What's behind the increase in food recalls? Why recalls are rising and what you can do

A wave of food recalls linked to outbreaks of salmonella or E. coli may have you on alert.

Recently dozens of people were hospitalized and one person died after eating McDonald's quarter pounder hamburgers with onions – later found to be contaminated with E. coli. 

NBC 5 Responds looked into what’s behind an increase in recalls, and how you can stay safe.

According to FDA data, the number of recalls in the US has increased steadily in the last few years, and in 2023 it reached the highest levels since the pandemic. But experts said , this may be a good thing.

The majority of recalls are carried out voluntarily by the product manufacturer or distributor, but in some situations, the FDA can request or order a recall. 

FDA data showed in the past few years, there’s been a roughly 20-25% increase in all recalls.

The top categories with the most recalls are: devices, drugs, and food/cosmetics.

But FDA data also revealed this year, the majority of food recalls were "class one" recalls, meaning those food items posed the highest risk of severe illness or death. 

SO WHAT’S BEHIND THE INCREASE IN RECALLS?  

“Well, there are more recalls from companies and there are more recalls earlier in the process, which is a good thing,” said Jaydee Hanson with the Center For Food Safety.

Hanson explained that over the past 10 years, the FDA was given more authority to oversee and enforce supply chains- thanks in part, to the passage of the Food Safety And Modernization Act. That led to companies issuing more recalls, but they’re often smaller and more precautionary.

“The last thing any responsible company wants to do is kill somebody,” said Hanson.

While regulating processed foods presents its own challenges, Hanson said most recalls these days involve vegetables.

“Meat is inspected every single day. Your vegetables aren't. So anytime you've got a vegetable product that's close to where meat is being grown you've got a risk,” said Hanson.

And Hanson said that’s likely what happened to cause the recent McDonald’s E. coli outbreak. The fast food giant confirmed in October, the likely source of contamination was slivered onions grown by a farm in Colorado Springs.

“We have some huge animal operations in in places like Colorado and onions themselves don't normally get E. coli unless they've gotten been exposed to the waste of an animal that's sick,” said Hanson.

Each year roughly one in six Americans get sick from foodborne diseases, while more than 3,000 people die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here are some key takeaways:

-Stay informed about which products or foods have been recalled. You can do this by checking out the FDA and CDC websites.
-Cooking with heat kills most bacteria. Consider cooking raw veggies, such as leafy greens
-The most common  foods that get contaminated are: raw eggs, cantaloupes, raw onions and sprouts and unpasteurized milk and cheese. It’s a good idea to avoid those food products if you’re pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised.