We’ve touched on the FDA’s role in our food safety system but what actually happens when there is a food threat and a food recall? What do we need to do as the consumer and what basics should we know?
A food recall is usually caused by one of three things. First, food is recalled when there is a physical contaminate like say Jeff accidentally fell into one of the canned soup machines and though we fished him out, his jacket and left shoes have been cooked down into several thousand cans of spaghettiOs. Second, food might be recalled due to a pathogen like E. Coli. or Salmonella. The third common reason for recalls is mislabeling. For example, if a product goes out without noting that it contains Yellow 5 or some other allergen that requires listing. This last one can be particularly dangerous if, say, something with trace amounts of peanuts goes out unlabeled and someone with a serious allergy eats it believing it to be safe.
How is something like this caught? Usually, the manufacturing company is checking inhouse and will be the first to notice that something is off. For example, say Jeff was working alone when he fell in and didn’t tell anyone about his mishap. However, Susan was inspecting the cans of soup from that run later and found teeny, tiny pieces of rubber in several cans. Susan or her superiors would call a halt and they’d be the ones to contact the FDA or FSIS and together they’d work to reclaim as many cans of the contaminated soup as they could. They’d also trace the soup back to its source (probably fire Jeff, sorry Jeff) and tag that whole batch of soup.
Sometimes, the FDA or FSIS is the first to know about a contaminant through their own investigations. In that case, they would encourage the manufacturing company to do a recall voluntarily and put legal pressure on them to force a recall if they refused. Additionally, we as consumers can report an illness or contamination issue to our local health department or the FDA directly and start the process that way.
Once food recall is deemed necessary, it is categorized into one of three classes. Class 1 includes the most dangerous types of food hazards that are pretty likely to cause health issues or even death. Class 2 has the potential for harm but it’s probability of that harm occurring is pretty remote. Class 3 is unlikely to cause harm even if the food is consumed.
Over the last decade we’ve seen the number of food recalls go up dramatically. This increase is due in part to the improvements we’ve made in technology over that time period. In other words, we are better equipped to catch and deal with a food recall so the increase in frequency isn’t all bad. Better to know, right?
As a consumer, when you find out about a food recall here’s what you do:
Do not eat the food! Even if you feel like you’ll be fine and the food looks ok, why risk it?
Don’t open the food! Especially if it is a pathogen contamination. You risk contaminating your kitchen and home with the same pathogen. Remember, this is a microorganism and can and will spread given the opportunity.
Don’t feed it to the neighbors (even if you don’t like them) or your dog. Again, pathogens can affect more than humans and your cat or dog may have some serious reactions to the contaminant as well. At the very least, they might develop diarrhea and no one wants to deal with that kind of mess.
Don’t freak out but be mindful of how you feel if you’ve already eaten the recalled product. Contact your doctor if you start to feel nauseous or develop any new signs of sickness.
Do follow the recommendations listed with the recall as they will vary based on the specific kind of recall you are experiencing. This might include returning the unopened product to the store where you bought it. Often, you will be refunded the cost of the item.
Do sanitize your space particularly if the food in question was a meat or animal by-product.
