In 2024, food recalls in the US appeared to have increased. Among the striking epidemics of listeria and E. coli and problems with undeclared allergens and other possible contaminants, there were 1,908 food and cosmetic recalls during the US Food and Drug Administration's fiscal year 2024, which ran from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.
The FDA groups food and cosmetic recalls together, but contributing to the large number of recalls in 2024 were listeria outbreaks in A pig's head and Bruce Packresulting in the recall of more than 15 million pounds of prepared foods.
Food recalls weren't at an all-time high in 2024, but they were higher than in some recent years, so we spoke to a food safety expert to get some answers.
Here's a look at recent food recall history and what to expect in 2025.
Were food recalls higher in 2024 than in 2023?
Yes. You didn't imagine the increase in food recall warnings. According to data from the FDAduring fiscal year 2024, there were just over 1,900 food/cosmetic recalls.
Here's how it's been going over the last five years:
- In 2023, there was 1,563 food/cosmetics recalls.
- In 2022, there was 1,809 food/cosmetics recalls.
- In 2021, there was 1,026 food/cosmetics recalls.
- In 2020, there was 1,536 food/cosmetics recalls.
- In 2019, there was 2,046 food/cosmetics recalls.
This means that food/cosmetics recalls in 2024 were the highest since 2019. But that's not the whole picture. Despite the increase in 2024, food/cosmetic recalls were still lower than in any of the seven years before 2020, and in more than half of those years, they were significantly lower. In 2017, for example, there were 3,609 food/cosmetics recalls, nearly double the amount in 2024.
This chart shows how many food/cosmetic recalls there have been in the US each fiscal year since 2012.
What's Behind Food Recalls in 2024?
During the pig's head recall, at least 61 people became ill and 10 died, according to the US The Centers for Disease Control and Preventionmaking it the deadliest epidemic in 2024. And the number of people who got sick from contaminated deli meat is thought to be much higher.
“Recalls involving listeria are more difficult just because of the type of bacteria,” Jaydee Hanson, director of policy at Center for Food Safetysays CNET.
More than 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry were recalled as a result of the contamination. Newly released review by the US Department of Agriculture linked “inadequate sanitation practices” at a Virginia facility to the outbreak.
According to the review, there were “multiple instances of non-compliance with Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures and Sanitation Performance Standards” at the facility, including product residue left on equipment from the previous day's use. The USDA review also cited the need for stronger government inspections and oversight. The pig handler told USA Today that the company is now working to introduce “improved food safety programs throughout the company.”
While sanitation practices and issues contributed to the 2024 food recall, Hanson says there are other factors to consider, including climate change and the location of the farms where our food is grown.
“Vegetables in particular are not inspected very much,” says Hanson, “and we have really huge meat operations that are, in my opinion, located too close to vegetable operations.”
“If you're pumping water into your vegetable field that's runoff from a meat operation, you're going to have salmonella, E. coli and other things in that water that you're pumping into the field,” he adds.
Organic whole bags of carrots and baby carrots sold by Grimway Farms and distributed to various stores in the United States have been recalled due to an outbreak of E. Cars in 2024.
Another major listeria-related recall is involved almost 12 million pounds ready for eating meat which is manufactured in a facility in Durant, Oklahoma. According to Food Safety Newsfinished meat is handled much more than raw meat inside the facilities, increasing the possibility of contamination.
Hanson says he thinks “the demand for convenience and greater centralization of the production of these foods” is another reason for the widespread recalls.
“When every little village had a butcher shop that made your livers from animals that were harvested right there, you didn't spread it across the country,” he says. “Now, if you only have a few companies producing a huge amount of food, when there's a problem, it spreads across the country.
Will withdrawals increase in 2025?
It is too early to tell how the recalls will fare in the new year, and with the new presidential administration there is additional uncertainty. One contributing factor is the communications freeze from the FDA, CDC and other government agencies that the Trump administration ordered this week, as reported from the Washington Post.
“HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or are critical to the preservation of health,” Stephanie Spear, principal deputy chief of staff at the Department of Health and Human Services, told CNET in an email. . “This is a short break to allow the new team to establish a review and prioritization process.” There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis.”
The communication break is set to last until February 1, NPR reported. It is unclear whether the FDA's current protocol for alerting the public to food recalls will change. It's also unclear whether the new administration will change any food safety protocols.
“The FDA and USDA now have good tools for (control of outbreaks), but the big question will be whether they have enough money to do what needs to be done,” Hanson says.
Another factor to consider is immigration, he says.
National Agricultural Workers survey from 2019-2020 found that about 44% of US farmworkers are undocumented. Hanson said mass deportations on the scale called for by President Donald Trump could result in labor shortages that could lead to “trying to find more labor-saving ways to handle growing our crops.”
“A lot of it comes down to how much money Congress gives the FDA and the USDA to make sure things are properly inspected,” Hanson says.
How to protect yourself from foodborne illness
It is important to pay attention to recalls when they are announced and take the necessary precautions when handling recalled food, such as immediately throwing it away and cleaning any surfaces it may have come in contact with.
You can also start buying from your local farmers, so you can directly trace where your food comes from. It is also important to ensure that you always cook any meat to the recommended temperature, to kill any possible bacteria.
“If you're cooking meat, always pay attention to safe temperatures,” says Hanson. “A a good thermometer it will cost you about $10. Buy it and use it. “The emergency room bill is going to be a lot more than that thermometer.”