The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund’s newly published Food for Thought 2026 report raises concerns about the federal food recall system, pointing to time delays and lacking public communication and transparency.

Covering the year 2025, information for the report was collected from public databases on recalls and public health alerts for food, beverage, and dietary supplement products from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report also considered foodborne illness outbreak investigation information posted by FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

U.S. Food Recalls by the Numbers in 2025

Key findings outlined in the report include:

• The total number of foodborne illness outbreaks in 2025 was 28 (the same number was seen in 2024), of which 22 have been closed and six remain open (as of January 27, 2026)
• Outbreak-associated foodborne illnesses declined from 1,804 in 2024 to 1,003 in 2025
• The percentage of foodborne illness outbreak investigations that closed without the implication of a food type in 2025 (13 of 22, or 41 percent) nearly doubled from 2024 (22 of 28, or 21 percent)
• The total number of recall announcements in 2025 (320) was comparable to 2024 (296), but USDA saw a greater increase in recall announcements (from 55 to 71, or 22 percent) than FDA (from 241 to 253, or 5 percent)
• Salmonella was the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in 2025 (63 percent), while Listeria monocytogenes caused the greatest number of outbreak-associated deaths (21 of 22)
• Undeclared allergens were the most common cause of recall announcements (39 percent)—most frequently, milk (31 percent of undeclared allergen recalls)—followed by microbiological contamination (34 percent), foreign material contamination (9 percent), radioactive contamination (4 percent), and lead contamination (3 percent)
• Pet food recalls nearly doubled from 2023 (seven recalls) to 2025 (13 recalls), most frequently due to Salmonella contamination.

Foodborne Illness Outbreaks that Led to a Recall in 2025

Of the 28 foodborne illness outbreaks investigated in 2025, 11 led to a recall:

• An infant botulism outbreak associated with Clostridium botulinum-contaminated ByHeart Inc. infant formula, which, at present, has caused 51 illnesses and 51 hospitalizations (outbreak investigation still open)
• A L. monocytogenes outbreak associated with prepared pasta meals distributed under various brand names and made with contaminated pasta from Nate’s Fine Foods Inc., which caused 27 illnesses, 25 hospitalizations, and six deaths
• A Salmonella outbreak associated with Sweet Cream-brand mini pastries, which caused 18 illnesses and one hospitalization
• A L. monocytogenes outbreak linked to Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial frozen supplemental shakes manufactured by Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. and sold at healthcare facilities nationwide, which caused 42 illnesses, 41 hospitalizations, and 14 deaths
• A Salmonella outbreak associated with August Egg Company cage-free and organic eggs, which caused 134 illnesses, 38 hospitalizations, and one death
• A Salmonella outbreak linked to Emek Spread Pistachio Cacao Cream with Kadayif, which caused four illnesses and one hospitalization
• A Salmonella outbreak associated with Country Eggs LLC cage-free eggs, which caused 105 illnesses and 19 hospitalizations
• A L. monocytogenes outbreak linked to Fresh & Ready Foods ready-to-eat (RTE) products, including sandwiches and snack items, which caused ten illnesses, ten hospitalizations, and one death
• A Salmonella outbreak associated with cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, which caused 69 illnesses and 22 hospitalizations
• A Salmonella outbreak associated with Chetak LLC Group frozen Deep-brand sprouted Mat (Moth) and Moong (Mung) beans, as well as other Deep-brand frozen products, which caused 12 illnesses and four hospitalizations
• A Salmonella outbreak associated with three brands of organic moringa leaf powder products, which caused 11 illnesses and three hospitalizations.

Concerns about the U.S. Recall System

Based on its analysis, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund report raises several concerns about the federal recall system, including:

• Time delays. Several recalls were issued months or years after the time of first illness. For example, in the ByHeart formula outbreak, a recall was issued nearly two years after the first associated case of infant botulism occurred, and in the Lyons Magnus/Sysco Imperial frozen supplemental shakes outbreak, a recall was issued more than six years after the first associated illness occurred. The report notes that no one actor in the outbreak investigation and recall process can be blamed for the length of time it takes to identify the vehicle of a foodborne illness outbreak, but these lags emphasize the need for stronger preventive measures.
• Recall notifications. The report calls attention to the fact that FDA does not post every recall of regulated products to its website, only the recalls deemed to pose a “significant or serious risk” to public health. The authors point out an example of a potentially life-threatening (Class I) recall of breadcrumbs issued by company Newly Weds Foods for possible L. monocytogenes contamination, which was not posted by FDA on its recalls and safety alerts page. Additionally, the report highlights that responsibilities for notifying regulators and the public are disjointed; for FDA-regulated products, companies are expected to notify FDA of recalls and issue a news release, and for USDA-regulated products, companies must notify USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). There is no explicit requirement for notifying grocery stores, restaurants, or consumers.

Recommendations to Improve U.S. Recall System and Food Safety

Finally, the report outlines several recommendations to improve the U.S. food recall system and, more broadly, food safety:

1. FDA should move up the compliance date for the Food Traceability Final Rule, Fulfilling Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was delayed in March 2025 by 30 months
2. Regulators should systematically track and monitor companies whose products have previously tested positive for foodborne pathogens
3. FDA and USDA should follow recommendations made by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), which published reports in 2025 showing that FDA falls short of its inspection targets year after year, that FDA has yet to fulfill all FSMA requirements, and that USDA’s regulatory frameworks to address microbiological contamination are too narrowly focused
4. Manufacturers should more comprehensively implement technologies to detect and remove foreign materials from products during processing and production
5. Manufacturers should comply with requirements for listing food ingredients allergen declarations
6. FDA and USDA should develop a notification system for consumers to receive direct communication about all Class I recalls and recalls related to major food allergens
7. FDA and USDA should adjust its current notification system to allow subscribers to opt in or out of notifications about specific categories of recalls and alerts
8. Food companies should explore the use of technology to inform consumers about recalls of products they have already purchased
9. Food companies issuing a recall should be required to attempt to notify consumers directly and issue a news release to their distributors
10. Retailers should offer shoppers a way to be contacted by phone, text, or email when products they have purchased are recalled
11. Consumers should take proactive steps to stay informed about recalls.

For more on this topic, listen to a recent Food Safety Matters Podcast episode about the increasing rate of U.S. food recalls and how the foodborne illness outbreak investigation system could be improved, featuring four seasoned professionals with experience in the regulatory, industry, and academic spheres.