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In the United States, a food recall usually begins when a manufacturer or distributor removes or corrects a product, then notifies customers and works with the relevant regulator. FDA recall classes describe the relative health hazard; they do not tell you whether the package in your kitchen is affected. Match the notice’s product and package details—especially its lot code or date—to your item, and follow the notice’s instructions.
Which agency handles a food recall?
In the United States, the FDA regulates foods other than meat, poultry, and processed egg products, which are regulated by the USDA. For FDA-regulated products, check the FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts information and its Enforcement Report. For USDA-regulated products, use the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recall information.
Food may be recalled because of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites; foreign material such as glass or metal; or an undeclared major allergen, among other regulatory concerns. A recall is a removal from the market for a regulatory violation, and some recalls involve correcting a product so it can later return to the marketplace. Not every product removal is necessarily classified as a recall.
How a recall proceeds
- A problem is identified. A firm, regulator, or other party may uncover a potential food-safety or regulatory issue.
- The firm generally starts the recall. Most food recalls are voluntary actions by the manufacturer or distributor. FDA can request or mandate a recall in some circumstances.
- The firm contacts customers and provides product details. Direct customers may receive notices first; the firm may also prepare a public notice with agency input.
- The agency assesses and monitors the recall. For monitored FDA recalls, FDA reviews information from the firm, assesses the hazard, and assigns a classification when sufficient information is available.
- Public information may be updated. An FDA Enforcement Report entry can appear as “not yet classified” while the hazard assessment is underway, then be updated to Class I, II, or III. FDA began listing pending classifications in the report on June 15, 2017.
The date a firm starts notifying customers and the date FDA assigns a class are different milestones. A consumer warning can be issued before formal classification: FDA considers public warnings case by case and generally gives the recalling firm the first opportunity to prepare a notice, working with the firm on adequate information.
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What FDA recall classes mean
FDA’s classes indicate the agency’s assessment of the relative health hazard, not whether a particular package is included in a recall.
| Class | FDA’s hazard definition | What to do as a consumer |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | There is a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. | Check the identifiers and follow the notice’s instructions; do not rely on the class label alone to identify your package. |
| Class II | Use of or exposure to the product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote. | Do not treat the class as a declaration that the product is safe. Verify whether your item is included and follow the notice. |
| Class III | Use of or exposure to the product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences. | Still compare the package with the notice and follow its directions if it matches. |
A recall can be announced before its final FDA class is assigned. In the Enforcement Report, “not yet classified” means the hazard classification is incomplete; it does not mean FDA has not recognized the recall.
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How to check whether food at home is affected
Use the current recall notice, not the brand or product name alone. One product line may include both affected and unaffected packages.
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- Check package size and type, and use any label image in the notice.
- Match the UPC, lot or batch code, and sell-by or use-by date when provided.
- Check stated states, stores, or other distribution details. Distribution information can help, but the package identifiers are essential.
- Follow the notice’s specific instructions for the affected product.
If an identifier in the notice is unclear or missing, use the contact information in the notice or ask the firm or relevant agency to clarify rather than assuming a similar-looking package is included or excluded.
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Where recall alerts and notices appear
FDA Enforcement Report
The Enforcement Report lists monitored FDA recalls and offers search, weekly reports, and an API. FDA also offers email subscriptions for all recalls, selected categories such as food, keyword searches, or individual events, with daily or weekly delivery options. See the FDA Enforcement Reports page for report and subscription information.
FDA public warnings
Public warnings can explain a hazard and identify affected products, but they are not a complete list of recalls. FDA explicitly cautions that “Not all recalls are posted on this page.” A recall may be reported elsewhere, and a warning may appear before formal classification.
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Company notices and direct customer messages
Manufacturers and distributors notify their direct customers, who may include retailers and other businesses. A firm’s public notice may provide product name, brand, package details, UPC, lot codes, date codes, photographs, and known distribution locations. These notices may contain practical identifiers not yet reflected in an agency report.
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Retailers may communicate with customers or display notices based on information from a supplier or regulator. The public detail available varies by recall and agency. FDA says it may publish details gathered from company releases, including label information, product descriptions, lot numbers, photographs, and available geographic or retail distribution information. USDA policy provides public names and locations of retail consignees for specified Class I meat or poultry recalls; in that guidance, retail establishments are sellers directly to consumers for home preparation, not restaurants or intermediate consignees. There is no single retailer-list format that applies to every food recall.
What retailer-notification law does—and does not—cover
The Food Safety Modernization Act includes specific notification rules for certain FDA mandatory recalls and reportable foods. For a recall conducted under the specified mandatory-recall provision, the statute calls for public notice of the food’s name and associated risk, and, to the extent practicable, information about similar foods that are not affected. It also addresses notifying consumers and retailers who were or may have been recipients.
A separate statutory provision addresses grocery-store notification for a reportable food under specified conditions. It includes a threshold of chain stores with 15 or more physical locations and a 14-day display period. These conditions are limited to the statute’s defined circumstances; they should not be read as a general requirement governing every voluntary recall or every retailer notice.
Quick Recap
Why one recall can look different across notices
- Different audiences: a company message to direct business customers, a consumer-facing warning, an agency report, and a retailer posting serve different purposes.
- Different timing: a firm may begin notifying customers before FDA completes its classification, and a warning may precede that classification.
- Different detail: a firm notice may identify specific packages or distribution locations; an agency report may summarize the monitored recall. Check the latest available notice and compare identifiers across sources.
- Different regulators: FDA and USDA cover different food categories and publish information through their own channels.
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