Food recalls hit five-year high | How to make sure your pantry is safe

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – If you feel like you’ve been seeing more recalls on the groceries you buy, its likely because you are.

Food recalls due to bacterial contamination reached their highest levels in the last five years in 2024.

The United States Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled 157 human food items last year, due primarily to salmonella and listeria.

That’s in comparison to 108 bacteria-related recalls the year before and in contrast to 2019 with 184 recalls, according to the Food Industry Counsel (FIC) recall tracker.

FIC explained that the uptick doesn’t necessarily mean less safety precautions in production or that food is more dangerous for humans, but instead, food regulators are simply testing more in facilities since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Industry struggle is because these pathogens are so elusive, because they can hide in very difficult to find, clean and sanitize places,” said Shawn Stevens, FIC founder. “It takes a tremendous amount of effort and resources to eliminate those pathogens from the environment.

“We’re at a place where our ability to see the outbreaks, the regulator’s ability to come in facilities and test for it, is outpacing the industry’s ability within the facility to make sure that it’s 100 percent sanitized and they’ve eliminated those pathogens,” he said.

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control (CDC) typically coordinates between 17 and 36 investigations of foodborne illnesses involving multiple states each week, according to the agency’s website.

Consumers can check for active investigations on the CDC’s website or for recalls on the FDA website. The FIC food reporter also tracks recalls. Many stores also have boards near their check out registers.

Recalled products may be returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund. If not, the FDA recommends disposing of the product properly; if it’s contaminated, wrap it securely before putting it in the trash. Do not give the product to others, such as a food bank or a pet.

There have been more than 40 recalls on human food so far this year.

“We’re learning every day,” Stevens said. “We know more today than we did 10 years ago about controlling pathogens. I predict in 10 years, maybe there’s going to be a different pathogen that we’ve never heard of, and nobody’s looking for it right now.”

What’s unclear is if current federal layoffs will have any effect on the number of recalls in the coming year.

Listeria can cause invasive illness and intestinal illness that can be treated with antibiotics. Listeria infections can be prevented by heating food to a hot enough temperature.

Salmonella is often spread by animals. It can cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps and people can recover without antibiotics. The CDC recommends safe food storage and handwashing. Pasteurized milk and juices have undergone a process that kills harmful germs, including Salmonella.

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