3 Common Causes of Food Recalls

How to Prevent Recalls in 2025

Food recalls are an unfortunate but necessary part of food safety. When a product is found to pose a health risk to consumers, regulatory agencies and food manufacturers take swift action to remove it from shelves. Recalls can happen for a variety of reasons, but three of the most common causes are undeclared allergens, foreign material contamination and pathogenic bacteria. Understanding how these issues occur and how they can be prevented is crucial for food producers and consumers alike.

1. Undeclared Allergens

Undeclared allergens are one of the leading causes of food recalls. These occur when a food product contains allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, or shellfish but fails to list them on the label. Even trace amounts of these allergens can trigger severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, making proper labeling essential.

How It Happens:

Mislabeling due to human error in packaging or ingredient lists
Cross-contact during manufacturing, where allergenic ingredients unintentionally mix with non-allergenic products
Supplier miscommunication, where ingredients contain hidden allergens that aren’t disclosed

How to Prevent It:

Strict label verification and allergen control programs in manufacturing facilities
Good allergen practices such as color coding allergenic materials, timely cleaning and segregation of shared equipment and employee training
Comprehensive ingredient sourcing and verification to ensure ingredient transparency

2. Foreign Material Contamination

Foreign materials, such as metal, plastic, glass, or wood, can find their way into food products during the production process. These contaminants pose a physical hazard and can cause injury if consumed.

How It Happens:

Broken equipment or packaging materials shedding fragments into food
Human errors, such as dropping personal items (e.g., jewelry or gloves) into production lines
Poor facility maintenance leading to loose screws, shards, or debris

How to Prevent It:

Implementing robust quality control and food safety measures, including metal detectors and X-ray scanning
Conducting routine equipment maintenance to identify and fix potential hazards
Establishing robust training programs and strict manufacturing protocols for workers to minimize human-related contamination

3. Pathogenic Bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli can lead to serious foodborne illnesses. A recall due to bacterial contamination often occurs when testing reveals unsafe levels of harmful microbes in food products.

How It Happens:

Inadequate cooking or processing, allowing bacteria to survive
Poor sanitation in food handling and processing facilities
Contaminated raw ingredients, such as tainted produce or undercooked meat

How to Prevent It:

Strict adherence to food safety protocols, including proper cooking and refrigeration temperatures
Regular testing of food products and surfaces for bacterial contamination
Employee training on hygienic food handling practices to minimize the risk of cross-contamination

Conclusion

Food recalls are costly and damaging to a company’s reputation, but more importantly, they can pose serious health risks to consumers. By understanding the common causes—undeclared allergens, foreign materials, and pathogenic bacteria—food manufacturers can take the necessary steps to prevent these incidents. Food companies must have a strong food safety culture as well as a properly educated staff to support a proactive approach to food safety. Whether through better labeling, improved facility maintenance, rigorous sanitation practices, or a robust training program, ensuring food safety should always be a top priority.

About the author

Lance Roberie

Food Safety Consultant and Trainer

Lance Roberie has over 20 years of quality assurance and food safety experience within the food industry. Mr. Roberie holds the following certifications:

Certified Food Safety HACCP Manager
Preventative Controls for Human Foods (PCQI) Lead Instructor
Meat & Poultry and Seafood HACCP Lead Instructor
FSPCA Food Defense (IAVA) Lead Instructor
ASQ Certified Manager of Quality & Organizational Excellence
ServSafe Instructor and Exam Proctor
Internal Auditor and GFSI Specialist

Lance and the Food Safety & Quality Services’ training curriculum will advance your team's food safety knowledge through certified training, consulting, and “real life” industry scenarios.