Many food companies facing a possible product find themselves unsure of what to do, let alone how to engage with FDA. This article walks through some of the key considerations that companies should have front-of-mind in this situation.
An ongoing outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to prepared pasta meals has expanded to 15 states, causing 20 illnesses, 19 hospitalizations, and four deaths. The meals were sold under various brand names at Walmart, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s stores.
Imagine a seemingly minor labeling error causing a nationwide recall, costing a food manufacturer millions, and damaging consumer trust. Undeclared allergens, incorrect nutritional information, and illegible date codes are just a few packaging mistakes that can trigger costly and reputation-damaging events.
Originally limited to Great Value products sold at Walmart, FDA is warning consumers not to eat or purchase imported frozen shrimp sold under five additional brand names, originating from a single distributor, due to potential radioactivity.
FDA has issued a safety alert raw frozen shrimp products that tested positive for radioactive isotope Celsium-137, which were imported from Indonesia and sold at Walmart stores in 13 states. The agency recommends a recall.
A Salmonella outbreak linked to cage-free and organic eggs supplied by California-based August Egg Company has come to a close with 134 infections, 38 hospitalizations, and one death across ten states. All recalled eggs are now expired and should no longer be available in stores, per FDA.
FDA has outlined a list of actions it intends to take to improve the timeliness and transparency of food product recalls. The agency specifically called on the infant formula and baby food industry to cooperate in “creating a collaborative transformation in how we manage and communicate food recalls.”
According to FOODAKAI’s Global Food Recall Index, the first quarter of 2025 has seen significant increases in food product recalls across the dairy, poultry, and produce categories internationally.
Amid the ongoing E. coli outbreak, Taylor Farms has been confirmed as the onion supplier to the affected McDonald’s locations. As a result, national restaurant chains are proactively pulling onions from their menus. FDA is still investigating whether onions are the vehicle of illness.
Many food manufacturers are already benefiting from deploying x-ray inspection systems to carry out a wide range of quality control and compliance duties and these additional capabilities also should be factored into the equation when considering the cost of an x-ray inspection system.
