Top Causes of Food Recalls—and the States Most Impacted

If you feel like you’re hearing more about recalled food these days, you’re not wrong—the total number of food recalls increased by 20 percent between 2020 and 2023—and in recent months, we’ve seen massive recalls involving everything from baby formula to deli meat. Just as there are certain foods that are recalled more often than others, there are also specific reasons why these foods are frequently recalled.

According to new data from Trace One, a platform that specializes in the manufacturing and retail consumer packaged goods space, the reasons for food recalls vary, but there are some issues, such as mislabeling, that arise more frequently than others. The team at Trace One analyzed four years of recall data from the Food & Drug Administration to rank the most common causes of food recalls, as well as which states are most often affected by these recalls.

Causes of Food Recalls

Nearly all of the food recalls from the past four years can be attributed to one of the following reasons.

Allergen Contamination

Allergen contamination was the reason for nearly 40 percent of recalls over the past several years. Food items can become contaminated with certain allergens, such as wheat, nuts, and dairy, due to cross contamination during the manufacturing and production processes. Since many food allergies are highly sensitive, even trace amounts of the aforementioned allergens (and others) can trigger severe reactions in consumers, hence the need for frequent recalls.

Bacterial Contamination

This category includes harmful pathogens, such as salmonella, E. coli, and listeria, and accounts for more than 21 percent of food recalls since 2020. These pathogens, which can impact raw meat, produce, dairy products, and more, can cause severe gastrointestinal issues, long-term health complications, and even death. This is particularly true among vulnerable populations, such as young children, those who are immunocompromised, and older adults.

Foreign Objects

The presence of foreign objects, such as pieces of plastic or metal, accounted for 11.6 percent of recent recalls. These harmful objects occasionally find their way into some foods due to errors in the production process, and can lead to choking, dental damage, or internal injuries if ingested.

Mislabeling

Mislabeling can occur when food labels mistakenly omit some ingredients, or when food labels are placed on the incorrect item and don’t list the correct ingredients. For those with severe food allergies, this can be very dangerous. According to the data, mislabeling accounted for approximately 9 percent of recent recalls.

Spoilage

Spoilage—when food spoils at some point during the manufacturing or distribution process—caused just shy of 2 percent of recent food recalls. Spoilage can occur when food packaging gets dented or damaged and causes the food inside to go bad. Eating spoiled food can lead to gastrointestinal issues, and should, understandably, be avoided.

Lead Contamination

Though lead contamination is to blame for just 1.7 percent of recent recalls, it has generated many headlines in recent months and has caused recalls for applesauce pouches and ground cinnamon. While lead and other metals are naturally found in these foods, they were recalled for containing too much lead, which can have adverse health effects.

States Most Frequently Impacted by Recalls

Food recalls impact different areas of the country, depending on where the food was produced, packaged, and distributed. Some recalls are nationwide, but others are confined to certain states or areas of the country, The states most often affected by food recalls over the last four years are listed below:

1. California
2. New York
3. Pennsylvania
4. Illinois
5. Texas
6. Florida
7. Ohio
8. Washington
9. Georgia
10. Virginia