Thank goodness 2020 is in the rear-view mirror. In retrospect, 2020 was a year that redefined, in every possible way, how we live, how we work and how we play. It has also redefined how the food industry operates, how the food industry is regulated and, perhaps, how (and when) the food industry recalls products.

In 2019, there was a total of 619 recalls of FDA- and USDA-regulated products. Last year, in 2020, the number of food product recalls dropped precipitously to only 391. Of the total recalls in 2020, 362 involved FDA-regulated products, and only 31 involved USDA-regulated products. These are some of the best numbers the food industry has recorded in years. By way of example, in 2019, there were 523 recalls of FDA-regulated products and 123 recalls of USDA-regulated products, totaling 71 million pounds of affected food products (for which we have data).

While the total number of recalls in 2020 decreased substantially from the number in 2019, the total volume increased significantly. In 2020, the available data shows that the food industry recalled at least 157,570,051 pounds of food products. The largest recall in 2020, involving about 98 million pounds, was for bagged peaches that were allegedly contaminated with Salmonella. The smallest recall involved only 6 pounds of dark chocolate because the packaged product contained undeclared milk. Of the 391 total recalls in 2020, 96 were caused by pathogen contamination, including 48 for Salmonella (compared to 58 last year), 30 for Listeria monocytogenes (compared to 98 last year), and 7 for E. coli species (compared to 27 last year).

So, is the decrease in the numbers of recalls reflective of a food supply that is more safe, or is it reflective of the net effects of COVID-19 on the regulators and the industry? The decrease of 68 recalls for Listeria monocytogenes in 2020 compared to 2019 might be explained by the fact that FDA has not been routinely inspecting food facilities and conducting swab-a-thons.

If so, this also leads to the larger question of whether the recall numbers will rebound this year or next as FDA begins reinspecting food facilities more frequently. Indeed, with many food safety leaders in many food companies being asked to lead COVID-19 control and containment efforts (because of their real or perceived science background), fewer eyes in many cases have been focused on food safety. In addition, in the absence of routine annual audits, some food companies have diverted resources from ensuring strict compliance with procedural compliance (to achieve a passing score) to COVID-19 management.

This past year has completely redefined the food industry. As we enter 2021, congratulate yourselves on a job well done. At the same time, be sure to redouble your focus on food safety. As much as we all want to get back to normal, we don’t want to see the numbers of recalls this year normalize with historical numbers. So, let’s all double down this year.

Keep up the great work, and Happy New Year to all!

2020 year in review: An even bigger year for food safety?

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