The PIRG Educational Fund reported that food hospitalization deaths from contaminated Food doubled in 2024 as recalls from Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli increased by 41%; 98% of all illnesses linked to just 13 outbreaks, ranging from cucumbers to deli meat. Food recalls flooded the headlines in 2024, with a new, scary announcement surfacing every couple of weeks at times. It created the aura of a sudden change in the safety of Food in the U.S. By the year’s end, the FDA had tallied 241 food and beverage recalls and alerts, an increase of 8% compared with 2023. Meanwhile, recalls and alerts through the USDA totaled 55, a decline of 38% compared with 2023. More people in the United States got sick from contaminated Food in 2024 than the year before, and the number of people who were hospitalized or died doubled, according to a new analysis by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund found. nearly 1,400 people became ill from Food they ate in 2024, 98% of them from just 13 outbreaks, a stunning fact that shows the consequences of companies producing or selling contaminated Food. All but one of the 13 outbreaks involved Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. Our biggest takeaway from 2024: We saw a dramatic increase in serious illnesses and deaths associated with unsafe Food. The biggest threats stem from Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli. Overall, contaminated Food sickened more people in 2024 than in 2023: total illnesses increased to 1,392, up from 1,118 in 2023. @ https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/food-for-thought-2025/
