It's been a year of high-profile food recalls. A deadly listeria outbreak led to a massive recall of Boar's Head deli meat. Contaminated onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounders and organic carrots were linked to E. coli outbreaks. And in late November, federal authorities launched an investigation into cucumbers contaminated with salmonella.
"I think that this most recent spate of outbreaks and recalls has made the average American consumer more anxious about food safety," says Darin Detwiler, a longtime food safety advocate and professor at Northeastern University.
Even before the Boar's Head recall, a Gallup poll in July found Americans' confidence in the government to ensure a safe U.S. food supply had sunk to a record low.
"While 57% express at least a fair amount of confidence in the government to keep food safe," the organization said, "28% of Americans do not have much confidence and 14% have 'none at all.'"
Here's a guide to the situation, and tips on keeping your food safe.
Are there more recalls than before?
Food recalls fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the numbers have been rising again: The Food and Drug Administration, which reports food and cosmetics recalls together, says 1,908 such products were recalled in the fiscal year that ended in September. That's the highest since 2019, when 2,046 food and cosmetic products were recalled.
Not every recall signals an outbreak — some are due to undeclared allergens like nuts or eggs, or a machine part, like a piece of plastic, getting into food at a processing facility. An "outbreak" means two or more people have been sickened by the same illness.
"Typically, on average, fresh produce accounts for roughly half of all the number of outbreaks that we have in the U.S.," says Amanda Deering, associate professor of food science at Purdue University.
And now more than ever, it seems consumers want to know where their food comes from.
"Ten years ago it was a different thing," Deering says. "People weren't so wanting to have that information. Right now, they go looking for it."
Do recalls mean our food safety system is working?
The U.S. has two main food safety regulators: the Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for meat, poultry and eggs; and the FDA, which essentially handles everything else. Each agency follows its own inspection regimen and protocols. Other agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency, are also involved in food safety.
Asked why there seem to be more recalls this year, Deering says U.S. food surveillance has gotten more granular — and communication about problems is more effective.
As recently as 10 years ago, Deering says, declaring a food-related outbreak with only six cases "would have been almost unheard of."
But in recent years, scientists at the CDC and labs across the country have gotten better at detecting and tracing the source of foodborne illness outbreaks. Using the Pulse Net data-sharing system, and a newer technology known as whole genome sequencing, scientists can sequence the DNA from bacteria to help investigators see the scope of an outbreak and find its source.
"Whole genome sequencing has really changed the game," explains Martin Bucknavage, a food scientist at Penn State University. Investigators are able to get a detailed genetic fingerprint of the bacteria causing an outbreak.
Investigators use whole genome sequencing to match organisms (such as salmonella and E.coli) isolated from sick people to find related cases. They also ask those affected what they've eaten, with the aim of identifying a common food. Then, they try to trace the bacteria in the sick people back to the suspected food.
In the recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's onions, Bucknavage says investigators did not find the exact E. coli strain in the onions. But based on the strength of investigative findings, the onions were identified as the probable source.
How can consumers make sure their food is safe?
"Don't take any chances," says Linda Harris a food scientist at the University of California, Davis. If a product is recalled, "throw it away," she says.
Harris says there are day-to-day food handling habits that can help limit the risk of foodborne illness. With meat and cooked foods, heat can kill bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
Fresh, raw vegetables and fruit are a different issue, says Purdue University's Deering.
Rinsing under running water can help remove microorganisms from the surface of fresh produce. Foods with a hard, smooth surface, such as cucumbers, are easier to rinse off.
"You can apply some pressure with your hands as you're rinsing, which will increase the amount of microorganisms you can wash away," Harris says. There's no need to use soap or other wash solutions.
It's also helpful to dry with a clean towel to "remove the last bits of water and any microorganisms that are in those water droplets," she says.
Some people rinse produce with a vinegar or lemon solution. But Harris advises against soaking your produce in a bowl. If there is bacteria on one piece or part of the produce, soaking it may contaminate the water and everything else in the bowl.
Bacteria such as salmonella don't typically multiply on the surface of a fruit or vegetable with a hard peel, such as a cucumber. But once they're sliced, bacteria have a chance to multiply.
"If you cut something that's fresh, the knife edge can push the contamination from the surface to the flesh," says food scientist Don Schaffner of Rutgers University. That's why it's important to keep produce cold to reduce the likelihood of contamination.
His No. 1 tip for consumers? "Once you cut it open, it must be refrigerated," he says.
Citing the cucumber recall, Schaffner says people may wonder about peeling off the wax coating. Research shows peeling can remove much of the contamination, but some can still be transferred to the cucumber flesh, so it's not a guarantee. "You can't eliminate [the risk], but you can reduce it," Schaffner says.
As for listeria, the CDC says that while infections are rare, people who are in at-risk groups such as the immunocompromised or are pregnant should avoid foods like unpasteurized soft cheeses such as queso fresco and brie, or premade deli salads.
In general, experts also recommend steps such as washing your hands and making sure foods that need to be refrigerated don't sit out too long.
What kind of pathogens trigger recalls?
The CDC says 31 pathogens — bacteria, viruses and parasites — have been commonly linked to foodborne hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. Young kids, older adults and people with compromised immune systems are at particular risk.
Three bacteria cause the most hospitalizations and deaths each year:
Salmonella
Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of people and animals. It's also "the biggest cause of hospitalization and death in our food system," Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told NPR's 1A program in September.
Every year, salmonella causes "about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths" in the U.S., according to a CDC estimate.
Common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. They often start hours or days after ingestion but can also be delayed for weeks after the initial infection. While people usually feel better after four to seven days, some strains can cause severe illness and infect the nervous system.
"In rare cases, infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, or to other parts of the body," the CDC says. "These patients should be treated promptly with antibiotics."
Listeria monocytogenes
"We do see listeria with produce at times, but listeria is naturally found in the soil, so that's not a huge stretch," Deering says. Listeria can be found in items like deli meat because it can grow under refrigeration temperatures, she says. "Listeria isn't great at it, but it can grow."
Just one or two listeria cells in a package of lunchmeat — with its often months-long shelf life — can grow to levels of illness under refrigeration, she notes.
The main symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, which can be mild compared to other pathogens listed here. But some people can also develop an invasive illness beyond the intestine with a fever and flu-like symptoms — and, for a pregnant person, there can be heightened risk to the baby.
People infected with listeria might not be aware of it for weeks, a delay that makes it harder to identify and clamp down on an outbreak.
E. coli
Escherichia coli bacteria are germs that live in the intestines and feces. Not all of them are dangerous: The CDC says they "help us digest food, produce vitamins, and protect us from harmful germs."
But six types of E. coli cause diarrhea. And one type known as STEC — Shiga toxin-producing E. coli — can make people very sick. Unlike other types of E. coli, STEC is more likely to hit people in high-income countries; it particularly affects children younger than 5 and adults over 65. The CDC says STEC "can trigger a serious health condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS can lead to kidney failure, permanent health problems, and even death."
Other pathogens routinely tracked by U.S. agencies include the cyclospora parasite and norovirus; and bacteria such as Campylobacter, Vibrio, Yersinia and Shigella.
How has food regulation changed?
Important shifts have often come in response to tragic outbreaks. A deadly E. coli outbreak linked to Jack in the Box hamburgers in 1993 changed the way meat was regulated, for instance. Soon afterward, the Food Safety and Inspection Service declared dangerous E.coli to be an adulterant in ground beef and set up a testing program for it, according to the USDA.
"If it's an adulterant, it means that if the product has that bacteria, it can't be sold to consumers," Sorscher said in September. "It has to be diverted."
Also, regulators have historically lacked authority. Until 2011, for instance, the FDA didn't have the power to issue mandatory recalls. That changed with the Food Safety Modernization Act, which addressed concerns such as imported foods not meeting U.S. standards.
When outbreaks do occur, advanced technology helps experts determine what went wrong. But Detwiler, Sorscher and others say the U.S. needs more systemic changes to prevent outbreaks in the first place.
"The fact that we're identifying more outbreaks doesn't mean the system is 'working,'" Detwiler says, noting the human toll of outbreaks. "True progress will come when we stop seeing outbreaks and recalls as routine events, and when we address the root causes of contamination."
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