It seems that nearly every day a news article is telling me that yet another food is being recalled from stores or restaurants. On the day that I’m writing this, certain frozen waffle brands have been recalled due to a listeria outbreak and McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to an E. Coli outbreak. The E. Coli outbreak is so severe that there have been ten hospitalizations and one death (NPR). 

I first noticed this surge of recalls this past summer, when a salmonella outbreak in cucumbers caused hundreds to fall ill; I didn’t even know cucumbers could carry salmonella. Another notable recall involved Boar’s Head brand deli meats, in which a Virginia production plant contaminated with bugs, mold and mildew resulted in a widespread listeria outbreak (CBS). While there are some outliers— I noticed a lot of cinnamon recalls on the list— the majority of the foods being recalled were ‘risky’ to begin with: dairy, eggs, raw meats, etc. 

These are just a few examples among many; during our Fall semester alone, the FDA website lists 27 recalled food products. Yet, it seems like this news only really circulates when it affects a chain restaurant, like the infamous Chipotle lettuce E. coli outbreak in 2015. 

So, why should you care? For starters, because you could be the next person getting sick. These outbreaks are sometimes only identified once people become sick, or it’s already too late by the time the production location is able to flag it. You may think that you could never be one of the few hundred people that fall ill and that the chances are too slim. But even if you’ve never had food poisoning, you likely know someone who has. Sickness from listeria isn’t something you can just brush off like the common cold either and especially those with compromised immune systems run the risk of being hospitalized or worse. 

Secondly, what does this mean for our food consumption in America? Ever since this surge of outbreaks began, I’ve been wondering why it’s been so prevalent. There seems to be a handful of explanations, with one being the increasing complexity of food production (CBS). With how processed food has become, it’s going through increasingly more steps in its production process, leading to more opportunities for contamination. In addition, companies are producing a wider variety of products in the same facility, increasing the chances of cross contamination (WDTN). Another reason is the improvement of our testing processes (CBS). Maybe there were just as many contaminations in the previous years, if not more, but now our tests are able to more easily identify what is specifically making consumers ill.

Lastly, despite the media’s focus on listeria outbreaks, the top reason that foods were recalled in 2023 was due to unlabeled allergens (LA Times). This could be seen as an even greater concern than food-borne illnesses, with food allergies being much more common and potentially deadly. I’m fortunate to not have any food allergies, but I know plenty of people that do. Some people at Bucknell struggle to trust that their school-provided food isn’t being cross-contaminated and rely on the safety of grocery store products instead, which are now a risk as well. In short, our current food and safety regulations are in dire need of reform. Companies need to be heavily scrutinizing the way their products are being produced. Like USDA employee Teresa Murray said in an LA Times article, “They just need to care more.”

Hopefully I haven’t concerned you so much that you’ll be terrified to eat anything; rather, I’m just urging you to be aware. Pay attention to news articles, even if you’re just scanning the headlines. Check the FDA and USDA websites every once in a while to see if there’s food that you may need to discard or avoid at the store. If it’s an option for you financially, consider getting those risky foods like eggs, meat, and dairy products from a local farmers market. Not only does it protect you, but it’ll support local businesses! 

So for now, maybe avoid those Trump specially-crafted Quarter Pounders the next time you’re at your local McDonald’s.