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By Gul Basak Kiroglu, Regulatory Trends Product Manager
Food safety remains a central concern in the global food supply chain, with recalls and withdrawals playing a pivotal role in protecting consumers from potential hazards. Incidents leading to large-scale product removals can be caused by:
- contamination (foreign objects, mycotoxins, microbiologicals, heavy metals, pesticides and other substances)
- mislabeling
Globally 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses occur every year, underscoring the importance of robust safety protocols within the food industry. This article focuses on recent food safety incidents in 2023 and 2024, highlighting various food categories and the consequences of these events.
Food Safety Alerts by Category
According to Ingredient Risk Identification by HorizonScan™, the top categories of food safety alerts in 2024 were processed foods, fruits/vegetables, cereals and meat/poultry and eggs.
Case Study 1: Fresh Fruits/Vegetables and E. coli
An E. coli (O157:H7) outbreak in the US linked to onions was reported this fall. At least 104 cases were involved, resulting in one death and 34 hospitalizations, according to federal health officials. Now the company is investing $100 million to bring customers back to stores. In November, another outbreak of E. coli (O121:H19) from bagged organic carrots infected dozens of people in the US. Altogether, 39 people were affected by the outbreak, with one death and 15 hospitalizations across 18 states.
Case Study 2: Meat and Salmonella
Meat and poultry remain high-risk categories for contamination, particularly with pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. A Salmonella outbreak was linked to charcuterie meats in January 2024. The outbreak reached 33 states, hospitalizing 27 people.
A multi-country outbreak of Salmonella in chicken meat and chicken meat products happened between January and October 2023 affecting 14 EU/EEA countries, the UK and the US. A total of 335 cases were reported related to the outbreak.
Case Study 3: Dairy and Listeria
A cheese recall due to the presence of Listeria from November 2024 shows the efficiency of the quick measures applied. As of now, no reports of adverse health events have been reported due to consumption of these products.
The Importance of Proactive Safety Measures
The financial, reputational and public health impacts of these recalls demonstrate the urgency of continuous improvement in safety protocols, effective traceability systems and rapid response mechanisms.
As food products travel across borders and suppliers become more geographically dispersed, the complexity of managing risk increases. Recalls not only pose immediate public health risks, but they can also cause significant brand damage and erode consumer trust.
To mitigate these risks, companies must have access to timely, comprehensive and easily accessible data to monitor baseline conditions, track current threats and identify emerging risks before they escalate into major issues.
