Urgent Health Advisory: Find Out Which Common Foods Were Recalled

August witnessed a significant spike in food recalls due to contamination and allergen alerts, affecting a wide range of everyday products.

At a Glance

FDA and FSIS issued over a dozen food product recalls in August.
Recalls were led by undeclared allergens, bacterial and lead contamination.
Critical recalls include products contaminated with Salmonella and Clostridium botulinum.
Food safety remained a prime concern with increasing foodborne illnesses in 2023.

Recent Surge in Food Recalls

August saw a sharp increase in food recalls, with over a dozen products marked for contamination or undeclared allergens. These recalls impacted commonly consumed items such as meats, dairy products, baked goods, and snacks. Both the FDA and FSIS issued numerous warnings advising consumers to refrain from consuming these products, especially those with food allergies.

Leading the recalls were products flagged for undeclared allergens, posing serious health risks to unsuspecting consumers. Highlighted items include Terrafina Golden Raisins with undeclared sulfites, Bliss Tree butter snacks with undeclared milk and/or sesame seeds, and Emeral Kettle Glazed Walnuts with undeclared peanuts, almonds, and pecans.

Contamination and Mislabeling Risks

Several products were recalled for potential bacterial contamination. North Fish USA recalled Cold Smoked Capelin for potential clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death.

This uneviscerated fish imported from Belarus posed a severe health hazard. Also recalled were Thal Golden Spices’ Bikano Moong Dal for potential Salmonella contamination, elevating the urgency for public awareness.

Bikano: Thal Golden Spices Inc. has issued a recall for 640 packs of its ‘Bikano Moong Dal’ due to potential contamination with Salmonella.

Labeling errors were another major cause of food recalls, with products being withdrawn for undeclared allergens. Unilever recalled single-serve Popsicle Jolly Rancher Frozen Confection Pops for undeclared milk, among other products like Prime Foods Egg Custard Steamed Buns for undeclared sesame, and Meijer Dunking Cookies Chocolate Chip for undeclared milk.

Increasing Foodborne Illnesses and Regulatory Actions

In 2023, the FDA and USDA announced a total of 313 food product recalls, marking an 8% increase from 2022. These recalls were mainly due to undeclared allergens, which spiked by 27% from the previous year. This surge was influenced by the inclusion of sesame in the “Big 9” list of allergens. Consequently, recalls due to undeclared sesame alone caused a significant number of announcements.

“A total of 313 food product recall announcements were issued in 2023 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—an increase of 8 percent over 2022—and foodborne illnesses associated with the recalled products sickened more than 1,000 people and resulted in six fatalities.”

Prompt response to these recalls is vital. Consumers must be vigilant to avoid the consumption of potentially hazardous products. This involves adhering to official FDA, FSIS, and USDA advisories and continuously monitoring updates to ensure food safety at home.