From ground cinnamon to breakfast burritos, popcorn, and even pet food, food recalls in the U.S. seem to be appearing more often. Does this mean our food supply is becoming less safe? According to a report by compliance firm Sedgwick, the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture oversaw 294 food recalls in the first half of 2025. In the same period in 2024, the FDA had ordered the destruction of nearly 85 million units. USDA recalls impacted nearly 1.5 million pounds of food, almost three times more than last year.Is this surge a sign that food production is failing, or does it reflect improvements in traceability? Perhaps the increase is due to better public access to information, allowing more recalls to be noticed. Or is U.S. food simply more contaminated than before?Why Are Food Recalls Increasing In The U.S.?The growing number of recalls has left shoppers worried about the safety of groceries. Experts, however, suggest that the increase doesn’t necessarily indicate declining food quality. Instead, it largely reflects advances in detecting contamination earlier and more efficiently.As Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, from Live It Up explains, “The increase in the number of food recalls that we are seeing is likely largely due in part due to improvements in detection technologies, as well as generally stricter food safety testing requirements. Combined, these advancements help to provide earlier and more effective detection of potential contamination issues.”Rather than showing a drop in quality, these recalls demonstrate that the system is working to protect public health. Improved testing and monitoring allow potential hazards to be identified and removed from shelves before reaching consumers.Recent Food Recalls In The U.S.In recent weeks, a number of U.S. food recalls have caught public attention. Over six million eggs from Black Sheep Egg Company were recalled due to possible salmonella contamination, impacting multiple states. Hormel Foods pulled nearly five million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken after metal fragments were discovered in food-service shipments. About 245,000 pounds of pre-cooked pasta, linked to a deadly listeria outbreak, were also recalled, causing several illnesses and deaths.Frozen shrimp from various brands were removed over potential exposure to cesium-137, a radioactive isotope associated with cancer risk. More than two million pounds of Golden Island pork jerky were recalled after metal contamination was traced to a damaged conveyor belt. Additionally, ready-to-eat meals from meal-kit services like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and Marley Spoon were pulled due to possible listeria contamination, which poses heightened risk to pregnant individuals, older adults, and immunocompromised people. Consumers are advised to discard or return affected products and consult healthcare professionals if needed.Certain Foods Carry Higher RisksNot all foods carry the same risk of contamination. Fresh produce, for example, is vulnerable because of its exposure during growth, harvesting, and transport. Packaged “ready-to-eat” meals can also be riskier because they bypass home cooking, a step that often eliminates harmful bacteria.As Lena notes, “Some types of food are in fact more susceptible to contamination. Raw fruits and vegetables are examples of foods particularly in danger from microbial contamination due to their fresh condition, as well as exposure to potentially hazardous environmental influences. Additionally, food products which are commercially labelled and sold as ‘ready to eat’ can become more dangerous because they skip the at-home cooking process, which would likely eliminate any harmful pathogens in the first place.”Health Risks of Consuming Recalled FoodThe health effects of eating recalled food depend on the contaminant. Bacteria like salmonella or E. coli can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, while chemical or allergen contamination may trigger allergic reactions or other toxic effects that aren’t immediately apparent.“The health consequences can really vary depending on the root cause of the contamination,” Lena explains. “Bacterial pathogens like salmonella or E. coli can produce foodborne illnesses inducing gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If a contaminant is a chemical or an allergen, allergy symptoms or other, potentially unknown, toxic effects are a possibility.”How to Keep Up With Food RecallsUnderstanding recall classifications and keeping up with alerts can help protect your family from potentially harmful products.In the U.S., food recalls are classified into three levels:Class I: The most serious category, used when a product poses a significant health risk and could cause severe illness or even death. Examples include foods contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella or items with undeclared allergens.Class II: Applies to products that may cause temporary or reversible health issues. For instance, yeast or mold contamination falls under this category.Class III: The least serious, covering minor issues that are unlikely to harm but still break regulations, such as mislabeling—like placing a watermelon-flavored item in an apple package—without allergen concerns.To stay updated, you can sign up for notifications on the FDA website or check Recalls.gov regularly. Be aware that alerts may include non-food products, so some filtering may be needed.
Email
Google
Facebook Email Google Facebook