{"id":5238,"date":"2023-05-24T03:00:30","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T10:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=5238"},"modified":"2023-05-25T06:49:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T13:49:56","slug":"food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022"},"featured_media":47803,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":""},"campaign_tax":[187],"display_option":[],"issue_tax":[],"resource_type":[87],"region_tax":[],"state":[2],"topic_tax":[154,149],"class_list":["post-5238","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"helper_taxonomies":{"topics":[149,154],"collection":false,"press_type":false,"person_type":false,"resource_type":87,"event_type":false,"campaigns":187,"department":false,"level":false,"states":[2],"act_option":false,"display_option":false,"primary":{"topic":149}},"subtitle":"","excerpt":"","featured_image":47803,"caption_override":"Photo by Raul Gonzalez Escobar via unsplash.com","updated_on":null,"sidebar_action":"","related_event":"","hide_hero_image":false,"location":"internal","external_link":{"publication_name":"","url":""},"file":null,"sidebar_action_query_string":""},"helper_people_group":{"title":"Authors","entities":[{"type":"dynamic","dynamic_person":{"site":16,"people":"128"},"information":{"name":"","image":null,"role":"","biography":"","contact":{"twitter":"","facebook":"","email":"","phone":""}}}]},"helper_downloads":{"title":"Downloads","files":[{"file":100000000047845,"title":"VIEW FULL REPORT PDF: FOOD FOR THOUGHT PART 2"}]},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><b>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY<\/b><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common reasons for food recalls and public health alerts in 2022 stemmed from undeclared allergens, Listeria, Salmonella and foreign materials such as metal and plastic in food. Products affected in 2022 ranged from peanut butter to produce to cookies to infant formula to hundreds of thousands of pounds of ground beef and chicken.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, food recalls and public health alerts in 2022 remained well below pre-pandemic levels, likely fueled by ongoing labor shortages and people\u2019s ongoing reluctance to go to a doctor or urgent care unless absolutely necessary.<\/span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, recalls and alerts involving one of the biggest health threats in food \u2013 Salmonella \u2013 nearly doubled in 2022 compared with pre-pandemic 2019, a new analysis by U.S. PIRG Education Fund shows. Salmonella causes more than 1 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths a year.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were fewer recalls and alerts for many other risks, including Listeria, E. coli and foreign materials in the food.<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year reported 221 food and beverage recalls and alerts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(USDA) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reported 68 recalls, for a total of 289 last year. That\u2019s basically flat, up from 286 reported in 2021.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through the first four months of this year, recalls and alerts have increased slightly and are up 8% for January through April, compared with the same period last year.\u00a0<\/span>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_embed","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_embed":{"width":"narrow","type":"code","title":"","code":"<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/13855664?602981\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>","media":null,"caption":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FDA regulates all foods except for meat, poultry and processed egg products. Those are regulated by the USDA.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalls and alerts both are warnings that specific food shouldn\u2019t be consumed; alerts are issued instead of recalls when the product is no longer for sale but may still be in people\u2019s freezers or pantries or in restaurants.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While FDA recalls have been at roughly the same level for four of the last five years, 2022 marks the third year in a row that recalls and health alerts through the USDA were only half of the pre-pandemic average from 2017 to 2019. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, the combined total for recalls and alerts through the USDA hadn\u2019t been below 100 cases since 2013, until they dropped from 129 cases in 2019 to 50 cases in 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food sold in grocery stores or restaurants or other outlets gets recalled or flagged in one of three ways:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People get sick and seek medical care, and then local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention trace an outbreak to a particular food item. This often occurs with Listeria and Salmonella.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consumers file a complaint with regulators or companies. This often occurs with issues such as spoilage or foreign materials found in food.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A regulator uncovers a problem or the company self-reports a problem after testing or other discoveries.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that 42% of food recalls last year involved undeclared allergens: milk, nuts, eggs, etc., similar to 2021. So if you aren\u2019t allergic to those ingredients, the recalled food likely wouldn\u2019t have made you sick if you\u2019d eaten it.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bad news is that allergens can be quite serious for those with issues. About 6% of adults and children suffer from some sort of food allergy, according to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/aafa.org\/allergies\/allergy-facts\/#:~:text=They%20are%20milk%2C%20soy%2C%20eggs,food%20allergies%20in%20the%20U.S.&amp;text=About%2016%20million%20(6.2%25)%20U.S.%20adults%20have%20food%20allergies.&amp;text=About%204%20million%20(5.8%25)%20U.S.%20children%20have%20food%20allergies.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The other bad news is it should be easy for food processors and manufacturers to make sure that foods are properly labeled and avoid cross-contaminating food with potential allergens. If they\u2019re this careless with a problem so easy to avoid, you wonder how they handle the issues that are more difficult.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After allergens, the other leading reasons for food recalls\/alerts in 2022: Listeria (15%), Salmonella (13%) and foreign objects in the food (9%).<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The year also saw some unusual and troubling recalls, with 3% flagged for potential E. coli, 3% for potential lead contamination, one for Hepatitis A and one for being contaminated with Viagra.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/cdc-and-food-safety.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u200b\u200bCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that nearly 50 million Americans \u2013 one in six \u2013 become ill every year from contaminated food or beverages. Among those, 128,000 end up in the hospital and 3,000 die.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we go into Memorial Day weekend and a summer of more gatherings than we\u2019ve likely seen in several years, two things are true:<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a good chance that you or someone close to you has gotten ill from contaminated food in the last couple of years and not realized it was food poisoning because, thankfully, you didn\u2019t get sick enough to seek medical care.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though some unsafe food will invariably end up in our refrigerators and on our plates without us knowing sooner or later, you can minimize the risk in many cases by taking precautions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_embed","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_embed":{"width":"narrow","type":"code","title":"","code":"<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/13855769?602981\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>","media":null,"caption":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><strong>KEY FINDINGS AND TRENDS<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nAs with many aspects of life, the issues surrounding food safety and recalls changed in 2020 and some of the issues carried into 2021. That\u2019s why we didn\u2019t compare 2022 numbers <i>only<\/i> to 2021. We also compared the numbers to pre-pandemic 2019.\r\n\r\n<b>What we found:<\/b>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalls and public health alerts because of concerns about Salmonella nearly doubled from 2019. There were 39 recalls and alerts in 2022, up from 21 in 2019. We considered that the massive recall of Jif peanut butter in May 2022 (because of potential Salmonella) could have been a factor because it led to other recalls of foods that included Jif peanut butter. But the number of Salmonella-related recalls in 2022 (39) was virtually the same in 2021 (38).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illness from Salmonella can be quite serious. The CDC says Salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections every year, leading to 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States. <\/span>Consuming or touching food or objects contaminated with Salmonella bacteria can cause infection and illness. That\u2019s why health experts urge frequent hand-washing before eating or working in the kitchen or even before putting on makeup or otherwise touching your eyes, nose or mouth.Illnesses caused by Salmonella occur more often in the summer because the bacteria love warm temperatures and unrefrigerated foods at picnics and outdoor gatherings.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalls and alerts related to foreign materials, such as plastic or metal in food dropped nearly in half compared with 2019. Recalls totalled 25 in 2022, compared with 48 in 2019.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalls and alerts related to E. coli were down significantly from 2019. There were 10 E-coli-related recalls and alerts in 2022, down from 25 in 2019.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recalls and alerts related to Listeria fell compared with 2019. There were 43 in 2022, compared with 61 in 2019.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_accordion","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_accordion":{"title":"","entries":[{"title":"Read more","content":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the phenomena that affected recalls in 2020, that likely carried over into 2021:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meat production was halted in many processing plants in the early months of the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When most restaurants closed for indoor dining, at least temporarily in the spring and summer of 2020, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/03\/27\/restaurant-suppliers-pivot-to-grocery-direct-sales-during-coronavirus-pandemic.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some food producers switched<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from bulk quantities to smaller quantities for grocery stores. This affected food packaging and labeling.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/cfsan-constituent-updates\/fda-announces-temporary-flexibility-policy-regarding-certain-labeling-requirements-foods-humans\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the FDA temporarily relaxed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> some food labeling rules so food originally intended for restaurants could be sold directly to consumers without a formal nutrition label.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FDA also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eater.com\/2020\/3\/23\/21191632\/fda-routine-food-surveillance-inspections-suspended-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stopped all routine inspections of facilities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that manufacture food and other products it regulates. The FDA oversees nearly 80% of the nation\u2019s food supply.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like many employers, the government and food manufacturers have had staffing challenges since early 2020, including in food inspections and food testing.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps most important, consumers with a suspected gastrointestinal illness or mild allergic reaction were far less likely to go to the doctor or urgent care to get treatment and testing during much of 2020. Illnesses reported from medical providers is one of the key ways that regulators investigate food contamination and problems, and potentially issue recalls or alerts.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_resource","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_resource":{"resource":[5209]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4>2022'S BIGGEST RECALLS<\/h4>\r\nHere are some of the most significant food recalls from last year:","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_accordion","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_accordion":{"title":"","entries":[{"title":"Read more","content":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/safety\/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts\/abbott-voluntarily-recalls-powder-formulas-manufactured-one-plant\"><b>Similac, Alimentum and EleCare powder infant formula<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abbott Nutrition in February recalled certain lots of its powder formula following complaints about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cronobacter sakazakii<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salmonella<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Newport. In addition, the company found evidence of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cronobacter sakazakii<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in its Michigan plant, in non-product contact areas, during routine testing.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late February, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/press-announcements\/fda-warns-consumers-not-use-certain-powdered-infant-formula-produced-abbott-nutritions-facility\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CDC<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said it had four reports of Cronobacter sakazakii infections and one of Salmonella Newport. All five infants were hospitalized and two died. \u201cCronobacter may have contributed to death in two patients,\u201d the CDC said.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This recall set off a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2022\/05\/12\/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-additional-steps-to-address-infant-formula-shortage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nationwide shortage and price gouging<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> involving powdered formula for months.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>\r\n<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/safety\/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts\/j-m-smucker-co-issues-voluntary-recall-select-jifr-products-sold-us-potential-salmonella\"><b>Jif peanut butter<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">J.M. Smucker in May 2022 recalled nearly 50 varieties of peanut butter because of potential <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salmonella<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contamination. The peanut butter was distributed nationwide and in 10 foreign countries. In addition, a number of other food products were recalled in the days and weeks following because they contained Jif peanut butter.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A total of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/outbreaks-foodborne-illness\/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-peanut-butter-may-2022\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">21 illnesses in 17 states<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">were reported by the CDC, including four hospitalizations. No deaths were reported. Salmonella poses the risk of serious infections and sometimes death for children, elderly people and those who are frail or have weakened immune systems.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/listeria\/outbreaks\/enoki-11-22\/details.html#:~:text=On%20December%2013%2C%202022%2C%20Utopia,mushrooms%20were%20imported%20from%20China.\"><b>Enoki mushrooms<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2022, there were 11 recalls for enoki mushrooms. It\u2019s not clear whether they were all related. The CDC said that epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data lead officials to conclude that enoki mushrooms imported from China made people sick. While it said that as of April 7, 2023, the outbreak is over, the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/listeria\/outbreaks\/enoki-11-22\/details.html#:~:text=On%20December%2013%2C%202022%2C%20Utopia,mushrooms%20were%20imported%20from%20China.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CDC said<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it and the FDA are continuing to investigate Listeria and enoki mushrooms and the FDA placed enoki mushrooms from China on a countrywide<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/cms_ia\/importalert_1177.html#:~:text=Reason%20for%20Alert%3A,monocytogenes)%2C%20a%20human%20pathogen.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> import alert<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, officials say:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pregnant women and people who are 65 or older or have weakened immune systems should not eat raw enoki mushrooms, should keep raw enoki mushrooms separated from other foods that will not be cooked and should wash hands and surfaces that have come in contact with enoki mushrooms.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restaurants should cook enoki mushrooms thoroughly before serving and should store raw enoki mushrooms separate from foods that will not be cooked.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ecoli\/2022\/o157h7-08-22\/index.html\"><b>E. coli outbreak linked to Wendy\u2019s restaurants<\/b><\/a><\/span>\r\n\r\nStarting in July 2022, health officials received reports of people getting sick with gastrointestinal symptoms. When the investigation was closed in October, the CDC had tallied 109 illnesses, including 52 hospitalizations, in six states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New York.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMore than 80% of sick people who were interviewed by public health officials reported eating at Wendy\u2019s restaurants in several states before getting sick,\u201d the CDC said. \u201cMany of them ate burgers and sandwiches with romaine lettuce, but the specific ingredient that caused the outbreak could not be confirmed.\u201d Wendy\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/boston\/news\/wendys-pulls-romaine-lettuce-from-sandwiches-as-e-coli-outbreak-is-investigated\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stopped putting romaine lettuce<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on sandwiches in several states while the issue was being investigated.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As is the case with most food poisoning cases, \u201cthe true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported \u2026\u00a0 because many people recover without medical care and are not tested,\u201d the CDC said.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/recalls-alerts\/foster-farms-recalls-fully-cooked-frozen-chicken-patty-products-due-possible-foreign\"><b>Foster farms chicken patties<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Foster Farms of Louisiana in October 2022 recalled about 148,000 pounds of fully cooked frozen chicken breast patties because they could contain hard, clear pieces of plastic. They were produced in August and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shipped to Costco distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah and Washington. They could also have been distributed to Costco stores.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/recalls-alerts\/lakeside-refrigerated-services-recalls-ground-beef-products-due-possible-e--coli\"><b>Lakeside ground beef possibly contaminated with E. coli<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lakeside Refrigerated Services of New Jersey in April 2022 recalled about 120,872 pounds of ground beef products that may have been contaminated with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E. coli<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> O103. The issue was discovered during routine USDA testing. There were no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions connected to these products.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/norovirus\/outbreaks\/index.html\"><b>Norovirus in raw oysters<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting early 2022 and into this year, the CDC investigated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/norovirus\/outbreaks\/index.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two major outbreaks of norovirus<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> linked to raw oysters that were distributed to multiple states. More than 500 illnesses were reported in 19 states through April 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the first outbreak, cases were reported by Texas and Florida health officials and traced to raw oysters\u200b harvested from Galveston Bay, Texas. In this case, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dshs.texas.gov\/news-alerts\/dshs-recalls-oysters-harvested-area-southeastern-galveston-bay\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a recall was issued<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The investigation into the Texas case is ongoing. The CDC said raw oysters from this area in Galveston Bay, Texas, harvested between Nov. 17, 2022 and Dec. 7, 2022, should not be consumed.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/alerts-advisories-safety-information\/fda-advises-restaurants-and-retailers-not-serve-or-sell-potentially-contaminated-raw-oysters-canada\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">second outbreak<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was linked to raw oysters from British Columbia. The FDA issued <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/alerts-advisories-safety-information\/fda-advises-restaurants-and-retailers-not-serve-or-sell-potentially-contaminated-raw-oysters-canada\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an advisory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The investigation is closed.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/norovirus\/outbreaks\/index.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the CDC said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cnorovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. However, state, local, and territorial health departments are not required to report individual cases of norovirus illness to a national surveillance system. That\u2019s why we may not know about many cases, especially if people do not go to a doctor\u2019s office or hospital. Each year, there are about 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks in the United States.\u201d<\/span>"}]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4>WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR RECALLS<\/h4>\r\nMore than 40% of recalls and alerts in 2022 stemmed from undisclosed allergens. The other leading reasons: Listeria, Salmonella and foreign objects in the food.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The allergens cited in 2022 included:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peanuts and tree nuts (most common)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milk<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Egg products<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wheat<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gluten<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soy<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fish<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anchovies<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sulfites (preservatives)<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coconuts<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A food allergy is different than a food intolerance. An intolerance can cause digestive issues or a headache, particularly if you eat too much of something. An <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/allergies\/foods-allergy-intolerance\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allergy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> causes the body\u2019s immune system to react to a food and cause serious symptoms, such shortness of breath, rash or hives, chest pain, a swollen airway or difficulty swallowing.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other leading reasons for food recalls\/alerts in 2022:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listeria (15%), Salmonella (13%) and foreign objects in the food (9%).<\/span>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_accordion","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_accordion":{"title":"","entries":[{"title":"Read more","content":"<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/listeria\/index.html\">Listeria<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consuming food contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause Listeriosis, which can be a serious infection. The CDC estimates that about 1,600 people get listeriosis every year. About 260 die. Symptoms of intestinal illness usually start within 24 hours. Symptoms of serious, invasive illness usually start within two weeks.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those most at risk for serious infection are pregnant women, newborn babies, people age 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/listeria\/prevention.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CDC says<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people who are more vulnerable to serious illness should avoid foods including:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Premade deli salads, such as coleslaw, potato salad, chicken salad or tuna salad.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unpasteurized soft cheese, such as queso fresco and brie.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cheeses sliced at a deli that hasn\u2019t been heated.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Melon that\u2019s been cut and left out unrefrigerated for more than two hours. (Or more than one hour if exposed to temperatures above 90 degrees.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Melon that\u2019s been cut and refrigerated for more than one week<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Refrigerated p\u00e2t\u00e9 or meat spreads.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who are exposed can suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms of more serious, invasive illness include muscle aches, headache, loss and balance and stiff neck.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/index.html\">Salmonella<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consuming or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/handwashing\/why-handwashing.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">touching food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contaminated with Salmonella bacteria can cause infection and illness. About 13% of food recalls last year occurred because of potential Salmonella. Salmonella bacteria emerge in the intestines of people and animals. Humans can get infected when they consume contaminated food or water, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/handwashing\/why-handwashing.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">come into contact with<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> infected animals, their feces or even something else that\u2019s contaminated.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CDC says Salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections every year, leading to 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States. People who are ill suffer gastrointestinal symptoms and fever. Symptoms usually start between six hours and six days after infection, and last from four to seven days without medication.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/general\/index.html#:~:text=Most%20people%20recover%20from%20Salmonella,People%20with%20severe%20illness\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Antibiotics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/general\/index.html#:~:text=Most%20people%20recover%20from%20Salmonella,People%20with%20severe%20illness\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">often advised<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for those with severe illness, weakened immune systems, 65 or older, babies younger than 1 year old and adults older than 50 who have underlying medical conditions.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/communication\/salmonella-food.html#:~:text=Salmonella%20can%20be%20found%20in,%2C%20cook%2C%20and%20chill%20guidelines.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CDC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/communication\/salmonella-food.html#:~:text=Salmonella%20can%20be%20found%20in,%2C%20cook%2C%20and%20chill%20guidelines\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">salmonella can contaminate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegetables.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fruits.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eggs.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beef and pork.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poultry.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Processed items such as peanut butter and stuffed chicken entrees.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting sick from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salmonella <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">occurs more often in the summer because the bacteria thrive in warm temperatures and can multiply in foods at picnics and outdoor gatherings. Perishable foods should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours, or even more than one hour if outdoor temperatures are above 90 degrees.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/fsns.com\/extraneous-foreign-material-in-food-safety-consumer-displeasure\/\"><b>Foreign objects<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food items are supposed to contain things you can safely consume. But about 9% of food recalls last year occurred because of reports the items contained metal, plastic or other objects not meant to be ingested. In some cases, the foreign materials could cause damage to teeth or cuts in the mouth. In other cases, they could cause damage in the digestive tract if ingested.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides metal and plastic, other things found in food last year: bone fragments, cable fragments and soft film.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/inspection\/inspection-programs\"><b>Not inspected<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The USDA\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/inspection\/inspection-programs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food Safety and Inspection Service<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> inspects meat, poultry, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">siluriformes (fish) and egg products to make sure products sold commercially meet U.S. safety standards and are properly labeled. The inspections come under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act and the Egg Products Inspection Act.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 4.5% of recalls last year occurred because of inspection issues. Items can be recalled if, for example, they\u2019re produced in a facility that has not been USDA-inspected or is labeled that it was federally inspected but it wasn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/e-coli\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20372058#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20way%20to,increasing%20the%20risk%20of%20contamination.\"><b>E. coli<\/b><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Escherichia coli, commonly known as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E. coli, can also be a serious risk. Last year, about 3% of recalls stemmed from potential E. coli contamination.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E. coli bacteria are typically in the intestines of people and animals. Most types of E. coli aren\u2019t a threat. But some strains, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/conditions-and-diseases\/escherichia-coli-o157-h7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E. coli O157:H7<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, can cause serious gastrointestinal issues.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bad E. coli bacteria can exist in foods including undercooked ground beef and raw vegetables. Healthy people can be ill for a week but recover. People who are more vulnerable, including young children and senior citizens, can suffer more serious, life-threatening issues.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The year also saw some other unusual and troubling recalls, with nine products flagged for potential lead contamination, three for being imported from a country not eligible to export a particular type of food (often fish or egg products,) two for<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/foodinsight.org\/faq-about-pfas-and-food\/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20the,bottled%20water%2C%20seafood%20and%20milk.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PFAS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, one for Hepatitis A and one for being contaminated with Viagra. <\/span>"}]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_embed","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_embed":{"width":"narrow","type":"code","title":"","code":"<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-table\" data-src=\"visualisation\/13855160?602981\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div>","media":null,"caption":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>WAYS TO HELP YOU AVOID A FOODBORNE ILLNESS THIS SUMMER<\/strong>\r\n<\/span><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following these easy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/keep-food-safe.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">food safety steps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help you avoid getting sick from many types of food contamination or food poisoning, according to the CDC.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Clean:<\/strong> This means washing your hands, your utensils and your preparation surfaces frequently. This is particularly important if you\u2019re handling uncooked meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if you touch the water faucet handles with dirty hands, wipe those down too after you wash your hands.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wash all fruits and vegetables before slicing, peeling and eating.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Separate:<\/strong> For food items that will not be cooked, keep them separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cook:<\/strong> Use a food thermometer to make sure your food is cooked properly to reach a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/food-safety-charts\/safe-minimum-cooking-temperature\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">temperature high enough to kill germs.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To be safe, use two thermometers in case one is faulty.\r\n<\/span>Quite simply, undercooked meat and poultry can make you sick. Meat may contain Salmonella, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ecoli\/index.html\">E. coli<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/yersinia\/index.html\">Yersinia<\/a> and other bacteria. Raw poultry frequently contains <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/diseases\/campylobacter\/index.html\">Campylobacter<\/a> and can also contain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\">Salmonella<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/diseases\/clostridium-perfringens.html\">Clostridium perfringens<\/a> and other bacteria. It\u2019s important to know that cooking to the proper temperature kills Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/communication\/leafy-greens.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rinsing contaminated items<\/a>, such as lettuce or mushrooms, can remove pesticide residue and some germs, but it <i>won\u2019t<\/i> kill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/foodsafety\/communication\/leafy-greens.html\">bacteria<\/a> such as Salmonella, Listeria or E. coli.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Chill:<\/strong> Refrigerate perishable food within two hours if it\u2019s out at room temperature. Refrigerate it within one hour if the food is out in temperatures above 90 degree, at a picnic, for example. In addition, frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Stay informed:<\/strong> Finally, keep up with the latest food recalls. Here\u2019s our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/edfund\/resources\/finding-food-recalls\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consumer guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on ways to protect you and your family.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE RECALL AWARENESS<\/strong>\r\n<\/span><\/h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we have hundreds and sometimes thousands of people getting sick every year from a particular contaminated food item, we should consider what else can be done to prevent it. We need to stop contaminated food from being sold, identify it more quickly when something does slip through and warn consumers when contaminated food makes it to market.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The easiest part of this should be warning consumers. The CDC says many illnesses occur long after recalls have been announced \u2013 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/oranienburg-09-21\/details.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sometimes weeks or months later<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 because people have eaten previously recalled food. There\u2019s no single method of reaching everyone who may have purchased a particular product. Multiple methods of outreach would be better.<\/span>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_accordion","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_accordion":{"title":"","entries":[{"title":"Here are some steps that would help:","content":"<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FDA and USDA should develop a way for consumers and businesses to receive direct email, text or phone alerts of all Class I recalls and any allergens of concern.<\/span><\/span>Products with undeclared allergens such as peanuts or milk make up more than 40 percent of recalls, but only an estimated 6% of the population has some kind of food allergy and would care significantly about those recalls.The FDA and USDA combined post an average of a half-dozen recalls a week. Many aren\u2019t a huge risk to most people.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, you can sign up for email alerts \u2013 for every food recall. If someone were to get email or text alerts about every single recall \u2013 one almost every day on average \u2013 they\u2019d suffer from what experts call \u201crecall fatigue.\u201d Many consumers would become numb and stop noticing or would get annoyed by all of the alerts and stop reading them.\r\n<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Industry leaders in the past have recommended that the FDA and USDA revamp their alert processes so people could opt to be notified about specific categories of recalls and alerts, instead of all of them. Maybe someone wants to be alerted only to foods recalled because of undisclosed nuts or wheat. Maybe someone wants to be notified only about issues with pet food. If companies like eBay can notify us only about products from saved searches, surely the government can too.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A separate idea that we probably will see at some point in the future: Food producers could leverage technology so consumers can easily learn whether an item in their home has been recalled.\r\n<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\nCurrently, consumers can use an app to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgeinstitute.org\/projects\/foodswitch#:~:text=FoodSwitch%20gives%20you%20immediate%2C%20easy,barcode%20using%20your%20smartphone%20camera.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">scan the barcodes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for many food items and find out their nutritional value. What if every food product contained a QR code, for example, so you could scan it with your phone and find out about any recalls in real time. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This would also help address the issue of recalled foods at food pantries and soup kitchens. They don\u2019t have the computer systems a grocery store has, so volunteers have to go through products by hand to find recalled items.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies need to do more. Currently, government regulators require only two notifications when there\u2019s a food recall: a posting on the FDA\u2019s recall website, and a news release issued by the company that\u2019s conducting the recall.\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\r\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Companies conducting a recall should be required to try to reach out to consumers directly. Many food manufacturers sure spend a lot of money to market their products to us. How about if they spend the same amount that was spent to sell us the product to inform us that it\u2019s been recalled?<\/span><\/span><\/span>In addition, retailers should offer shoppers a way to be contacted by phone, text or email in case of recalls involving items they bought, whether that\u2019s through a loyalty card or some other system. Retailers are inconsistent here.In a survey we conducted last year, we found that only half of the 50 largest U.S. grocery and convenience chains we talked with offered a way for customers to be contacted directly about recalls.Some retailers post recall notices in their stores. Perhaps in the section where the item was sold. Maybe at the customer service counter. For big recalls, some post a notice at the front entrance.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">But those don\u2019t help people who aren\u2019t regular shoppers, or don\u2019t visit that section of the store the next time they shop, or order their groceries online and pick them up curbside or get them delivered. Grocers should ask themselves whether posting notices of Class I recalls would reach some people who otherwise wouldn\u2019t find out.A multi-layered approach to communication can help: traditional media, social media, websites, loyalty cards, automated phone calls, emails and\/or in-store notifications.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FDA needs to implement the part of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma\/full-text-food-safety-modernization-act-fsma#SEC211\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food Safety Modernization Act<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that requires retailers to post recall notices in a consistent manner.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consumers should do more to be informed, particularly if their home includes people with severe food allergies, or young children, senior citizens, pregnant women or others who are medically more vulnerable to foodborne illness. Consumers should be proactive to make sure they have multiple ways to find out about recalls through their grocers, free apps, government alerts and news alerts.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_resource","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_resource":{"resource":[5209]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_resource","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_resource":{"resource":[]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_resource","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_resource":{"resource":[]}}],"site_specific_content":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CALPIRG\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-25T13:49:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"903\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.tpin-test.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2023-05-25T13:49:56+00:00\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.tpin-test.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.tpin-test.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/resources\\\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"CALPIRG\",\n\t            \"description\": \"\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/dev.pirg-test.com\\\/california\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022","og_url":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/","og_site_name":"CALPIRG","article_modified_time":"2023-05-25T13:49:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":903,"url":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/","url":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/","name":"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dev.tpin-test.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-24T10:00:30+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-25T13:49:56+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dev.tpin-test.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dev.tpin-test.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PHOTO-RESIZED-FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT-2.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/resources\/food-for-thought-an-analysis-of-food-recalls-for-2022\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Food for Thought Part 2: An analysis of food recalls for 2022"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/","name":"CALPIRG","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"CALPIRG","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/5238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/5238\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"campaign_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campaign_tax?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"display_option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/display_option?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"issue_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue_tax?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"resource_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_type?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"region_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region_tax?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/state?post=5238"},{"taxonomy":"topic_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/california\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic_tax?post=5238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}