PIRG report the FDA recall system does not instill confidence in food safety

PIRG is an advocate for consumers, advancing solutions to problems affecting health, safety, and well-being. US. PIRG Education Fund conducts research, policy analysis, and public education to advance solutions to problems that affect consumers’ health, safety, and well-being. A new 2026 US PIRG Education Fund report highlights that food recalls are often not made in a timely manner, with outbreaks sometimes taking years to trigger public warnings, endangering consumers. The watchdog group reports that in 2025, several recalls took months or years, and the FDA failed to publicly announce all life-threatening recalls. For example, in June 2025, the USDA announced recalls involving three ready-to-eat pasta products. Later, 15 additional types of ready-made pasta products were affected. As of the last update on Oct. 30, 2025, 25 people had been hospitalized, and six people had died during this outbreak. Of the 28 outbreaks in 2025, a recall for a certain brand wasn’t announced in 17. Thirteen investigations didn’t identify the type of food. Overall, the FDA and the USDA announced 320 food recalls in 2025, compared with 296 in 2024. The lack of timely recalls linked to outbreaks – or any recall at all – is one of the most interesting takeaways from the US PIRG Education Fund’s 2025 analysis of food recalls and foodborne illnesses. The November recall of infant formula connected to a botulism outbreak took nearly two years; the February recall of frozen supplemental shakes connected to a Listeria outbreak took more than six years. The CAUSES BEHIND OUTBREAKS Salmonella: 636 cases Listeria: 183 cases Cyclospora: 117 cases Botulism: 51 cases E. coli: 11 cases Hepatitis A: 5 cases TOTAL: 1,003 cases. A number of recalls were due to cascading issues from suppliers, since Food producers rely on major suppliers whose ingredients they don’t adequately test. Only 13 of the 22 closed outbreak investigations had a food type. The total number of recall announcements was about the same amount as in 2024, at 320 in 2025 vs. 296 in 2024. The most common cause of the 28 foodborne outbreaks in 2025 (not total recalls) was Salmonella. The No. 1 cause of death in outbreaks was Listeria.