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PORTSIDE CULTURE

WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA’S MEAT RECALLS? PANDEMIC-ERA DIP STILL
LINGERS.  
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Melissa Dai
July 9, 2025
Investigate Midwest
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_ The Trump administration eliminated two food safety committees: the
National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection and
National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, a
warning that food safety is not a USDA priority. _

The Food Safety and Inspection Service is responsible for monitoring
the quality of U.S. meat that is eventually sold throughout the
country. , Darrell Hoemann, Investigate Midwest

 

WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICA’S MEAT RECALLS? PANDEMIC-ERA DIP STILL
LINGERS.

After plummeting during the height of COVID-19, FSIS recalls of meat,
poultry and egg products have gradually begun to rebound. But the
numbers haven’t fully recovered, raising questions about what’s
changed and why.

Kraft Heinz recently distributed more than 367,000 pounds of turkey
bacon that may be contaminated with listeria.

On July 2, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety
Inspection Service announced
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a recall of three Kraft Heinz products under the Oscar Mayer brand,
produced between April 24 and June 11. The company had shipped the
items nationwide and abroad to the British Virgin Islands and Hong
Kong.

FSIS categorizes listeria contamination as Class I, a recall of
products that could cause serious health consequences or death.
Listeriosis, the possible resulting infection, can lead to fevers,
muscle aches, fatigue, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and
seizures. 

Officials said no adverse reactions have been linked to Kraft Heinz’
recalled turkey bacon. But that isn’t always the outcome.

In 2024, hospitalizations and deaths from contaminated food more than
doubled from the previous year, according to Food Safety Net Services
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Pathogens like listeria and salmonella were the top causes of FSIS and
Food and Drug Administration recalls, accounting for 39% of all 2024
cases.

For over a century, FSIS has overseen recalls like this — cases of
adulteration or misbranding involving everything from mixed meats to
individual species in the meat, poultry and egg industry.

But recall numbers haven’t been consistent across species and
years, especially within the past decade, data shows. 

“The number of recalls is likely to fluctuate over any given period
of time, due to the number of variables that affect whether a recall
is necessary to remove adulterated or misbranded product from
commerce,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement to Investigate
Midwest.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the nation to a standstill in 2020,
FSIS recalls sank to a historic low. Reasons for this dip were
unclear, according to a 2021 NPR
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article. Some experts speculated to NPR at the time that the low
numbers indicated a safer food supply, while others worried it meant
more risks were going unnoticed. An FSIS spokesperson told NPR the
drop was because fewer cases were reported to the agency that year.

In the years since COVID, America has largely bounced back, and FSIS
recalls are slowly following suit. 

According to agency data, the recall numbers for major species like
pork, beef and poultry are creeping upward. Pork products, for
example, plummeted from 19 recalls in 2019 to four cases in
2020 — a 79% decline. In the years following, the species has seen
an almost-linear increase, with nine pork recalls in 2021, 14 in 2022
and 18 in 2023.

“Over the last few years, FSIS has pushed for more accountability
from industry to produce safe and wholesome products,” the USDA
spokesperson said.

While recent recall numbers are trending upward, they remain far below
pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, FSIS reported 144 recalls. That number
plunged to 31 in 2020 and has only partly recovered, reaching 65 in
2023 — less than half of the 2019 total.

Food Safety Inspection Service continues to request recalls for
products deemed adulterated or misbranded. Less than a week before the
Kraft Heinz recall, FSIS announced
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yet another major recall of more than 143,000 pounds of bologna due to
misbranding. Seven bologna products, produced by Gaiser’s European
Style Provisions, Inc. between March 20 and June 20, contained
undeclared pork, beef or chicken ingredients

The latest recalls come during a tumultuous time for food safety
policy. In March, the Trump administration eliminated two food safety
committees: the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry
Inspection and the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological
Criteria for Foods.

“The termination of these two important advisory committees is very
alarming and should serve as a warning to consumers that food safety
will not be a priority at USDA in the foreseeable future,” Brian
Ronholm, food policy director at Consumer Reports, told Meat+Poultry
in March.

Data Harvest (formerly Graphic of the Week) is Investigate Midwest’s
way of making complex agricultural data easy to understand. Through
engaging graphics, charts, and maps, we break down key trends to help
readers quickly grasp the forces shaping farming, food systems, and
rural communities. Want us to explore other data trends? Let us know
here.

* Food Safety
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* Meat Industry
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* USDA
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* FSIS
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* food
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