Food Recalls: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise

Key takeaways

• Who oversees recalls: FDA for most foods; USDA for meat, poultry and some egg products
• Class I recall: a reasonable chance the food will cause serious illness or death
• Most useful single change: Sign up for FDA and USDA recall alerts by email or follow them online.
• Commonest mistake: Eating a recalled food because it looks and smells normal.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

What it is

Actions taken by a company, usually with the FDA or USDA, to remove food from sale because it may be contaminated, mislabeled or otherwise unsafe. It sits within Food Safety. The table below gives the figures guidance actually works from.

The numbers, in one place

What helps

The advice below comes straight from the guidance cited at the foot of this page.

• Sign up for FDA and USDA recall alerts by email or follow them online
• Keep packaging or write down lot codes for foods you freeze or repackage
• Return recalled products to the store for a refund or throw them away in a sealed bag
• Clean and sanitize refrigerator shelves, drawers and surfaces the recalled food touched

What to avoid

What to steer clear of, and why it catches people out.

• Eating a recalled food because it looks and smells normal
• Cooking a recalled food to try to make it safe, unless the recall notice says this is enough
• Donating or giving recalled food to others

In depth

A food recall removes products from stores and homes when there is reason to believe they may be unsafe or are incorrectly labeled. Most recalls are started by the company itself, often after its own testing finds a problem or a regulator raises one. The FDA oversees most foods, while USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service oversees meat, poultry and some egg products. In rare cases, the FDA has the power to order a recall if a company does not act voluntarily.

Recalls happen for several reasons. Some are triggered by contamination with germs such as Listeria, Salmonella or E. coli, found either through routine testing or when health investigators link a cluster of illnesses to a product. Others involve undeclared allergens, for example a cookie that contains peanuts not listed on the label, or foreign material such as plastic or metal. Undeclared allergens are one of the most common reasons for food recalls in the US.

A recall notice does not always mean anyone has become ill. Many are precautionary, which is good news: the system is designed to catch problems before they spread. You may also see related terms. A market withdrawal removes a product for a minor issue that does not break the law, and USDA issues a public health alert when a product may be unsafe but is no longer available to buy, so a recall is not possible, yet some may remain in home freezers.

Signs and symptoms

• Fever, vomiting, diarrhea or stomach cramps after eating a recalled product
• Muscle aches, fatigue and fever, which can signal Listeria infection
• Hives, swelling, coughing or wheezing after eating a food recalled for an undeclared allergen
• Bloody diarrhea or reduced urination after a food recalled for E. coli
• No symptoms at all, which is common soon after exposure and does not rule out infection

Causes and risk factors

• Contamination with bacteria, viruses or parasites during growing, processing or packing
• Allergens missing from the label after a recipe change or packaging mix-up
• Foreign objects such as glass, metal or plastic fragments
• Problems with processing, such as underprocessing of canned goods
• Products made in facilities that did not meet safety rules
• Contaminated ingredients supplied to many different companies

How it is checked

If you ate a recalled food and feel well, you usually do not need testing. Most recall notices advise watching for symptoms over the incubation period of the germ involved, which may be days for Salmonella or E. coli and up to several weeks for Listeria. Higher-risk people, especially those who are pregnant, should call their doctor even without symptoms, because early advice can matter.

If you do become ill, tell your doctor exactly which product you ate and when, and keep the packaging if you still have it. Depending on the germ, your doctor may order a stool test or, for suspected Listeria, a blood test. Positive results are reported to public health officials, who may contact you to help confirm the link to the recalled food.

Treatment and support options

Stay informed

Recalls are posted on the FDA and USDA websites and gathered together on FoodSafety.gov. You can sign up for email alerts and follow the agencies on social media. Some grocery stores contact customers who bought a recalled item through loyalty programs, so keeping your account details current can help. Local news and store notices near the entrance or customer service desk also carry recall information.

Match the product carefully

Recalls often cover only specific lots, sizes or dates. Compare the brand, product name, package size, UPC code, lot code and best-by or use-by date on the notice with what you have. If you are unsure and cannot confirm, it is safest to treat the product as recalled. If you bought something from a deli counter or bulk bin, ask the store whether it was affected.

Dispose of it and clean up

Follow the notice: return the product to the store for a refund or throw it away in a sealed bag so people and animals cannot reach it. Then wash and sanitize any refrigerator shelves, drawers, containers, cutting boards and utensils that touched it, and wash your hands afterward. This step matters especially for Listeria, which can linger in refrigerators.

Report a problem

If you think a food made you ill or you found something wrong with it, you can report it to the FDA, to USDA for meat and poultry products, or to your local health department. Keep the packaging and any leftover product in the freezer, clearly labeled "do not eat", in case investigators want to test it.

Prevention

• Check recall lists when you hear of an outbreak linked to a type of food you buy
• Keep original packaging or note the lot code before moving food into other containers
• Write the product name and date on items you freeze
• Tell family members, friends or neighbors if you know they bought a recalled product
• Check pet food and treats too, since they are also recalled

Day to day

Recalls can feel alarming, especially when a product your family eats often is involved, but most require only a quick check and some cleaning. Treat recall notices as practical instructions rather than cause for panic. Keeping a habit of checking alerts once a week, or turning on notifications, means you are less likely to miss one that affects you.

If you care for an older relative or someone who does not follow the news, consider checking their refrigerator and pantry when a major recall is announced. For people with food allergies, signing up specifically for allergen recall alerts is worthwhile, because undeclared allergens are common and a product that has always been safe for you may be affected without warning.

For specific groups

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant and ate a food recalled for Listeria, call your prenatal care provider even if you feel well. Listeria can cause serious harm to a pregnancy while causing only mild symptoms in the parent.

People with food allergies

Allergen recalls can involve foods you have eaten safely before. Check the specific allergen named in the notice, and keep your epinephrine auto-injectors with you if they have been prescribed.

People with weakened immune systems

Cancer treatment, organ transplants and some medicines raise the risk of serious infection from recalled foods. Ask your care team which recall notices you should act on even without symptoms.

Questions to ask your doctor

• I ate a recalled food; do I need to be tested even though I feel fine?
• How long should I watch for symptoms after this exposure?
• Which symptoms mean I should come in right away?
• Does my pregnancy or health condition change what I should do?
• Should other people in my household be checked?

More questions, answered

What does a Class I recall mean for me?

A Class I recall is the most serious category, meaning there is a reasonable chance the product could cause serious health problems or death. Stop using the product right away, follow the instructions in the notice, and contact your doctor if you have eaten it and develop symptoms or are in a higher-risk group.

Can I get a refund for a recalled product?

Usually, yes. Most recall notices tell you to return the product to the place of purchase for a refund, often without a receipt. If you prefer not to return it, throw it away in a sealed bag.

I already ate the recalled food and feel fine. What now?

Many people who eat a recalled product never become ill. Watch for symptoms over the time frame given in the notice and call your doctor if they develop. If you are pregnant, older or have a weakened immune system, call your doctor for advice now.

Are recalled foods ever safe to cook and eat?

Only if the recall notice specifically says so. Some contamination or allergen problems are not fixed by cooking, and handling the raw product can spread germs around your kitchen. The safest choice is to return or discard it.

Why do recalls sometimes expand over several days?

As investigators trace an ingredient through the supply chain, they may find it went into more products or more lots than first known. Checking for updates for a week or two after a recall is announced helps you catch these expansions.

Do restaurants and stores remove recalled food?

They are expected to, and most act quickly. However, food may already be in home kitchens or freezers, so consumers are asked to check what they have.

Related topics

• The Evidence on Memory Problems, Without the Hype (Brain Health)
• What the Guidance Really Says About Supplements and the Liver (Liver Health)
• Reporting Side Effects: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Medicines Safety)
• The Evidence on Reducing Food Waste, Without the Hype (Healthy Recipes)

Where to go next

• The First Steps With Food Recalls
• Food Recalls: Common Questions Answered
• Food Recalls — the reference entry
• Food Safety: The Complete Guide
• Raw Milk: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Eggs and Salmonella: What Published Guidance Supports

When to speak to a doctor

Call your doctor if you ate a recalled food and develop fever, vomiting, diarrhea or muscle aches, or if you are pregnant, older or have a weakened immune system and ate a food recalled for Listeria, even without symptoms. Call 911 for trouble breathing, confusion, fainting or signs of a severe allergic reaction if a recall was for an undeclared allergen.

Where this comes from

• FDA — Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
• USDA — Recalls and Public Health Alerts

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.