Whether better detection, looser regulations or sloppy practices are responsible is hard to say, but there’s no denying food and drink recalls increased rapidly last year to a nine-year high. The Food and Drug Administration issued 571 recalls in 2025 – up 15.4% from the year prior.
The recalls involved 138.5 million units – a 209% volume increase in one year, Sedgwick reported in its 2026 State of the Nation U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index.
“Although regulatory changes may be a contributing factor, the more significant causes that need to be addressed and corrected are related to mismanagement of the people, processes, and systems,” said Renee Fellman, turnaround expert and interim CEO at Renee Fellman & Associates.
“First, there is a general decline overall in our society in attention to detail. It is increasingly difficult to find personnel at all levels and in a wide variety of industries that focus on doing things precisely as they should be done.”
Fellman also blamed companies for not designing and implementing carefully conceived processes and procedures for ensuring accountability.
Last year’s recalls included contaminated cucumbers, frozen pasta and products with high lead levels.
Thirty-nine percent of the recalls were due to allergens. As for pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria, 63% of recalls were driven by outbreaks.
“Despite shifting priorities and policy changes, product safety remains at the core of U.S. regulatory activities,” Chris Harvey, senior VP for Sedgwick, said in a press release. “Regulators across industries are looking to increase oversight, improve the effectiveness of product recalls, and expand post-market responsibilities beyond just the manufacturer. By prioritizing both safety and compliance, organizations can protect consumers, uphold their reputations, and thrive amid ongoing change.”
Eran Mizrahi, CEO at Source86, said recalls don’t rise in a vacuum.
“This reflects years of pressure to lower verification costs and in quality assurance processes. When companies source worldwide, the possibilities of error increase in each part of the supply chain,” Mizrahi said. “The consequences we are witnessing are nothing but due to prioritizing price over verified processes.
“To change this trend requires audit investment and traceability systems before any red flag arises.”
However, Greg Zakowicz, ecommerce and retail adviser at Omnisend, credited better detection systems for the increase.
“This detection can be for bacterial issues such as Salmonella; however, unknown allergens (likely unintended due to complex supply chains) can be present, leading to an increase in recalls,” Zakowicz said. “In some cases, food companies can implement more rigid controls, either in manufacturing or quality assurance. Still, sometimes the recall can be a result of something completely out of their hands.
“The increase in recalls, to me, is a sign that the detection mechanisms are working.”
Vanessa Coffman, director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, said recalls are a necessary part of the food-safety system.
“Rather than focusing on minimizing the number of recalls, we should take every opportunity to get notices out faster, in formats that consumers actually read, make recalls notices easier for consumers to understand, and ensure that recalls are effective, meaning the recalled product is removed from store shelves and out of consumer’s cupboards,” Coffman said.
“A proactive commitment to food safety not only protects consumers but also safeguards brand trust and long-term business resilience.”
Food for Thought Leadership
This Episode is Sponsored By: Tibersoft
Foodservice manufacturers might develop option paralysis with all the data available in the current day, but what kind of focus can really help drive marketing returns? Suzanne Cwik of Tibersoft and Eric Anderson of Conagra help break down data best practices to develop a foodservice marketing engine for food away from home manufacturers.
