Food recalls are an unfortunate fact of life.
Last year, a number of nationwide food recalls were observed. A listeria outbreak in Boar’s Head deli meat killed 10 people. Then McDonald’s quarter pounder hamburgers were linked to E. Coli outbreaks and killed one person while hospitalizing 27.
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In the span of a few months in 2024, Costco recalled smoked salmon, Fresh Express recalled salad bowls, and Tree House Foods —which makes breakfast items sold at stores including Kroger and Target — had recalls, although there were no illnesses associated with those products. Even carrots and cucumbers have been linked to salmonella outbreaks recently.
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In some cases a company decides to voluntarily recall its products, such as in the ongoing case of Johnsonville sausages, which notified the USDA about a contamination.
Grilled bratwurst is a favorite grilled food but there has been a major recall.
Image source: Getty Images
Recent food recalls are on the rise
The number of food recalls has been rising lately, after falling during the pandemic. The Food and Drug Administration says a total of 1,908 products were recalled between September 2023 and 2024.
So what’s going on?
Food safety experts say there are a number of factors at play, including an increase in the number of convenience foods, coupled with unsanitary farming practices and unclean facilities. Contamination with allergens is the most common reason (38%) for a recall, followed by bacterial contamination (21.8%) and then contamination with a foreign object (11%).
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Starting in 2011 the Food and Drug Administration was granted the power to regulate most food facilities, so now authorities are able to detect pathogens in foods during inspections, in some cases before the foods even enter the supply chain.
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In response to the increase in recall events, the FDA has a new “traceability” rule that will go into effect in 2026 with the goal being to keep track of products as they enter the supply chain.
Where recalled Johnsonville sausage products are located
Johnsonville, a privately owned company based in Wisconsin, is recalling approximately 22,672 pounds of cheddar bratwurst product that may be contaminated with a hard plastic material, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) just announced.
The cheddar bratwurst item was produced on February 5, 2025.
The following product is subject to recall: 19-oz. sealed firm tray packages containing five pieces of “Johnsonville BRATS CHEDDAR Bratwurst” and the package code B9FOD.
The product subject to recall bears establishment number “Est. 1647” on the front of the label. These items were shipped to retail locations in Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Two consumers reported finding hard plastic material in the bratwurst product, but there have been no confirmed reports of injury due to consumption of these products. The FDA advises anyone concerned about an injury to contact a healthcare provider.
The FSIS warns some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Those who have purchased these products are urged to throw them away or return them to where they were purchased.
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