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Trader Joe\u2019s has had a recall reckoning: Early this month, the California grocery chain recalled over 61,000 pounds<\/a> of steamed chicken soup dumplings for possibly containing plastic from a permanent marker. In February, it recalled multiple salad kits and dressings<\/a> containing cotija cheese over listeria concerns.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just Trader Joe\u2019s issuing an influx of recalls. Warnings for consumer products, including groceries, have reached the highest numbers in years. In 2023, 199.7 million food and drink product units were impacted by 506 recall events, according to Sedgwick Brand Protection\u2019s 2024 State of the Nation Recall Index report<\/a>\u2014a five-year high. Recalls in 2023 were up 19.6% from 2022\u2019s 423 recalls, and eclipsed even 2019\u2019s 498 recalls. This year appears to continue 2023\u2019s trend: There were 46 food and drink recalls in January, a 31% increase from 2023\u2019s fourth-quarter monthly average of 35 recalls.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is clear that strict regulatory enforcement is more than a passing trend,\u201d Chris Harvey, Sedgwick\u2019s senior vice president of brand protection, said in a press release<\/a>. \u201c2024 will see continued oversight from regulators, policymakers, and consumers, making it essential for businesses to plan and practice for product recalls and in-market crises.\u201d<\/p>\n From lead-laced cinnamon<\/a> to rubber potentially in 35,430 pounds<\/a> of Johnsonville turkey kielbasa sausage, contaminated products pose a threat to both consumers and companies. The CDC reported<\/a> that the February listeria outbreak, which impacted Trader Joes, Costco, and Walmart<\/a>, sickened at least 26 and resulted in two deaths. Listeriosis kills about 260 people annually and about 1,600 become ill, according to the CDC<\/a>. About 48 million<\/a> people in the U.S. get a foodborne sickness every year.<\/p>\n While Trader Joe\u2019s did not respond to Fortune<\/em>\u2019s request for comment or provide information on how recalls impacted earnings, other industries have experienced the impact of recalls on the bottom line. In 2021, following a recall of 125,000 treadmills over safety concerns, Peloton CFO Jill Woodworth said the revenue impact of the recall would be $165 million<\/a>. Toyota<\/a> Motor\u2019s shares dipped 4%<\/a> after it announced the recall of 1.1 million vehicles and investigated other safety concerns in December.<\/p>\n While seeing more recalls may be jarring to consumers, it\u2019s not necessarily an indication more things are going awry in food production.<\/p>\n Keith Belk<\/a>, head of the Center for Meat Safety and Quality at Colorado State University, told ABC<\/a> in September that improved technology, such as X-rays and metal detectors, has made it easier to detect foreign materials in food.\u00a0<\/p>\n These technological improvements have been bolstered by the U.S. Congress\u2019s enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act<\/a> in 2011, which expanded food-safety laws and increased the FDA\u2019s power to order recalls. Meaningful changes have been made across the production chain. After the FSMA\u2019s passage, the Mexican horticultural sector, the largest provider of U.S. horticultural imports, invested in new sampling techniques and infrastructure, as well as ensured the use of clean water through all stages of production, according to an August 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture report<\/a>. These changes did not slow down Mexico\u2019s export growth.<\/p>\n Still, there are recall cases that slip through the cracks. The leading reason for recalls over the past six years is unlabeled allergens, which accounted for 42 recalls in last year\u2019s fourth quarter, according to the Sedgwick report. A 25-year-old dancer in New York died in January after eating a mislabeled cookie<\/a> which contained peanuts. Federal law dictates that the nine leading allergens, including peanuts and soy, be listed on food packaging when relevant.<\/p>\n While the FDA\u2019s goal is to mitigate foodborne illness, it\u2019s not able to reduce contaminants\u2014and therefore recalls\u2014to zero. The FDA has established action levels, or a threshold that takes into account natural or unavoidable defects<\/a>, for the express reason that it can\u2019t eliminate every threat to consuming certain foods.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is, there\u2019s never going to be a day where there\u2019s zero risk associated with consuming a food product,\u201d Belk said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nMore recalls, more dangers? Not always<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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