Many New York residents like to pay close attention to the food they put into their bodies. This consciousness could help them avoid allergens, stick to diets, control diabetes or any number of other benefits. As a result, when a food recall takes place, it is common for consumers to take notice. After all, no one wants to suffer illnesses or injuries due to consuming unsafe food products.
One index has been tracking the number of food recalls for the last five years. Recently, the Stericycle Recall Index released its findings for the first quarter of the year, and among the top reasons for food recalls were foreign materials and bacterial contamination. Of the Food and Drug Administration recalls, 53 percent were due to foreign contaminants in food, and metal acted as the most common contaminant.
When it came to recalls by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 58 percent of those food recalls were in relation to bacterial contamination. It was also reported that beef came in as the top category in terms of pounds recalled by the USDA. The total number of pounds for all food types recalled by the USDA came to over 1 million pounds.
Though it is always wise for potentially dangerous products to be recalled, consumers could still be negatively affected before the recall takes effect. New York consumers could suffer illnesses or injuries from contaminated foods, and in some cases, the effects could prove quite serious. If individuals have been harmed in such a way due to a dangerous food or other product, they may wish to explore their legal options for seeking compensation.
Source: foodsafetynews.com, “Stericycle report shows ‘foreign material’ top cause of recalls“, Kelsey M. Mackin, May 8, 2018
