Why food safety concerns are rising amid U.S. recalls in 2025

In 2025, recall headlines appear almost daily, fueling the sense that food safety is slipping.

Yet the data tells a different story: the overall number of recalls hasn't spiked. Regulators and companies are identifying risks sooner, pulling products faster, and publicizing actions more widely.

Still, recent food recalls raise concerns about food safety despite no major uptick in recalls. Brands and consumers must move past reaction and focus on faster detection, stronger traceability, clear labels, and instant alerts.

This article unpacks the current wave of recalls and the growing safety concerns behind them.

Key takeaways:

• Recall numbers remain steady, but perception is shifting: Data shows that recalls in 2025 have not increased significantly. What changed is visibility: recalls now involve big brands, multiple states, and rapid social media amplification, which makes each event feel like a crisis.
• Food safety concerns are rising for deeper reasons: High-profile outbreaks with severe outcomes dominate headlines. Budget cuts weaken oversight, while global supply chains and uneven standards slow responses. Labeling errors and banned additives abroad can deteriorate trust.
• The true costs of food safety failures run deep: Recalls bring more than product loss. They cause illness, cost companies millions, damage brand trust, invite lawsuits, and disrupt entire supply chains.
• Consumers can protect both health and wallet during recalls: When recalls happen, verify details through official sources, stop using the product immediately, sanitize any surfaces it touched, and claim a refund or replacement.
• Settlemate helps you take back control: By tracking your purchases, Settlemate alerts you to recalls that affect you, and simplifies refunds or settlement claims.

The 2025 food recall reality: Steady in numbers, shifting in perception

Despite what headlines suggest, the overall number of food recalls in the U.S. remains relatively stable in 2025.

The FDA continues to issue more than 175 public alerts annually, while the USDA handles roughly 30 to 60 recalls.

A decade-plus review even shows a gradual decline in serious (Class I) recalls, indicating that overall activity has not surged.

What has changed is the kind of recalls that dominate the headlines:

• Foreign materials, such as glass or plastic, are often found in packaged foods like dessert dips, instant coffee, and cheeses.
• Large-scale incidents, including Hormel's recall of 256,000 pounds of beef stew cans contaminated with wood pieces.
• High-visibility recalls that stretch across multiple states and retailers, amplified by social media and constant news coverage.

So why does every recall feel like a crisis? The perception gap comes from visibility, not volume.

When recalls involve household brands, span large distribution networks, or highlight severe risks, they spread quickly and heighten consumer anxiety even if the total counts remain steady.

This paradox of consistent recall numbers but rising public concern captures the actual state of food safety in 2025.

Why food safety concerns are rising despite no major recall spike

Food safety concerns are on the rise, even though the number of recalls remains steady. 

Here's a closer look at what's behind that growing concern:

1. High-impact outbreaks make news

When recalls involve serious illness or death, they dominate headlines. Here are two high-profile cases from 2025 that demonstrate how visibility and impact can outweigh raw statistics:

• Salmonella and cage-free eggs: In June 2025, a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak tied to cage-free eggs from August Egg Company sickened 134 people across 10 states, hospitalized 38, and caused one death. The FDA recalled the eggs, inspected the facility, and used genomic sequencing to trace the contamination.
• Listeria in ready-to-eat foods: In May 2025, Fresh & Ready Foods recalled 86 ready-to-eat items after Listeria surfaced on production equipment. The contamination hospitalized 10 people, including six in healthcare facilities, and the FDA confirmed the outbreak through genomic sequencing.

Why these cases stand out:

• Intensity over frequency: These incidents weren't among numerous minor recalls. They involved severe illness and notable fatalities. That type of fallout naturally attracts headlines and stays in public consciousness.
• Consumer trust shaken: Even brands generally regarded as safe can face backlash when high-profile crises occur. The emotional weight of such events amplifies skepticism.
• Extended visibility: Media coverage, social media sharing, and public health communications keep these stories alive long after the immediate danger has passed, reinforcing public anxiety.

2. Regulatory oversight under strain

Budget cuts and staffing reductions are weakening inspection systems.

In early 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) eliminated about 10,000 full-time positions, shrinking its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accounted for approximately 3,500 of these cuts, a reduction of roughly 20 percent.

Despite assurances that inspectors and food safety reviewers wouldn't be affected, the mass layoffs have hampered the agency's ability to conduct routine checks and respond swiftly to emerging threats.

Meanwhile, state-level food safety budgets have taken a sharp hit. Funding for rapid response teams dropped by up to 60 percent, while budgets for produce inspections fell by about 40 percent.

Since state agencies handle the majority of inspections, roughly 90 percent of produce and half of processed food facilities, these cuts greatly diminish oversight at the frontlines.

3. Confounding supply chains and sourcing

Food today often travels through multiple countries and hands before reaching the consumer. That complexity makes recalls harder to execute quickly and fuels concern about unseen risks.

The main issues behind the problem:

• Global complexity: Products may move through farms, processors, distributors, and repackagers in different countries before hitting store shelves. Each additional step introduces more opportunities for mistakes or contamination.
• Fragmented data systems: Many suppliers still rely on outdated paper logs or siloed digital systems. Without unified traceability, investigations can stall at any point along the chain.
• Poor coordination: Retailers, transporters, and suppliers often record and share data differently, slowing down responses during food safety events.
• Real-world consequences: In July 2025, a Listeria recall showed how supply chain complexity can cloud the picture. Albertsons first pulled tuna salad from stores, but investigators later traced the contamination to breadcrumbs supplied by Reser's Fine Foods. The misattribution delayed clear guidance and fueled wider consumer concern.
• Lagging technology adoption: Tools like blockchain, IoT sensors, and AI-powered platforms could provide real-time visibility, but adoption remains uneven, especially among smaller suppliers.
• Uneven safety standards: Frameworks like ISO 22000 and ISO 22005 aim to harmonize global food safety practices, but many smaller operators remain outside these systems.

4. Labeling errors seriously undermine trust

Mistakes on labels, from undisclosed ingredients to unclear expiration dates, aren't minor slip-ups - they undermine trust in the food system.

People fear "invisible risks," threats they can't see or anticipate.

Concern about food additives and ingredient safety jumped from 30% to 36% compared to the previous year. Foodborne illness now tops public concern, but chemical additives remain a close second.

Americans grow alarmed as the U.S. still allows additives banned in Europe, including titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, and propylparaben, under the FDA's permissive GRAS process.

Take Red Dye No. 3 (erythrosine) for example. It was still approved for food use in the U.S., while many other regions had long restricted it. That changed in 2025 when the FDA officially banned it from food and ingested drugs, with compliance deadlines set for 2027 and 2028.

Across the country, states are now stepping in to fill the gaps. For instance, West Virginia passed sweeping legislation to ban certain food dyes and additives in 2025.

5. Consumer confidence and perceptions

Public trust in the U.S. food system has taken a sharp nosedive.

In 2025, just 55% of Americans say they're "very" or "somewhat" confident in the safety of the nation's food supply - down sharply from 62% in 2024 and 70% in 2023, marking the lowest point in the 13-year history of this IFIC survey. Only 11% reported being "very confident."

Among respondents with low confidence, the main concerns are:

• 59% say companies put profit before safety.
• 54% feel the food system lacks coordination
• 46% say regulations are too weak
• 43% point to an excess of food recalls.

Top food safety concerns have shifted as well. In 2025, foodborne illness, especially from bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, was cited by 50% of Americans as one of their top three worries, overtaking previous top concerns like carcinogens in food.

The real costs of food safety failures

Food safety failures spark crises that resonate across public health, business resilience, and consumer trust.

Here's a closer look at the true stakes of food recalls:

1. Human impact

First and foremost comes human health.

The tragic example of the 2024 Boar's Head listeriosis outbreak linked to liverwurst and deli meats caused 60 hospitalizations and 10 deaths, prompting the recall of over 7 million pounds of product. U.S. inspectors later uncovered severe sanitation failures - including mold, pests, and pooled blood - that had been building for months before the crisis.

These findings continue to haunt both consumers and regulators long after the headlines faded.

2. Financial Toll

Each recall carries an average direct cost exceeding $10 million, covering disposal, logistics, communication, and compliance.

The hidden costs, however, are far greater. In one incident, $20 of contaminated cheese triggered a devastating $2,500 loss when used in downstream prepared salad products.

3. Reputation damage

Trust is easy to lose and hard to win back.

In June 2025, YouGov found that 31% of consumers affected by a recall lowered their trust moderately, while 16% said the recall severely damaged their view of the brand.

In the age of instant headlines and viral posts, a single recall can undo years of brand loyalty. Companies aren't just fighting to fix the problem on shelves; they're also battling to restore confidence long after the crisis fades from the news.

4. Legal exposure

Food safety can lead to lawsuits, expensive settlements, and long-term liability.

In 2025, Quaker Oats agreed to a $6.75 million class action settlement after voluntarily recalling 64 snack and cereal products for potential Salmonella contamination. Consumers claimed the company engaged in deceptive labeling by marketing the products as safe even after the recall. Quaker chose to settle the case without admitting liability, aiming to avoid drawn-out litigation and further reputational damage.

5. Supply chain shockwaves

Recalls rarely stay contained to the manufacturer.

A single faulty ingredient can move through dozens of products and brands, forcing widespread removals from shelves.

Companies must halt distribution, reroute logistics, and repair strained relationships with suppliers and retailers. These disruptions ripple outward, creating costs and delays that often exceed the original recall itself.

What to do as a consumer

You deserve food that is safe to eat, and a refund if a product fails. When a recall hits, follow this straightforward plan to protect both your health and your wallet:

• Verify the facts, not the rumors. Check trusted sources like FoodSafety.gov, the FDA's recall database, or the USDA FSIS recall page. Match the brand, package size, lot code, and dates to be sure the recall applies to your item before taking action.
• Stop using the product immediately. Follow the recall notice for next steps. If the recall involves perishable goods with a risk of Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria, it is usually safer to dispose of the product rather than attempt to return it.
• Clean and sanitize carefully. If recalled food touched your refrigerator, pantry, or kitchen surfaces, clean them with hot, soapy water, and then sanitize.
• Claim your refund or replacement. Most grocery stores will refund recalled items, even without a receipt. Many manufacturers also set up hotlines or websites for reimbursement. Saving the product label or packaging can make the process smoother.

Take the hassle out of food recalls with Settlemate

Recent food recalls raise concerns about food safety, despite no major uptick in recalls. Consumers track alerts, check packaging codes, and chase refunds on their own. The process wastes time, creates stress, and often causes people to miss money they deserve.

Settlemate changes that.

Instead of forcing you to hunt down updates and forms, Settlemate gives you a smarter way to handle recalls:

• Targeted notifications: Settlemate tracks your purchases and alerts you instantly if a recall affects something you bought. You no longer dig through FDA or USDA databases - Settlemate tells you exactly what matters.
• Simple refunds and claims: Settlemate guides you through refunds at the store or class action settlements. It even pre-fills claim forms so you can submit them quickly.
• All-in-one tracking: Settlemate organizes every refund, settlement, and payout in one place. Even if you miss a news headline, Settlemate still catches it.
• Fair pricing: Settlemate operates on a flat subscription model, eliminating per-claim fees, so you retain every dollar of your refund or settlement.

Food safety may sit outside your control, but protecting your health and wallet stays firmly in your hands.

Are you ready to stop worrying about recalls and start turning them into refunds?

Join Settlemate today and turn confusing recall news into clear action and real refunds.