From Boar’s Head deli meat to McDonald’s onions to organic carrots, there have been quite a few food recalls this year, with bacteria like Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella being the main culprits. These high-profile recalls have sparked concern among countless Americans.
“I think that this most recent spate of outbreaks and recalls has made the average American consumer more anxious about food safety,” Darin Detwiler, a food safety advocate and professor at Northeastern University, told NPR.
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It’s true—at least in my case. I never would have thought I’d be scared to eat a cucumber, but even some of those have been recalled due to Salmonella. So, nothing is safe, apparently.
However, according to research by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), despite the various reports of contaminated items this year, food recalls aren’t unusually high compared to other years.
Still, there were 179 Class I recalls for the fiscal year—up from 145 in 2023 but down from 185 in 2022.
When the recalls started rolling out over the summer, the FDA released a statement saying: “Our ultimate goal is for the industry to do their part to ensure that the foods they introduce into the market are not adulterated or misbranded. Recalls help get the food off the market quickly when something goes wrong. Outbreak advisories provide important food safety information to the public.”
While you can never fully ensure your food is safe from harmful bacteria, you can take the proper precautions to protect yourself. For example, washing produce, thoroughly cooking meat products, and throwing away any recalled items will help keep you out of harm’s way.
Looks like I’m tossing my organic carrots and heading to Taco Bell tonight.
