New Yorkers are feeling the pinch on their wallets after a listeria outbreak affected 7 million pounds of deli meats. (Credit: WNYW)
When picking up food, it is important to make sure you don’t have it in the fridge or pantry, as it could be dangerous to consume.
“Food recalls are removals of foods from the market that violate U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations,” according to the FDA website.
The FDA is responsible for regulating all foods except meat, poultry, and processed egg products, which are instead regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
It is important to take note of food recalls that occur. When a recall occurs, take a look in your kitchen and pantry to make sure you don’t have the product with the name. (iStock / iStock)
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There are some foods that have historically been linked to serious illnesses.
Read more below about the recalls, what to do when one occurs, and the foods that have been most commonly linked to serious illnesses.
- Why is food being recalled?
- What food recalls should I pay attention to?
- What do I do if there is a food recall?
1. Why is food being withdrawn from the market?
There are several reasons why a food may be recalled from the market, including bacterial contamination of the food which could lead to illness or possibly death if consumed.
Additionally, if a foreign object, such as a piece of glass or plastic, is found in the product, a recall will be initiated. If an error occurs in the listing of a allergen in food on the product label, this is another reason to carry out a recall.
Recalls can occur for multiple reasons, including bacterial contamination and unnamed allergens. (iStock / iStock)
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In most cases, according to the FDA, the manufacturer or distributor of the food will suggest a food recall, but there are cases where the FDA will request or require one to be implemented.
2. What food recalls should I pay attention to?
Whenever food is recalled, you must take precautions to dispose of it or return the product to keep yourself safe.
A variety of food products have been recalled more than once and have been linked to serious illnesses.
Consumer Reports compiled a report that examined food recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks from 2017 to 2022. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FDA and USDA were analyzed. The analysis included foods recalled from the market due to bacterial contamination.
In order from most serious to least serious, the analysis identified 10 foods linked to serious recalls from 2017 to 2022.
Lettuce tops the list of foods linked to serious recalls between 2017 and 2022 according to Consumer Reports. (Lando Hass/picture Alliance via Getty Images/Getty Images)
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- Green leafy vegetables
- Cheeses and cured meats
- ground beef
- Onions
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Papayas
- Peaches
- Cantaloupe
- Flour
Leafy greens were recalled 50 times during this period, causing the most deaths of any food on the list, at 11, according to Consumer Reports.
Cured meats and cheeses were the subject of 122 recalls/outbreaks between 2017 and 2022, very often due to traces of listeria and salmonella. There have been seven deaths associated with these recalls, according to the source, and there have been as many as 16,925,594 pounds of meats and cheeses recalled during this time frame, according to Consumer Reports.
According to Consumer Reports, ground beef was recalled 22 times from 2017-2022, most often due to E.coli and salmonella contamination. At that time, 12,744,438 pounds of ground beef were recalled.
While there have been no deaths associated with onions due to bacterial contamination, it has been linked to 2,167 illnesses in 13 recalls, according to Consumer Reports.
Peaches were recalled six times from 2017 to 2022 due to salmonella. (CFOTO/Future publication via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Turkey and chicken were both on the list of serious recalls that occurred between 2017 and 2022. There was one death due to salmonella in turkey and two due to contaminated chicken. According to Consumer Reports, there were four recalls each during the period analyzed.
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Papaya and peaches have also been the subject of major recalls/outbreaks, with papaya recording 12 products and peaches 6. According to the source, Salmonella in papaya has been linked to 332 illnesses and two deaths. 101 salmonella-related diseases have been detected in peaches.
Melon and flour round out Consumer Reports’ list, with four melon recalls and 22 flour recalls. Melon is often recalled due to salmonella, while flour recalls typically occur due to E.coli and salmonella.
3. What do I do in the event of a food product recall?
If a food recall is expected, read the recall notice first.
Do not eat the recalled food as you may become seriously ill. Most food recalls happen as a precaution, because there is a possibility that that specific food is contaminated, according to Foodsafety.gov. Even so, it’s better to be safe than sorry and stay away from that food.
If you have food that has been recalled, you should safely throw it in the trash or, in some cases, bring it back to the store for a refund. (iStock / iStock)
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Don’t give the food to someone else, donate it, or give it to your furry friend, as it could make them sick too.
Instead, read the warning and determine what to do with the food. In some cases, according to the source, you can return the food to the supermarket for a refund, or you will be asked to throw the product away.
Once the food is out of your possession, taken to the trash or the grocery store, be sure to disinfect the area where the product was located, according to the FDA.