3 min read- Food recalls may feel more frequent, but experts say the overall trend is more complicated than a simple “food is less safe now” narrative.
- Increased oversight, better detection, and stricter preventive systems can lead to more recalls being identified and announced.
- Many recalls still stem from common issues like undeclared allergens, contamination, and breakdowns in labeling, communication, or execution.
It can feel like there’s a new food recall every day—and in some cases, that’s not far from the truth. As someone who covers food recalls for work, I’m constantly inundated with news of Listeria contamination, missing allergen information, and metal fragments sneaking into our favorite everyday products.
We’re barely 60 days into the new year, and Delish has already covered more than 30 recalls. In 2025, we covered more than 130 food-related recalls—and those were just the major ones. There are plenty of smaller recalls we don’t even have the bandwidth to cover.
Last year alone, ready-to-eat pasta contaminated with Listeria was linked to six deaths and 25 hospitalizations, nearly 2,000 pounds of butter were recalled due to fecal contamination, and hundreds of gallons of milk were recalled for containing chemical cleaning agents. And those are just a few of the many alarming headlines we’ve seen over the past year.
Last year alone, ready-to-eat pasta contaminated with Listeria was linked to six deaths and 25 hospitalizations, nearly 2,000 pounds of butter were recalled due to fecal contamination, and hundreds of gallons of milk were recalled for containing chemical cleaning agents. And those are just a few of the many alarming headlines we’ve seen over the past year.
So, Why The Big Surge In Recalls?
The good news is that it may not be quite as dire as it seems (seriously—trust me!). According to the FDA, food recall trends are broadly consistent with previous years. However, as The Food Institute reports, the FDA issued 15.4 percent more recalls in 2025 than in 2024, while still significantly lower than in 2023 and earlier years.
Even though the FDA works with the food industry to require preventive controls that address potential hazards, recalls can still happen. That’s largely because of the scale and complexity of global supply chains, large-scale agricultural and manufacturing operations, and the reality that both human and system failures can occur. FDA oversight includes inspections, compliance, and enforcement activities, while recall effectiveness also depends on timely detection and companies taking responsibility for removing affected products from store shelves.
It’s also worth noting that major policy changes made last year by the Trump Administration may have contributed to the operational strain. Companies were encouraged to shift production facilities to the U.S. or expand existing operations, which can add pressure—and with it, more opportunities for production issues.
As Sedgwick’s 2026 State of the Nation U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index report explains, 2025 also brought new policies from both the FDA and Congress aimed at increasing oversight of food ingredients that are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), as well as limiting ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in American diets.
Overall, there are many reasons recalls may appear to be rising, but as Chris Harvey, SVP of brand protection and client services at Sedgwick, points out, an increase in recalls does not necessarily mean that food is less safe. Instead, he credits the Food Safety Modernization Act with introducing stronger preventative measures throughout our food system. That increased vigilance is a good thing, but it can also mean more recalls are identified and announced. Yay technology!
The leading cause of FDA recalls over the past year was undeclared allergens, often resulting from labeling or packaging mistakes. Other common reasons include bacterial contamination, foreign material contamination, and lack of inspection.
“Despite advances in automation, traceability, and digital monitoring, many companies still struggle with timely recall execution, clear communication, and coordinated cross-functional response,” Sedgwick’s report explains. “The challenge is not a lack of tools—but a lack of alignment, preparedness, and cultural integration.”
Because food supply chains are so complex, they carry more opportunities for risk. But the better food companies and regulators get at training, readiness, and innovation, the better they’ll be at preventing recalls—and acting quickly when they happen.