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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Key facts
Measure: Food recalls since 2013. Written from the data below.
- Class II: could cause temporary or minor harm has the highest figure, 3,616.
- Class III: unlikely to cause harm has the lowest figure, 580.
- The highest is 6.2 times the lowest.
Source and date
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Citation
Chartly. “How serious are food recalls?” Chart. Data: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Enforcement Reports (openFDA food recall data), https://open.fda.gov/apis/food/enforcement/ (data as of December 31, 2025). https://chart.ly/charts/how-serious-are-food-recalls (accessed October 15, 2026).
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The data
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| 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 |
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