How serious are food recalls?

Of the 7,081 food recalls the FDA classified from 2013 through 2025, 2,885 (about 41%) were Class I, meaning the food could cause serious harm or death, as with Listeria, Salmonella or an allergen missing from the label. About half (3,616) were Class II, and 580 (8%) Class III, unlikely to harm anyone. A recall with products in several classes counts in its most serious one. Meat, poultry and most egg products are USDA's to recall and aren't included.

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Source and date

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Enforcement Reports (openFDA food recall data)
License: Public domain (U.S. government work); source U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA
Data as of: December 31, 2025
Published: September 25, 2026

The data

FDA recall class	Food recalls since 2013
Class I: could cause serious harm or death	2,885
Class II: could cause temporary or minor harm	3,616
Class III: unlikely to cause harm	580