Food recall statistics come from several systems rather than one unified national series. USDA FSIS counts recalls of meat, poultry and processed-egg products, FDA CORE counts incidents and actions for FDA-regulated foods, and CDC tracks recognized and reported foodborne outbreaks.
Key Food Recall Statistics
The most useful headline figures span recalls, recalled quantities, outbreak outcomes and public-health responses:
- FSIS recorded 65 recalls covering 4,005,384 pounds of U.S. FSIS-regulated products in calendar 2023.
- FSIS recorded 45 recalls covering 1,769,556 pounds of U.S. FSIS-regulated products in calendar 2022.
- Class I represented 58 of 65 FSIS recalls in the United States during calendar 2023.
- Class I recalls covered 3,943,580 pounds of U.S. FSIS-regulated products during calendar 2023.
- Import violations caused 16 FSIS recalls in the United States during calendar 2023.
- Undeclared allergens caused 15 FSIS recalls of U.S. FSIS-regulated products during calendar 2023.
- Processing deviations accounted for 2,660,154 recalled pounds in the United States during calendar 2023.
- Mixed-species products accounted for 15 FSIS recalls and 2,754,625 pounds in the United States during calendar 2023.
- CDC received reports of 5,760 foodborne outbreaks in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2009–2015.
- The 2009–2015 outbreak reports included 100,939 illnesses in the United States and Puerto Rico.
- The 2009–2015 outbreak reports included 5,699 hospitalizations in the United States and Puerto Rico.
- The 2009–2015 outbreak reports included 145 deaths in the United States and Puerto Rico.
- Twenty-one food-product recalls were associated with CDC-reported outbreaks in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2009–2015.
- Norovirus accounted for 1,130 of 2,953 single-confirmed-etiology outbreaks in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2009–2015.
- Salmonella accounted for 896 single-confirmed-etiology outbreaks in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2009–2015.
- FDA CORE evaluated 69 incidents involving FDA-regulated foods in calendar 2023.
- FDA CORE initiated 25 responses involving FDA-regulated foods in calendar 2023.
- FDA issued 10 public-health advisories associated with eight product recalls through CORE in calendar 2023.
- Consumer awareness ranged from 34% to 46% across FDA’s three recall-specific quick surveys in 2023.
Contents
- Annual food recall scale and severity
- Food recall trends by cause and hazard
- USDA meat and poultry recall data
- Foodborne outbreaks, illnesses and recalls
- FDA response and public-health actions
- Consumer awareness and data limitations
Annual Food Recall Scale and Severity
FSIS annual summaries describe a defined slice of the U.S. food system: meat, poultry and processed-egg products under FSIS jurisdiction. They count recall events and reported recalled pounds, not all U.S. food recalls, consumed quantities, illness cases or waste.
| FSIS measure | Calendar 2022 | Calendar 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total recalls | 45 | 65 |
| Recalled product | 1,769,556 pounds | 4,005,384 pounds |
| Class I recalls | 40 | 58 |
| Class I recalled product | 1,745,985 pounds | 3,943,580 pounds |
| Class II recalls | Not stated in supplied 2022 facts | 7 |
Source: Summary of Recall and PHA Cases in Calendar Year 2022 and Summary of Recall and PHA Cases in Calendar Year 2023.
FSIS recorded 7 Class II recalls covering 61,804 pounds in 2023. FSIS describes Class I as its high- or medium-risk category and Class II as a lower-risk category with remote probability of adverse health consequences, so classification is a regulatory risk measure rather than a measured illness burden.
The 2022 Class I total was 40 of 45 recalls and 1,745,985 pounds. The reported pounds are recalled quantities, not a measure of consumer exposure.
Food Recall Trends by Cause and Hazard
The FSIS reason tables mix regulatory findings, hazards and processing problems. A recall can be assigned one listed primary reason, and the reason count should not be treated as a prevalence estimate for the entire food supply.
| 2023 FSIS category | Recall events | Recalled product |
|---|---|---|
| Import violations | 16 | Not stated in supplied fact |
| Undeclared allergens | 15 | Not stated in supplied fact |
| Extraneous material | 10 | 393,708 pounds |
| Listeria monocytogenes | 5 | 78,708 pounds |
| STEC | 5 | 72,858 pounds |
| Processing deviations | Not stated | 2,660,154 pounds |
Source: Summary of Recall and PHA Cases in Calendar Year 2023.
In 2022, undeclared allergens were the reason for 11 FSIS recalls covering 192,856 pounds. Produced-without-inspection cases caused 10 recalls covering 242,973 pounds, while processing deviations accounted for 585,030 recalled pounds.
Listeria monocytogenes caused 6 FSIS recalls covering 94,180 pounds in 2022. The 2023 Listeria total was 5 recalls and 78,708 pounds, but these figures describe FSIS-regulated products only.
USDA Meat and Poultry Recall Data by Species
Species involvement and recalled pounds answer different questions. The species count measures recall events, while the pound totals measure reported recalled product and do not provide a rate per pound produced or a market-share comparison.
| 2023 FSIS species category | Recalls | Recalled product |
|---|---|---|
| Swine | 18 | 280,910 pounds |
| Beef | 16 | Not stated in supplied fact |
| Mixed species | 15 | 2,754,625 pounds |
| Chicken | 12 | 443,155 pounds |
| Goat | 1 | 196,019 pounds |
Source: Summary of Recall and PHA Cases in Calendar Year 2023.
Swine products had the highest listed species count in 2023, with 18 recalls, followed by beef with 16 and chicken with 12. FSIS defines mixed products as involving more than one meat or poultry species, and species involvement can overlap with the mixed category definition.
The 2022 FSIS summary also recorded 8 public-health alerts for poultry-only products and 6 for beef. In 2023, undeclared allergens accounted for 14 of 24 FSIS public-health alerts; public-health alerts are distinct from recalls and do not necessarily involve a recall.
Foodborne Outbreak, Illness and Recall Statistics
CDC outbreak surveillance measures recognized, reported outbreaks, not every sporadic foodborne illness and not every recall. The 2009–2015 series covers the United States and Puerto Rico and recorded 5,760 outbreaks, 100,939 illnesses, 5,699 hospitalizations and 145 deaths.
During that period, 21 food-product recalls were associated with CDC-reported outbreaks. That is an outbreak-linked subset, not the total number of recalls in 2009–2015.
Among 2,953 outbreaks with a single confirmed etiology, norovirus accounted for 1,130 and Salmonella for 896. Norovirus caused 38% of these outbreaks and 41% of illnesses, while Salmonella caused 30% of outbreaks and 35% of illnesses.
- Fish were the single most commonly implicated food category in 2009–2015, with 222 outbreaks among 1,281 outbreaks whose food could be classified into one category.
- Chicken was linked to 3,114 outbreak-associated illnesses during 2009–2015, with food-category attribution limited to the classified outbreak subset.
- Listeria, Salmonella and STEC together accounted for 82% of reported hospitalizations and 82% of deaths in the 2009–2015 outbreak report.
Source: Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks — United States, 2009–2015.
The earlier CDC series for 1998–2008 recorded 13,405 outbreak reports, including 273,120 illnesses, 9,109 hospitalizations and 200 deaths. The average annual reported outbreak count was 1,219, ranging from 968 to 1,403, and the average annual reported rate was 4.2 outbreaks per million population.
The reported outbreak rate ranged from 3.3 per million in 2005 to 4.8 per million in 2000. CDC reported 128 multistate outbreaks during 1998–2008, with the count increasing from 9 in 1998 to 17 in 2008; these are endpoint observations, not a causal trend estimate.
Of the 13,405 reports, 7,724 had an implicated food reported, while the share with an implicated food declined from 63% in 1998 to 46% in 2008. Reporting-system changes, including electronic reporting and the later NORS transition, mean long-run comparisons require caution.
Among outbreaks assignable to one of 17 commodity categories, poultry represented an estimated 18.9%, fish 18.6% and beef 11.9% during 1998–2008. Only 3,264 outbreaks could be assigned to one commodity category, so these percentages are attribution estimates rather than recall rates.
Source: Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks — United States, 1998–2008.
FDA Food Recall Response and Public-Health Actions
FDA CORE uses different units from FSIS. In 2023, CORE evaluated 69 incidents involving FDA-regulated foods, initiated 25 responses and issued 10 public-health advisories.
Those 10 advisories were associated with eight product recalls. CORE incidents can include potential or confirmed outbreaks and adverse events, one incident can span years, and activities are not necessarily unique incidents within a calendar year.
| FDA CORE measure | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Multistate outbreak or adverse-event advisories | 11 | Not stated in supplied fact |
| Product recalls associated with those actions | 9 | 8 recalls associated with 10 advisories |
| Incidents evaluated | Not stated | 69 |
| Responses initiated | Not stated | 25 |
Source: CORE 2023 Annual Report and Investigations of Foodborne Outbreaks and Adverse Events in FDA-Regulated Foods, CORE Network 2022 Annual Report.
FDA’s FY2022 report recorded zero reportable mandatory food recalls under its FSMA authority for FDA-regulated foods other than infant formula. This measures that specific statutory mandatory-recall authority, not voluntary recalls, and the authority’s scope excludes infant formula.
Source: Report to Congress — Annual Report on the Use of Mandatory Recall Authority FY 2022.
Consumer Awareness and Limits of Food Recall Data
FDA’s 2023 recall-related consumer surveys used samples of 1,235 people for a strawberry recall, 1,208 for a flour recall and 1,543 for a cinnamon-applesauce recall. These were quick-turnaround surveys tied to three specific recalls, not a representative annual survey of U.S. consumers.
Awareness across those surveys ranged from 34% to 46%. In the November 2023 cinnamon-applesauce survey, awareness was 58% among parents and primary caregivers of young children versus 43% among others.
CDC’s long-run context estimated that approximately 800 foodborne outbreaks were reported each year in the United States, accounting for approximately 15,000 illnesses, 800 hospitalizations and 20 deaths annually. These approximate reported-outbreak averages are distinct from the much larger total foodborne-illness burden.
The main interpretation rule is to keep denominators separate: FSIS pounds are recalled product, CDC counts are reported outbreak outcomes, FDA CORE figures are incidents or actions, and survey percentages describe awareness in specific samples. None of these series alone measures every recall, every exposure or the total burden of foodborne disease.