It feels like every week, another item in your fridge gets recalled. If you’ve been asking why so many food recalls are happening this year, you’re not alone. The headlines make it seem as if the food system is falling apart.
But the numbers tell a different story. Early-year FDA data actually showed fewer recalls than in 2024, even for the most serious Class I events.
Better testing, stricter oversight, and complex global supply chains are surfacing issues faster than ever. You’re seeing more alerts, not because food is more dangerous, but because detection has improved.
This guide explains why food recalls are rising, how the process really works, and what you can do to stay safe, claim refunds, and recover money from major recall settlements.
Key takeaways:
- Recalls are up because detection is better, not because food is suddenly unsafe: Labs now use DNA sequencing and improved screening to find problems earlier. More issues get flagged before people get sick, which increases recall counts but lowers risk.
- Stricter oversight is pushing faster action: The FDA and USDA FSIS stepped up inspections and enforcement in 2025. Regulators order recalls sooner, publish clearer notices, and penalise slow responses, which helps consumers act quickly.
- You can protect your health and wallet with a simple routine: Verify the alert on FDA or USDA pages, check your product’s lot codes, dispose of or return as instructed, sanitize if it was ready-to-eat, watch for symptoms, and save receipts and photos for refunds or future claims.
- Turn alerts into real refunds with Settlemate: Settlemate matches purchases to open recalls and class actions, pre-fills claims, tracks deadlines, and sends alerts so you do not leave money unclaimed.
How food recalls skyrocketed in 2025, and what the numbers reveal
Food recalls are increasing rapidly in 2025, and the data backs it up.
In the United States alone, regulators logged 881 product recalls in the second quarter of 2025 – the highest quarterly total since early 2024. That came after a busy start to the year, with 775 recalls logged in Q1 across all industries.
While the overall number of recalls rose only slightly, the volume of affected products rose by 25% in Q1, indicating that each recall now affects more individual items than before.
When you zoom in on food alone, the spike is even more apparent. Sedgwick’s Brand Protection report found that FDA-regulated food recalls jumped 232% in Q1 2025, hitting their second-highest level in two years. The trend continued into Q2, where FDA food recalls climbed another 12.6% to 143 events – the second-highest quarterly figure since 2019.
Interestingly, the total number of food units recalled dropped by nearly 80% in Q2, suggesting that improved detection helped contain many issues early. So, while there are more recall events, fewer large-scale contaminations are slipping through the cracks.
The surge isn’t limited to the U.S.
Across Europe, the RASFF system logged 125 food safety alerts in a single week in September 2025, a significant jump driven mainly by produce and nuts.
Canada has been battling a series of recalls linked to a widespread Salmonella outbreak, and Australia recorded its highest first-half recall total since 2021, despite a brief slowdown earlier in the year.
Put simply, the numbers line up globally: 2025 is seeing one of the most active years for food recalls in recent history.
High-profile food recalls of 2025
Statistics tell part of the story, but real incidents show why food recalls matter. Here are some of the most significant cases shaping 2025’s food safety landscape:
- Listeria in Ready-to-Eat Meals (U.S.): A Listeria outbreak linked to prepackaged pasta dishes sold under grocery brands like Trader Joe’s and Walmart killed four people and sickened 20 more. Genetic testing traced the contamination to a California supplier, prompting the recall of nearly 245,000 pounds of pasta.
- Boar’s Head Deli Meat Recall (U.S.): A massive Listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head meats led to 10 deaths and 60 hospitalizations. Stores pulled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat from shelves. The company later paid $3.1 million to settle consumer claims, marking one of the largest food safety settlements of the year.
- Multi-Country Tomato Outbreak (Europe and North America): Over 300 people across 22 countries fell ill from Salmonella-contaminated tomatoes sourced from Italy. The outbreak crossed borders into the UK, the U.S., and Canada before coordinated recalls contained it.
- Radioactive Shrimp (U.S.): In one of the most shocking recalls of the year, frozen shrimp from Indonesia tested positive for cesium-137, a radioactive element. Walmart and Kroger pulled products before most reached shelves.
The real reasons behind 2025’s food recalls
Here is what is driving the increase and what it means for everyday consumers:
1. Smarter testing finds more problems
Food safety science is catching what older systems missed.
Government and private labs now use DNA-based testing and real-time genomic tracking to detect pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella earlier. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reported testing more than 200 percent more Listeria samples in 2025, thanks to new methods that identify more strains and detect sanitation issues faster.
Technology has improved in other areas, too. X-ray scanners, metal detectors, and optical sorters can now find tiny fragments of plastic, glass, or metal in production lines. The FDA reported that recalls involving foreign materials nearly doubled in early 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.
Chemical and residue testing has also advanced. Labs are now screening foods for pesticides, heavy metals, and chemical residues on a much broader scale.
In short: More testing equals more recalls, but fewer people getting sick.
2. Regulators are implementing stricter standards
The USDA FSIS and FDA both increased inspection frequency and enforcement actions. FSIS inspectors now evaluate entire food safety systems instead of just surface-level checks. Enforcement activity increased 36 percent year over year, with more plants facing corrective action for sanitation and hygiene failures.
The FDA is using its expanded recall authority under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) more actively. In several cases this year, the agency ordered recalls directly when companies failed to respond quickly to contamination alerts.
Outside the United States, regulators are following the same pattern. The European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has issued hundreds of alerts for pesticide and microbial issues in imported goods. Australia also updated its Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, making recall processes mandatory for major retailers and imposing penalties for slow responses.
This global tightening of rules creates short-term spikes in recall numbers but long-term gains in public safety.
3. Global supply chains spread risk faster
Modern food production is interconnected and fast-moving. Ingredients often cross several borders and are used in many products before reaching the shelf. A single contaminated batch can affect multiple brands if it passes through shared facilities.
In 2025, recalls were triggered by cross-contamination at shared plants and mislabelled imports, resulting in undeclared allergen alerts across several markets. The FDA continues to identify allergen mislabelling as the top reason for food recalls, representing roughly one-third of total incidents.
The more complex the supply chain, the faster problems spread. When many manufacturers use the same ingredient, a single failure can multiply across dozens of finished products.
4. Economic pressure creates weak spots
Many producers are operating under tighter budgets and faster production schedules.
Inflation, labour shortages, and high demand have led to reduced maintenance, limited staffing, and heavier reliance on automated systems. These conditions make it easier for small errors to slip through, such as missing allergen warnings or incorrect expiry dates.
When large-scale co-packers or private-label manufacturers experience an issue, the exact root cause can trigger multiple related recalls. The result is a chain of voluntary withdrawals that may look alarming but usually stems from one shared problem.
The lesson: Operating faster and cheaper increases the need for strong safety checks, not fewer of them.
5. Rare but new safety risks
2025 also brought unusual recall triggers that go beyond bacteria and allergens.
Routine testing now checks for chemical adulterants, radiological traces, and environmental contaminants that were not previously part of standard screening. Although these incidents are rare, they show how modern food safety extends from soil to shipping containers.
These new checks sometimes add to recall numbers but prevent larger crises by catching problems earlier.
What to do when a recall hits your feed
When a recall alert pops up on your phone or news feed, it can feel alarming. Acting calmly and correctly makes all the difference.
Here’s exactly what to do to protect your health, claim your refund, and make sure you don’t miss any compensation you’re entitled to:
1. Verify before you act
Start with official sources. Go straight to the FDA or USDA FSIS recall pages and confirm the exact brand, product, and lot code. Social media posts and news headlines can leave out details, but the government listing is always the final word.
2. Check your kitchen
Look for matching UPCs, lot codes, and best-by dates on your packages. If your item matches, follow the recall notice exactly. Return it to the store or dispose of it safely. For ready-to-eat foods, clean and sanitize all surfaces and containers that the product has come into contact with.
3. Watch for symptoms
If you ate a recalled product linked to bacteria such as Listeria or Salmonella, monitor for symptoms and contact a healthcare provider right away. The CDC outbreak pages outline what to look for and who faces the greatest risk.
4. Document everything
Keep photos of product labels, receipts, and any related communication or medical records. These can help you secure a refund or support a claim later if a class action or settlement follows.
5. Get compensated without the hassle
This is where Settlemate makes life easier. Settlemate tracks recalls and class actions related to your purchases, checks whether you qualify, collects your claim information, and alerts you to upcoming deadlines. If a recall leads to a settlement, you will not miss your share.
The future of food recalls: What to expect next
Food safety is changing quickly, and recall systems are getting faster, clearer, and more preventive.
Here is what you can expect in the months and years ahead:
More proactive testing for ready-to-eat foods
The USDA’s 2025 testing surge is only the start. Inspectors are now identifying contamination risks earlier in the production process.
Expect more recalls based on early environmental testing rather than on community outbreaks. It means more precautionary recalls, but fewer serious illnesses.
Clearer and more consumer-friendly recall notices
The FDA is requiring food companies to make public alerts easier to read and more complete. That includes adding clear brand names, product images, and instructions for what to do.
This approach helps consumers act more quickly and reduces confusion about whether a product is affected.
Short recall waves from shared suppliers
When one ingredient or supplier has a problem, the ripple can reach many brands at once.
Co-packers and private-label producers often use shared facilities, which can multiply recall alerts when multiple causes are involved. This trend will continue as supply chains stay tightly linked.
Tighter screening for imported foods
Import checks are becoming more targeted and sophisticated. If inspectors find radiation, mislabeling, or adulteration at one facility abroad, they increase screening on similar shipments.
These actions may trigger short bursts of recalls but prevent contaminated food from entering stores.
Turn food recalls into real money with Settlemate
“Why are there so many food recalls?” In 2025, the simplest answer might be: because we’re finally shining a light on problems that have long existed, and taking action to fix them.
We can conclude that the future of food recalls is proactive, not reactive. More testing, better communication, and stronger global cooperation are helping catch risks earlier. That means safer food on your table and fewer surprises in your feed. That’s good for public safety, but it also means more refund opportunities and more settlements that most people never claim.
That’s where Settlemate comes in.
Here’s why Settlemate is the easy way to turn recall alerts into refunds and claims:
- Instant eligibility checks: Settlemate matches your past purchases to open recalls and class-action settlements in real time. The app scans your inbox for receipts, connects the dots, and shows you exactly what you qualify for.
- Auto-filled claims: Settlemate pre-fills the forms with verified details so you can submit in minutes. Claim progress is tracked automatically until payout.
- Deadline reminders: Settlemate alerts you before a claim closes and when a payout is ready. That means no missed windows and no chasing paperwork.
- Built-in recall alerts: Settlemate notifies you when a product you bought appears on an official recall list. You act early, get refunds faster, and reduce risk in your kitchen.
Start turning food recalls and class action alerts into cash that’s already yours.
Download the Settlemate app on the App Store or Google Play and make sure you never miss another payout.
