Americans are growing cautious about food recalls, with recent polls highlighting changes in consumer behavior and perceptions. A GS1 US survey involving 1,000 U.S. adults found that 94% are worried about frequent food recalls, compared to 93% back in 2025. Additionally, confidence in the effectiveness of recalls to protect public safety has dropped from 85% to 80%.
This shift follows a season marked by notable food recalls linked to disease outbreaks. A salmonella incident tied to jalapeño peppers from Mexico sickened at least 431 people in 32 states. The outbreak resulted in 57 hospitalizations, as reported by the FDA, though no fatalities were noted. Another cyclospora outbreak connected to iceberg lettuce earlier this summer led to 11,458 illnesses in 20 states, resulting in 495 hospitalizations and two deaths.
Polling indicates that food recalls are affecting consumer sentiment beyond the recalled items. Sixty-seven percent of adults refrained from an entire category of food after a recall, up from 60% last year. Furthermore, 66% expressed hesitation to repurchase the same product or brand, increasing from 59% in 2025.
Women, in particular, adjusted their purchasing patterns, with 71% avoiding entire food categories after recalls, compared to 63% of men. At the same time, 59% of consumers indicated a willingness to pay more for products offering detailed information, rising from 57%.
Understanding Food Recalls
The FDA defines a food recall as the market withdrawal of items that breach regulations. Usually, recalls are initiated voluntarily by producers or distributors, although the FDA can request or mandate one when needed. The FDA oversees most foods, while the USDA regulates meat, poultry, and processed egg products.
Food recalls occur due to reasons such as bacterial contamination, labeling errors, or foreign objects in food. A Trace One analysis using FDA data from 2021 to 2025 reveals that allergen contamination constitutes 45.2% of recalls. This includes products with allergens like milk, wheat, or nuts lacking necessary label warnings. Bacterial contamination makes up 22.6% of recalls, involving pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, while foreign objects account for 10.8%. Such objects might include plastic or metal, posing injury risks. Lead contamination was notably low at 0.1% of all recalls.
The same data showed a rise in total food recalls from 505 in 2021 to 613 in 2025, marking a 21.4% increase. Class I recalls, indicating the highest health risk, saw a 36.4% rise in the same period.
Consumer Response to Recalls
Despite heightened concerns, many consumers don’t abandon brands after a recall permanently. Only 9% claimed they would never repurchase a recalled brand. Of those considering returning, 39% would be influenced by the time since the recall, 39% by the contamination’s severity, and 35% by official recommendations.
Bob Carpenter, GS1 US president and CEO, emphasized that recalls aim to protect consumers. He advocated for enhanced traceability to allow companies swift identification of affected products and to provide clear safety information to consumers.