Food Recall Check

Why food gets recalled

Every FDA food recall states a reason. We sorted 29,471 of them by main cause, so you can see what actually goes wrong and how often.

Each recall is classified automatically from FDA's own reason text; the original wording is always shown on the recall. When a reason names a pathogen, that is the main cause even if other problems are listed.

12,270 recalls

Bacteria & viruses

Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, botulism and other organisms that make people sick.

See recalls
6,953 recalls

Undeclared allergens

A major allergen - milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish or sesame - is in the food but missing from the label.

See recalls
2,976 recalls

Other reasons

Recalls whose stated reason does not fit the categories above.

See recalls
2,389 recalls

Foreign material

Pieces of plastic, glass, metal, rubber or other objects found in the food.

See recalls
2,129 recalls

Processing & sanitation problems

Under-processing, temperature abuse, insanitary conditions or other manufacturing failures.

See recalls
1,964 recalls

Labeling errors

Wrong label, missing ingredients such as sulfites or color additives, or incorrect dates.

See recalls
578 recalls

Chemical contamination

Lead, arsenic, pesticides, natural toxins such as aflatoxin, or histamine in fish.

See recalls
182 recalls

Mold

Visible mold or mold growth in the product.

See recalls
30 recalls

Hidden drug ingredients

A supplement or "natural" product secretly contains a prescription drug such as sildenafil or sibutramine.

See recalls

Pathogens named in recalls

Undeclared allergens

The nine major US food allergens. One recall can name several.