The year 2024 has been filled with quickly changing headlines, especially with significant pop culture events and a historic presidential election, but one continuous issue has surfaced: food recalls.

Various products, from Boar’s Head meats to cucumbers and McDonald’s offerings, have been recalled due to serious health risks from bacteria like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. Sadly, some of these recalls resulted in illnesses that led to hospital stays and fatalities.

Despite the perception that food recalls are increasing sharply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s data indicates there isn’t a significant rise. It appears that both consumers and health authorities are simply more vigilant and effective in spotting outbreaks quickly, aided by advancements in technology and testing techniques.

As new recalls seem to emerge weekly, it can be challenging for consumers to stay informed about food safety notifications. Here’s a summary of some of the most significant food recalls of 2024.

Boar’s Head

This summer, one of the most alarming food recalls in a decade occurred when a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head liverwurst led to multiple fatalities.

The outbreak was first reported on July 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and prompted Boar’s Head to recall around 7.2 million pounds of their products. The company attributed the outbreak to its liverwurst, which it has since pulled from shelves.

In total, 61 people fell ill across 19 states due to this outbreak, resulting in 60 hospitalizations and 10 deaths. Additionally, the production facility in Jarratt, Virginia, responsible for the tainted meat was shut down, leaving nearly 500 employees without work.

Reports from the Department of Agriculture obtained by YSL News and other media revealed over 60 instances of “noncompliance” at the Jarratt plant, including problems with insects, green mold, and unsanitary conditions such as mildew and standing water that had occurred leading up to the July recall.

Although the outbreak was declared “over” by the CDC in November, the consequences continue to unfold, with ongoing investigations by the USDA and multiple lawsuits in progress.

Slivered Onions from McDonald’s Quarter Pounders

A recent onion recall due to potential E. coli contamination gained attention in the fall as it was associated with McDonald’s hamburgers.

The E. coli outbreak was traced back to slivered onions that were served on their Quarter Pounder sandwiches, which temporarily removed these burgers from certain menus. According to McDonald’s representatives, Taylor Farms provided the onions in question, and a third-party supplier, US Foods, later issued a recall on diced, peeled, and whole peeled onions produced on October 22. However, the specific recalled onions from Taylor Farms were not related to McDonald’s decision to stop serving Quarter Pounders, as confirmed by the company.

The CDC and FDA announced that the outbreak was deemed “over” on December 3, following 104 reported illnesses across 14 states, which included 34 hospitalizations and one death in Colorado.

McDonald’s has since secured a different supplier for the approximately 900 restaurants that had previously not offered Quarter Pounders with slivered onions.

Dairy Products

As the first recall of 2024, Rizo-López Foods from Modesto, California, has recalled roughly four dozen dairy items due to potential listeria contamination.

The products involved in the recall – which include cheese, crema, yogurt, and sour cream – were distributed across the nation and were sold under various brand names such as 365 Whole Foods Market, Don Francisco, and Tio Francisco.

The FDA and CDC launched an investigation in January 2024 after the Hawaii State Department of Health reported finding Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Rizo Bros Aged Cotija. The officials explained that this investigation is part of a broader, multiyear investigation due to past listeria outbreaks linked to Rizo-López Foods in 2017 and 2021, with cases dating back to 2014.

In January 2024, the CDC and FDA revisited the investigation after confirming that the cheese sample contained the same listeria strain associated with earlier outbreaks.

The CDC declared the outbreak resolved in April, noting it resulted in 26 illnesses, 2 deaths, and 23 hospitalizations across 11 states.

BrucePac Meats

In October, BrucePac, a ready-to-eat meat supplier, recalled approximately 11.8 million pounds of products due to listeria concerns.

The affected meat and poultry were utilized in frozen and ready-to-eat products from hundreds of brands and distributors, prompting the USDA to issue a comprehensive list of over 400 recalled items.

This recall affected not only well-known brands, such as Fresh Express, Udi’s, Dole, and Amazon Fresh, but also major grocery retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s. Additionally, the USDA released a preliminary list indicating about 200 schools across at least 17 states that received recalled products.

The USDA currently categorizes the outbreak as “active,” with the last update provided on October 17. As of now, there have been no confirmed reports of illnesses related to this recall.

Cucumbers

The recall involving cucumbers linked to a salmonella outbreak, which has affected 100 individuals across 23 states since October, is still ongoing, as stated in the FDA’s December 19 update.

As per the latest information, 100 people across 23 states have been affected by this salmonella strain, resulting in 25 hospitalizations, but no deaths have been reported.

In November, SunFed Produce from Arizona recalled cucumbers sold between October 12 and November 26 in over two dozen states, including select Walmart, Wegmans, and Albertsons locations, as well as in parts of Canada. Costco and Kroger also informed customers that they had sold some of the recalled cucumbers.

Since the initial announcement, the FDA has released several updates adding more brands to the recall list, including Crazy Fresh, Quick & Easy, and Sprouts Farmers Market, among others.

Grimmway Farms Carrots

Grimmway Farms, a produce company in California, faced E. coli issues after recalling various sizes and brands of bagged organic baby and whole carrots on November 16.

The CDC declared the outbreak officially concluded on December 18, reporting a total of 48 illness cases from 19 states, including 20 hospitalizations and one death in California.

The carrots were sold under numerous brand names, such as Trader Joe’s, Wholesome Pantry, Cal-Organic, 365, and others.

Wolverine Packing Co.

Wolverine Packing Co., a meat processing company located in Detroit, has recalled roughly 67,200 pounds of raw and frozen ground beef products after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture reported illnesses linked to E. coli.

Although these products were sent to restaurants all over the country, 15 cases of E. coli were confirmed only in Minnesota. The illnesses occurred between November 2 and 10, according to the USDA reports, and fortunately, no fatalities have been recorded.

This recall affects more than 100 different fresh and frozen ground beef items. Some products were sold under various brand names in addition to those of Wolverine Packing Co., such as 1855 Beef, Davis Creek Meals, Farmer’s Choice, Heritage Restaurant Brands, and Cheney Brothers, Inc., based on a list from the USDA.

Frozen Waffles

In a surprising move, TreeHouse Foods initiated a voluntary recall of its frozen waffles in October due to fears of potential listeria contamination.

These waffles were marketed under several brands, including Best Choice, Kodiak Cakes, and Good & Gather, and were sold by many retailers such as Dollar General, Publix, Stop & Shop, Target, and Walmart.

TreeHouse Foods informed YSL News that the listeria concern was traced back to one of their manufacturing locations. So far, there have been no reported illnesses related to the recalled products.

Eggs

A salmonella outbreak tied to eggs was reported in September, causing 65 infections across nine states. The infections started in May and resulted in 24 hospitalizations.

The FDA and CDC stated that the affected eggs were distributed by Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC to stores in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, branded as Milo’s Poultry Farms or Tony’s Fresh Market. Fortunately, no fatalities have been documented.

Cinnamon

This year, the FDA issued recalls for several cinnamon brands due to the presence of the hazardous heavy metal, raiseing other health concerns.

A Consumer Reports analysis from September indicated that 12 brands of cinnamon and mixed spice powders contained lead levels so high that just a quarter teaspoon could surpass the recommended daily intake.

Additionally, ground cinnamon found in U.S. discount stores like Dollar Tree and Family Dollar was confirmed to have lead contamination, as reported by the FDA in March.

Yu Shang Food Inc. Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry

On November 9, Yu Shang Food announced an initial recall of 4,589 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry due to listeria concerns. By November 21, the recall expanded to include a total of 72,240 pounds encompassing all products from Yu Shang Food manufactured before October 28, 2024.

The recalled items comprised all products marketed as Yu Shang Food, such as Yushang Brand Cooked Chicken, Seasoned Pork Hock, and Japanese Chashu Pork Belly, among others.

As of December 5, the CDC reported that 19 individuals had fallen ill across eight states, leading to 17 hospitalizations and two fatalities.