The most common reasons for food recalls in the U.S. have been revealed by new analysis.
Research conducted by regulatory compliance company Traceone found the leading causes of food recalls conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) over the past four years. Hundreds of food recalls are made every year by health authorities when manufacturers break federal regulations that could result in hazards to the American consumer.
Traceone found that the most common reasons for food recalls are unintended allergens being present in products and contamination with harmful bacteria or viruses. According to Traceone, allergen contamination was responsible for almost 40 percent of recalls issued by both governing bodies between 2020 and 2024.
The nine major allergens, which are peanuts, wheat, milk, tree nuts, soy, egg, crustaceans (shellfish), fish and sesame, are all required by law to be clearly marked on all products to help people avoid foods that could trigger an allergic reaction.
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Bacterial contamination, such as recalls for the presence of salmonella, E. coli and listeria, is the second-most-common reason for recalls, accounting for 21 percent of withdrawals.
“Foodborne diseases can be quite serious––even deadly,” Lisa R. Robinson, vice president of global food safety and public health at Ecolab, told Newsweek. “The challenge is that the pathogens responsible for foodborne illness are all naturally occurring. Salmonella and E. coli, for example, can be found in the gut biome of chickens and cattle. Cronobacter and listeria are even more present––they can be found in soil and fields, so they’re easily tracked from one environment to another.”
Other reasons for product recalls can include the presence of foreign objects, such as small pieces of plastic or metal, which accounted for 11.6 percent of recalls issued between 2020 and 2024. Mislabeling is also relatively common.
The presence of lead in food, which is particularly dangerous, made up 1.7 percent of withdrawals. Earlier this year, a wide-ranging warning was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over lead found in certain spices, as well as other items intended for children, including toys and clothes.
Lead is a particular risk to children as their bodies absorb more and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to its damaging effects. If there are higher than normal levels of lead in a child’s body, it can lead to behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems and anemia.
Traceone also found that the number of recalls issued per year increased between 2020 and 2023 up from 454 to 547, a jump of more than 20 percent. The company projects that in 2024 the number of total recalls is set to “roughly match” 2023’s total.