Yikes! Last year's food recalls were the highest since pre-pandemic times. Let's see what's causing this epidemic of food being pulled from shelves.
Food Fails
Remember that massive applesauce recall that made national headlines for giving kids potential lead poisoning last year? Or that massive cantaloupe issue that left a ton of folks with stomach ills? report, in total, a shocking 313 recalls went out last year - up 8% from 2022. Why the big spike? Well, as much as we are seeing stories about foreign contaminants and foodborne pathogens on the rise, the real culprits here are undeclared allergens.
Allergens On the Rise
Almost half of the recent recalls were for undeclared allergens, like wheat, nuts, soy, milk, gluten, and eggs secretly sneaking into food. That's a 27% spike from the previous year! Part of the increase stemmed from new rules requiring sesame to be listed, but c'mon food companies, multiple unlisted allergens? Sesame barely broke the top 5. That's just sloppy and dangerous for people with severe food sensitivities. Do better!
Just recently, we've seen allergy recalls for...
- Cookies at Lidl
- Jack's Potato Salad
- Stonewall Kitchen Donuts
- Wegmans Harissa Hummus
- Whole Foods Minestrone Soup, Raspberry Cheesecake, White Parkhouse Rolls, and Key Lime Tartlets
- Hormel Ham
How to Survive the Recall Apocalypse
With subpar food safety practices running rampant, it's up to you to stay recall-savvy. Install apps like "Food Recalls & Alerts" to get instant notifications about hazardous products. Bookmark foodsafety.gov too - it lists every new recall in real-time. Your health's too precious to get caught slippin' when food recalls have reached these heights!
