Recall/Crisis Management

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Every food processor, handler, or warehouse operation must establish programs to ensure that workers and the business are protected in the event of a crisis that may affect plant operations.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jatin Patel, Director of Operations for FGS Ingredients, about how the company handled a recall of several of its mustard-based products due to peanut contamination, the measures the company has implemented to prevent future risks, and the broader implications for food safety standards.

According to FDA, between 2018 and 2025, 42 people were sickened and 14 died across 21 states after consuming Listeria monocytogenes-contaminated Sysco Imperial and Lyons ReadyCare Frozen Supplemental Shakes that were served at long-term care facilities and hospitals. 

In a new study, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) evaluated the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect foodborne illness outbreaks by analyzing online restaurant reviews. Although several challenges were identified that must be overcome before AI can be used routinely in epidemiological investigations, UKHSA believes the approach shows promise. 

Between January 2023 and January 2025, a total of 509 illnesses were caused by the consumption of alfalfa sprouts across ten countries in Europe. The outbreak encompasses eight Salmonella serotypes, and the sprouts were traced back to seeds grown in a single geographical region in Italy.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Dr. Kimberly Baker, a food safety expert with the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, about her focus on foodborne pathogens and recall prevention, as well as the Food2Market program that helps small food entrepreneurs comply with food safety regulations.

More than 100 people have been sickened and three have died as the result of a foodborne illness outbreak linked to food served at four Italian nursing homes sharing the same meal production center. Investigations are underway.

On February 13, Boar’s Head designated a companywide ‘Boar’s Head Food Safety Promise Day’ and unveiled new safety and sanitation controls and processes, following the fatal listeriosis outbreak linked to its products in 2024.

According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG’s) Food for Thought 2025 report, hospitalizations and deaths linked to foodborne illnesses doubled in 2024. Illnesses also increased, 98 percent of which were attributed to just 13 outbreaks. The number of USDA and FDA recalls decreased by 5 percent.

This article examines food recall trends for 2024, including USDA and FDA guidance expanding the scope of recalls and class action lawsuits filed in response to foodborne illness and recall events. The author discusses what these trends mean for industry, and if they are expected to continue into the future.