and will be over very quickly, and some, as inspections and more information come to light, will be ongoing for months.
What’s the difference between a USDA and an FDA recall?
Essentially, because of really old legislature, inspections are divided between two government departments. The FDA regulates most food items except for meat, eggs, and poultry. That’s where the USDA and FSIS fill the gap. Basically, most animal-based products and their respective facilities are under the USDA domain, but other items, like produce, bagged snack items, and yes, coffee creamers, are watched by the FDA.
The FSIS works proactively to identify issues through inspections and testing. Some recalls can be optional if they're not a major health concern, but the USDA does have the power to ask for mandatory recalls and even shut down factories and other plants if they feel like a company isn’t cooperating.
Most FDA recalls, on the other hand, are voluntary and optional. “The agency often relies on its relationships with companies and its ability to publicly notify consumers to ensure compliance,” according to Darin Detwiler, LP. D., a food policy expert and professor at Northeastern University.
How does a recall start?
The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA does routine inspections of all places where food is processed, packaged, and shipped. They’ll inspect goods, machinery, and surroundings, and send samples of food and swabs to local Department of Health testing sites.
These inspections are ruled under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) which, if you’ve ever worked a food service job, you’re familiar with. In 1996, these bullet points were added to the FSIS for added clarity around food inspections. Inspectors are looking for three things under HACCP: any hazards in production, “critical control points” to eliminate said hazards, and documents that show individuals and producers are complying with those safety measures.
Individual companies and facilities can also independently report an issue to the USDA without an inspector present if they see something wrong. The FDA has its own Office of Inspections and Investigators (OII), which operates similarly.
Alternatively, if someone ends up at the hospital presenting symptoms of a food-borne illness, medical staff will report and track any trends in sickness. Once the contamination is identified, an official USDA or FDA statement will detail what product is affected, and the next steps you can take to send it back, if necessary.
Why was the Boar’s Head recall so big?
In late July, Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. announced a recall of 200,000 pounds of deli meat because of a listeria outbreak. Then, it became 2 million pounds weeks later as more inspections unfolded, and other states started to connect what seemed like isolated incidents to the liverwurst.
“Listeria outbreaks remain a significant concern, particularly because of their severe consequences for vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems,” says Detwiler. “Listeria monocytogenes is particularly dangerous because it can grow at refrigeration temperatures, making it a persistent threat in ready-to-eat foods like deli meats, soft cheeses, and prepackaged salads.”
In the case of Boar’s Head, the type of product—ready-to-eat meats—is mainly consumed by the 65 and older population, a group that has a greater risk of a weakened immune system, and would be more likely to end up in a hospital with reported symptoms because their bodies may have more difficulty fighting off infections and illnesses. This, coupled with the multi-state reach, made for a larger impact than a typical food recall.
Unfortunately, this caused a bit of a domino effect. When the Maryland Department of Health told the FSIS of the USDA that Boar’s Head liverwurst had listeria bacteria, they quickly shut down a processing plant in Jarratt, VA connected to the outbreak. As both the FSIS and the Boar’s Head company were already on high alert, more contamination was discovered, because the listeria bacteria could survive in refrigeration. As more than one product was produced on the same pack line as the liverwurst, this opened up more opportunities for contamination. “Cross-contamination during handling or packaging can exacerbate the problem,” says Detwiler of the recall, “particularly in facilities that produce high-risk foods.”
Currently, 71 Boar’s Head products are still on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s official recall list, with the total amount of recalled products clocking in at roughly 7 million pounds. It’s the largest listeriosis recall since 2011.
Boar’s Head has since discontinued the liverwurst product indefinitely because of a process they claim only that facility in Virginia used, according to a press release from September 13, so the issue is unlikely to happen again.
Is every recall serious?
All recalls are not alike. Some, like Boar’s Head, resulted in numerous illnesses and even deaths—59 and 10, respectively, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. McDonald's was the source of 100 illnesses in 14 states. Others, like the International Delight “Home Alone” Peppermint Mocha Zero Sugar coffee creamer (phew!), were pulled for a mislabelling snafu, with no reports of injury or sickness.
Here’s the thing: Not every recall is super scary or high risk. The FSIS uses roughly a dozen categories to classify recalls, ranging from “mislabeling of product” (like saying your product is zero sugar when it’s not) to “extraneous material” (like a product containing rock or bone fragments). The recalls themselves are broken into three classes by the FSIS and FDA, with Class Three stating “the risk is negligible,” and Class One stating “reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death,” according to the USDA website. A fourth category, Public Health Alert, is issued to “inform the public about potential health risks in cases where a recall cannot be recommended.”
The International Delight recall was a Class Two, meaning “there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from use of the product.” The Boar’s Head recall is a Class One because of its severity and broad impact on public health. The McDonald’s onion recall was ultimately put at Class One as the burger affected was pulled from more than a fifth of the company's stores.
A great example of a "less scary" recall is a misprint ham recall from June, because the product was correctly labeled as ham on its front, but “the back of the package [was] incorrectly labeled as Honey Smoked Turkey Breast,” according to the USDA website. Customers were able to identify the product properly, but for general safety, the company chose to recall it.
Why are recalls increasing?
As the American food supply chain expands due to increased demand and growing population, larger recalls have become more common. And, it’s not just a feeling: The amount of individual food packages affected by recalls has increased by almost 400 percent in 2024, according to Detwiler. “While this may seem alarming, it highlights the growing complexity of the food supply chain and the importance of rigorous safety measures,” he says. “Recalls often stem from better surveillance and technology…which enables faster identification of contamination sources.” Essentially, more testing = more results.
Another reason for the increase is consumer preferences. About 20,000 new food products hit the grocery store shelves every year. While ease and convenience (and mental health) increase by consumers spending more money on meals prepared outside of their homes (e.g., takeout or prepared food products), Detwiler notes that this also increases the food safety risk. “These products often pass through multiple hands and locations, increasing the chances of contamination,” he says. “The preference for ready-to-eat foods, while convenient, makes proper sanitation and handling at every stage of the supply chain even more critical.”
The FSIS is crucial in keeping food safety standards throughout the U.S., but the main responsibility of preventing outbreaks still sits with the companies that make and distribute our food.
Detwiler believes a prevention-first approach is the key to improving our inspection and food processing systems through a “hold-and-wait” system, requiring all companies to hold products until food test results are confirmed. However, doing this would increase food costs and make supply chain woes and delays even greater, but would ultimately result in safer food, fewer recalls, and increased consumer trust. “The cost of prevention is always less than the cost of a recall, both financially and in terms of human lives,” he says. “Beyond the direct costs of retrieving products, companies face potential lawsuits, regulatory fines, and long-term damage to their brand reputation.”
For bigger cases, like Boar’s Head, those costs of dealing with a food recall fallout can be devastating, and “could have been far more contained if a ‘hold and test’ approach had been mandatory,” says Detwiler.
Should you be worried?
A major misconception, according to Detwiler, is that when a recall is announced, it’s portrayed as a total failure in our food system. While there are recalls that point to needed improvements, “they also demonstrate that safety systems are working as intended to identify and address risks before more significant harm occurs,” he says.
Oftentimes, like the slew of Trader Joe’s recalls of 2023 that saw the chain hit with six recalls over a short five weeks, can point to inspections working effectively. Trader Joe’s is a massive company, with reports of about 4,000 unique products per store, which also diversify based on store location. This means the chance of a Trader Joe’s-private label product is substantially increased compared to many other grocery brands who use a range of company-labeled products. This basically means that if something goes wrong, Trader Joe’s takes the blame.
Looking at the language of some of the recalls, the phrases: “No known adverse illnesses have been reported to date” and “All potentially affected product has been removed and destroyed” are used frequently. This is, frankly, a very good thing. Many of the TJ’s recalls last year were done based on their own independent inspections, which means the company was voluntarily reporting issues to the USDA and FDA. If companies are proactively pulling products, it increases the general safety of their consumers and provides more public trust.
As our food supply is also ever-growing to meet the demand of the population, in the last few decades, four suppliers—Tyson, Cargill, National Beef, and JBS—have dominated 85 percent of beef production for the U.S., which is around 20 billion pounds. Yep, billion. However, the FSIS reported 7.7 million individual food safety inspections in 2023, and 11,740 responses to questions posed in their Meat and Poultry Hotline. “Increased recalls, particularly in recent years, are often the result of improved surveillance technologies,” says Detwiler of inspection advancements. “It’s important to remember that recalls are a necessary part of maintaining consumer safety in a complex and globalized food supply chain.”
Some key laws and advancements that have launched in recent years include:
- The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA): This set of standards, like the HACCP plan, aimed to move the FSIS away from having food inspections be “reactive firefighting to focus[ing] on prevention,” explains Detwiler. “The emphasis on real-time traceability and mandatory recalls also enables quicker responses when problems arise, reducing the scope of harm.” By being proactive instead of reactive, consumer protection increased and the accountability also shifted towards producers and suppliers. Another big part of FSMA ensures that all importers meet the food safety standards of the U.S.
- New salmonella policies: This past July, the USDA proposed a new rule that would aim to reduce salmonella contamination in raw poultry products, further reducing risks. Over 1 million people get sick from salmonella each year, according to the CDC.
- Ongoing safety assessments for the FDA: The FDA is part of the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC), which just announced its food safety priorities through 2028, which include using diverse sources to quickly track outbreaks in food.
What can you do to stay safe?
The truth is, recalls in our national food system are going to happen. As nothing is perfect, things slip through the cracks, and products can accidentally go out the door with unnoticed problems. But, seeing more recalls doesn’t mean the USDA and FDA are failing us. If anything, increased inspections and policy reform point to an increase of recalls as inspections tighten up on what’s allowed in our food. But, there are some things you can control:
- Eat local when possible: The smaller the product pool is, the less there is an opening for contamination or other issues to present, as the ratio of product to inspector (or worker) is smaller. The fewer hands/steps the food goes through, the less likely something will become contaminated.
- Shop smart: By the time a recall is alerted to the FDA or USDA, the product is most likely to have been already sold, and grocery stores and other suppliers will also pull any product affected quickly. So, if you see a recall that’s already happened in the news, it’s not very likely something new you purchase after that public alert will be contaminated.
- Use safe cooking practices: When cooking proteins, it’s important to cook them to their “safe” temperatures, as noted by this handy USDA chart. These temperatures are what are optimal for killing any bacteria that may have landed on your foods. Most simple instant-read thermometers are anywhere from $10 to $20, and can be game changing for your cooking (and health). Also, making sure to wash and dry your produce before cutting or using it ensures bacteria doesn’t transfer from food to any prep, cooking, or serving surfaces.
- Stay informed: Keep tabs on the latest FSIS and FDA alerts, and sign up for your favorite grocery store’s newsletter, if possible. Though major recalls will most likely always hit the national media stage, smaller, more localized ones may not always be deemed newsworthy, but can still be important if they affect you and/or your community.
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