Food Recalls Are Happening More Frequently Than Ever — Here’s What Food Safety Experts Want You to Know

It’s fair to assume that most of your food is safe to eat. But a slew of recalls lately, from baby carrots to lunchmeat, have raised a lot of questions about food safety, including how worried about it you should be.

Food recalls aren’t a new thing — they’ve been happening since the early 1900s. But despite how common they’ve become, food safety experts say it’s crucial to pay close attention to each one. After all, food safety can have a big impact on your health, and failing to miss a recall can have deadly consequences. 

With all the news swirling around about food recalls, it’s possible to miss what these are and what they actually involve. Here’s what food safety experts want you to know. 

What is a food recall?

A food recall removes food from the market that’s in violation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulations. The FDA regulates all foods except meat, poultry, and processed egg products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“A food recall means that the food has been determined to contain a contaminant that could possibly cause illness,” says Barbara Kowalcyk, PhD, associate professor and director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. 

There are different classes of recalls (more on that in a moment), but food can become unsafe in a range of ways, says Wade Syers, DSocSci, extension specialist for food safety at Michigan State University Extension. “Being mislabeled or contaminated are some of the most common reasons,” he says. “Food can be contaminated by biological, physical, or chemical hazards.”

What are the most common reasons foods are recalled?

There are a lot of different reasons foods are recalled in the U.S. However, research shows that Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria are the most common types of bacteria that cause recalls and foodborne illness. “All foodborne pathogens can cause serious illness, particularly for vulnerable populations — young children, pregnant women, people over the age of 65, and anyone with a compromised immune system,” Kowalcyk says. 

But foods can be recalled for a wide range of reasons, including foreign bodies like pieces of metal and plastic in foods, and labels that don’t call out the presence of certain allergens. In fact, Costco recalled nearly 80,000 pounds of butter earlier this year because the label didn’t clearly state that the product contained milk, although it listed cream as an ingredient. 

What are the classes of food recalls?

The FDA has three food recall classes, and they’re numbered from one to three. “The classes are all related to the likelihood that it will cause illness in a person,” Kowalcyk says. Here’s a breakdown:

• Class I recall: This type of recall happens when there is a “reasonable probability” that using the product or being exposed to it will cause “serious adverse health consequences or death.”
• Class II recall: This happens when the use of a product may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences” or where the odds of serious bad health consequences are unlikely. 
• Class III recall: This recall happens when use or exposure to a product is not likely to cause bad health outcomes.

How is a voluntary recall different from one started by the FDA?

When you read about a recall, you’ll usually see that it’s “voluntary.”

“Most recalls in the U.S. are carried out voluntarily by the product manufacturer, importer, or distributor,” explains Janell Goodwin, spokesperson for the FDA. These can be sparked after a company finds something during their own sampling or after they were notified of an issue by the FDA or other regulatory agency, she says. 

“When food companies identify potential concerns with their products, they are asked, and sometimes required by law, to inform the FDA,” Goodwin says. But the FDA also has the power to issue something called a Public Health Alert if a company refuses to warn the public about a problem.

“The goal is to have companies do a voluntary recall,” Kowalcyk says. There may be some negotiation involved between the company and the FDA over how much to recall and which products are impacted, though. “The producer wants to recall as little product as possible and the agency may feel differently,”  Kowalcyk says. This is why you also may see “rolling recalls,” where a company recalls one product only to add additional products to a recall down the road, she says.

What should you consider when reading a recall alert?

All elements of a recall are there for a reason, which is why Goodwin recommends reading them carefully. That alert includes things about why the food is being recalled and what to do if you happen to have it. 

Kowalcyk also suggests reading between the lines of a recall. “Often, a recall can’t say exactly where the food was distributed,” she says. “Don’t assume that just because the recall doesn’t specifically mention your local retail store doesn’t mean they’re not involved in the recall.” Instead, Kowalcyk suggests focusing on the states that are impacted. 

How to stay on top of recall alerts

Big recalls will usually make national news, but there are a few options if you want to closely follow all recalls. The FDA lists all recalls online here, where you can simply look at the latest or search based on a product’s name. 

The FDA also offers a recall subscription service, where you can choose to be notified of all recalls or specific types of recalls on a weekly or daily basis. The FoodSafety.gov Food Recalls Widget also compiles all food recall information from FDA and USDA in the same place.

Recalled products can usually be returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund, Goodwin says. But, if not, you should throw out the food. “Do not give the product to others, such as a food bank or a pet,” Goodwin says.