So far this year, there have been 369 recalls of food and beverage products. If we do the math, that puts the industry on a trajectory of somewhere in the ballpark of approximately 550 total recalls this year. While this is not a great number, it does fall well below the high of 801 reached in 2016. Nevertheless, recalls of both FDA and USDA regulated products are, once again, on the rise.

So, what is driving the increase this year? There could be a lot of reasons, ranging from a renewed post-COVID focus on food safety to the natural evolution and growth of both industry expansion and regulatory agency agendas. Each year, there is also an inherent increase in the visibility of food safety, generally, as consumers, media, and lawmakers increasingly demand safer food. This, in turn, translates into less tolerance for imperfection and, by extension, an increasing number of recalls.

We are also seeing less tolerance for those pathogens that were once regarded as unavoidable in certain products. Notably, for the first time ever (sort of), USDA has announced that the presence of Salmonella in certain poultry products will render those products adulterated. And, because the agency is slow-stepping the new standards into only a select type of product (breaded stuffed raw chicken for now), the industry has elected not to sue. As we move forward, however, the range of products being targeted by USDA will likely expand, driving up the total number of recalls while, at the same time, likely driving up overall consumer safety.

Technology is also likely driving the numbers of total recalls. In addition to relying on inspection activities, routine investigations, facility visits, and swab-a-thons, regulators are now scouring the Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) GenomTrakr database and social media outlets looking for evidence of bad food. Once identified, the regulators are taking swift action to identify the underlying cause and prevent further illness. The lesson is that, if contaminated food is in commerce, the regulators are, frankly, in the best position they have ever been to find it, and prevent further distribution.

What remains to be seen is the role Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play in the regulation of food safety. I anticipate that the regulatory agencies will attempt to leverage AI to identify those facilities that are the most at risk to produce and distribute offending products, and adjust inspection activities accordingly. If this occurs, and the regulators are focused intently on the highest-risk facilities, we will likely also see a corresponding increase in the numbers of annual recalls.

While all of this does, in fact, influence the total number of recalls each year, the lesson for industry is the same. If we can consistently produce safe and quality food, none of this matters. So, keep doing a great job, selecting only the highest quality suppliers, producing a safe product, and letting the regulators focus elsewhere. While 400 recalls so far this year may seem like a lot, it doesn’t matter if you never have one.

Keep up the great work, and thank you for all you do!

Almost 400, and counting...

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