New Study Shows Food Recalls Are Deadlier Than Ever
As revealed in the study, 2024 saw a whopping 241 food and beverage recalls and alerts, as tallied by the Food & Drug Administration (which oversees about 77% of the U.S. food supply, according to the agency's website). That's 8% more than 2023. However, between the FDA and the USDA, there were 296 recall announcements, which is actually 5% less than 2023.
Importantly, more people got sick from consuming these products, and more people died or were hospitalized as a result than in the previous year. In total, 487 individuals were hospitalized from food-borne illnesses, and 19 people died from contamination. Both of these numbers are more than twice what they were in 2023, which saw 230 hospitalizations and eight deaths. There is, however, some nuance to consider: As the report notes, recalls come from inspections in which foods are deemed risky, so more recalls could mean that more inspections are taking place. Still, the report did highlight some food-related threats that deserve to be taken seriously.
Read more: Canned Foods You Should Never Buy At The Dollar Store
The PIRG study found that some of the biggest bacterial threats in our food are Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, which together comprised about 39% of the recalls in 2024. All in all, 65 recalls occurred due to potential Listeria contamination — including the deadly Boar's Head Listeria outbreak — and 41 for potential Salmonella contamination.
The biggest cause for recalls, however, was undeclared allergens or ingredients, with peanuts and tree nuts topping the list. Undeclared allergens resulted in 101 recalls throughout the year, making up about 34% of total incidents in 2024. Other reasons for recalls include lead in food and pieces of metal or plastic appearing in food.
Food contamination is a very serious issue — and even more widespread than we know. According to the CDC, one in six people get sick from contamination, and the number of illnesses from a specific outbreak is very likely to be higher than reported, as people who experience less severe illness may not report their cases. With all this in mind, the PIRG study encourages the public to learn about food safety rules to lessen their chances of getting sick.
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