Blog Articles

• Six dead, others hospitalized from frozen and ready-to-eat prepared pasta meals due to a Listeria outbreak.
• Frozen shrimp recalled due to radiation concerns.
• Other recalls highlight Salmonella, E. coli, and Botulism.

The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means plenty of shared meals between family, friends, and neighbors, but consumers need to check their refrigerators and freezers closely, as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two major product recalls in the last two months.

One of the largest recalls of eggs in U.S. history happened in June as 20 million eggs were pulled from the shelves following reports of a salmonella outbreak that sickened and hospitalized consumers across 7 states.

When a product recall hits your wholesale distribution business, time is your most valuable asset. A delayed or disorganized response can cost thousands – even millions – in lost product, regulatory fines, and damaged brand trust.

The holidays are a time when folks gather with their family and friends to share meals, but at the end of 2024 consumers needed to keep an eye on E. coli and salmonella outbreaks nationwide linked to carrots and cucumbers.

The horrific headlines say it all as the latest E. coli outbreak in the United States is leading to heartache and a rush for some major chains to pull onions from their menus.

While most of America took at least a little time off this summer, there is no vacation break for governmental agencies such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their roles as watchdogs for the consumer.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Food Safety Alert on Aug. 8, 2024, for a Listeria outbreak linked to meats sliced at delis that has sickened consumers across 13 states with three deaths.

The Listeria outbreak originated with Boar’s Head Reay-to-Eat Liverwurst products produced between June 11 and July 17, 2024, with a 44-day shelf life. The “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst made in Virginia” product comes in 3.5 pound loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis.

Consumers are being advised to not buy, eat, sell, or serve recalled cinnamon applesauce pouch products because they may contain lead and chromium, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While all business is risky – Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 20 percent of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45 percent during the first five years, and 65 percent during the first 10 years -- Food Safety magazine highlighted in January 2024 that the crucial food and beverage industry faces a number of inherent risks.

A large food recall, such as the Quaker recall of specific granola bars and granola cereals in December and January across all 50 states and beyond, can be a logistical nightmare.

Fortunately for food wholesale distributors and retailers, cloud-based traceability technology such as FreshByte Software can help identify and recall contaminated products.