The Food Recall Process and Notable Food Poisoning Outbreaks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks foodborne illness outbreaks across the United States. It informs consumers and health agencies about salmonella and other foodborne illnesses. Other agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), do the same. Together, these agencies monitor and protect different aspects of the food supply.

The government takes food poisoning outbreaks very seriously. Consumers can also hold companies accountable for their illness or the death of a loved one from a foodborne illness.

This section highlights some of the most prominent food recalls and food poisoning outbreaks. It also outlines the food recall process and the various agencies involved.

If you’ve contracted an illness after eating contaminated food, you may have a legal claim. A personal injury lawyer in your area can assess your situation and recommend next steps. If you have a valid case, your attorney will advocate for you throughout the process, including gathering evidence and fighting for fair compensation.

Common Causes of Food Poisoning Outbreaks

Most food poisoning outbreaks in the United States involve Listeria, hepatitis A, E. coli, and Salmonella pathogens. It’s challenging for public health officials to determine the cause of these outbreaks.

Typically, local health departments demand that a restaurant close while conducting their investigations. They will also notify the FDA and the CDC to ensure they are aware of the outbreak.

Some of the more common causes of these outbreaks include the following:

• Sick workers
• Lack of food safety standards
• Hygiene issues
• Sanitation issues
• Contaminated ground beef, poultry, and other meats

Once an outbreak makes the news, people avoid shopping or eating at the locations in the story. It also helps that many people share this information on social media. This way, you can learn about the problem before you fall ill.

How and Why Are Foods Recalled?

The manufacturer or distributor initiates food recalls in response to credible consumer complaints. The USDA and the FDA have the authority to stop the distribution and sale of tainted foods. Depending on the situation, these agencies can step in.

A manufacturer may recall a food product if there is reason to believe it may cause illness if consumed. The manufacturer will pull the recalled product from retail store shelves and remove it from distribution. The FDA will issue a safety alert to the public to throw away the product if they have it at home.

A company may decide to recall a food product for any number of reasons, including but not limited to:

• Safety concerns of any type
• Contamination
• Mislabeling or misleading claims
• Missing allergen warning
• Improper packaging or storage

While the initial news of the recall certainly doesn’t help a company’s image, swift action protects consumers. It can also help minimize the recall’s cost and regain customer trust.

Food Recall Classifications

The FDA breaks product recalls into three categories. The FDA categorizes recalls based on the risks posed by the dangerous food or product. For example, food contaminated with salmonella would be more dangerous than food that causes norovirus.

The three classes of recalls are as follows:

• Class I: Foods in this class have a strong likelihood of causing severe health consequences or even death. Examples of a Class I food recall include beef or salad greens tainted with E. coli.

• Class II: These food products pose a remote possibility of causing an illness. Or the food poses a risk of a temporary or minor illness. This category also covers issues like labels that don’t mention dry milk as an ingredient. Dry milk allergens qualify as a Class II recall.

• Class III: This category applies to food products that aren’t likely to cause illness but that the company has recalled for other reasons. For example, a bag of flour marked “one pound” but containing only 3/4 of a pound violated FDA standards, but it will not harm anyone.

Most food poisoning lawsuits involve Class I and Class II recalls.

Notable Food Recalls in the U.S.

Some food recalls make the news. Usually, these involve large quantities of food. Or they’re recalls after dozens (or hundreds) of consumers get sick. You don’t hear about small or inconsequential recalls. It’s also rare to hear about food recalls affecting only a tiny part of the country.

Common subjects of recalls are poultry products, frozen meats, and frozen fruits.

A few of the most widespread and impactful food recalls follow.

The PCA Peanut Butter Salmonella Contamination

In 2008 and 2009, the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) had to recall its peanut butter in 43 states, Canada, and other countries due to a salmonella outbreak. More than 700 people got sick. At least nine died from eating products tainted with the PCA peanut butter.

The recall had a significant impact on PCA’s bottom line. Because of the revenue lost and the civil lawsuits, the company had to file for bankruptcy. This meant plaintiffs who sued PCA for salmonella poisoning had to settle with the bankruptcy courts. The contamination was so blatant that the judge sentenced the CEO to more than 30 years in prison. Two other executives also served jail time.

The Blue Bell Ice Cream Listeria Contamination

In April 2015, Blue Bell Creameries recalled more than 8 million gallons of ice cream due to a listeria outbreak. The contamination was due to a problem in the drainage system in the company’s Oklahoma processing plant.

Over 10 people were in the hospital when Blue Bell issued the voluntary recall. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the public not to buy Blue Bell ice cream due to the outbreak.

Blue Bell CEO Paul Kruse was criminally charged for hiding information about the contamination. As part of a plea deal, the courts fined Kruse $100,000. He stepped down from his position as CEO and left the company soon after. The government also fined Blue Bell Creameries $19.3 million.

The Chipotle Norovirus and E. Coli Outbreaks

Chipotle has a history of E. coli and norovirus outbreaks dating back to 2008. More recently, the restaurant chain was responsible for at least three separate foodborne illness outbreaks.

In December 2015, more than 80 Boston College students fell ill after eating at a local Chipotle. That same year, more than 200 people became sick after eating at a Chipotle in Simi Valley, California.

The company had to close 43 locations while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an outbreak investigation. The FDA was unable to confirm what caused the outbreak, but it confirmed that E. coli and norovirus made everybody sick. Usually, these foodborne illnesses result from sick food workers and poor hygiene.

Even though Chipotle had prior food poisoning outbreaks, that doesn’t mean it’s automatically liable for later outbreaks. If you were to sue a restaurant, your attorney would have to prove that the restaurant was directly responsible for your illness.

Targeted Recalls Affecting Specific Stores, Products, and Regions

Some food recalls are very specific. They may limit the recall to a particular store. Recalls can also involve specific lots of food, retailers, or food sold in a particular region.

In recent news, food manufacturers and the FDA had to issue recalls for the following:

• High Noon and Celsius (2025): High Noon vodka seltzers and Celsius energy drinks share a packaging supplier. In July 2025, some lots of Celsius Astro Vibe energy drinks were inadvertently filled with vodka seltzer. Affected lots were only shipped to certain states.

• Skyline Provisions, Inc. (2023): This Illinois-based company recalled more than 5,600 pounds of raw ground beef due to contamination by foreign objects. Meat products are the subject of many recalls throughout the year.

• Publix (2023): On November 29, 2023, Publix, located in Tampa, Florida, recalled 11 different ground beef products due to plastic contamination. The recall was only for ground beef sold in a particular store on a specific date.

• Houdini, Inc. Gift Baskets (2023): In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the FDA issued a recall for all of the Country Gift Baskets sold by the subsidiary of Houdini, Inc. The cookies said they contained raspberry creme, but it was hazelnut creme. Many consumers have a hazelnut allergy. The FDA said the risk was so severe that they had to recall all the baskets immediately.

Widespread Food Recalls

Other recalls are more general. You may see a company recall a product due to undeclared allergens. For example, the following companies have issued recalls for entire lines of their products:

• Boar’s Head: Ready-to-eat cold cuts and liverwurst contaminated with Listeria (2024)
• Frito-Lay: Veggie Crisps (2023)
• Mondelez Global, LLC.: Belvita breakfast sandwich for undeclared peanut allergy (2023)
• House of Raeford: Corn dog products (2023)
• Conagra Brands: Canned meat and poultry (2023)
• Knorr Sopa soup mix products: Some soup mixes may have contained eggs (2023)
• Ziyad Brothers: Jameed Soup Starter for undeclared milk allergy (2023)
• Revolution Farms, LLC: Salad Kit recalls due to possible listeria monocytogenes contamination (2023)
• Nestle Toll House: Chocolate chip cookie dough bar for wood shavings (2023)
• Real Kosher Ice Cream Brand of Brooklyn: Soft Serve On the Go (2023)
• Foster Farms: Fully Cooked Chicken Patties (2022)
• King’s Hawaiian: Pretzel bun productscontaminated with botulism (2022)
• Nestle USA: Edible chocolate chip cookie dough (2022)

It’s not uncommon to see pet food manufacturers recall their products as well.

Some grocery stores that report widespread recalls include Whole Foods, Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Acme, and ShopRite.

What if a Company Doesn’t Take a Food Safety Issue Seriously?

Rarely would a company not take consumer complaints seriously. Nothing can hurt a company’s bottom line more than a tarnished reputation. Companies can resolve minor issues with food products quickly and inexpensively. The manufacturer has no incentive to leave dangerous products on the market.

For more severe issues, the company cannot risk the threat of litigation. Even if it’s costly to process the recall, it’s in the company’s best interests to do so, both in the short term and the long term.

Am I Liable for Eating Recalled Food?

If you continue eating food after learning it is unsafe, it will hurt your legal claim. The manufacturer will argue that you assumed the risk. If you knew (or should have known) the food product was dangerous, why would you eat it?

This notion of contributory fault is common in personal injury law. In most states, if the defendant can prove that a plaintiff was partially responsible for their injuries, the court will limit the plaintiff’s damages. Some states will dismiss your lawsuit if you are even 1% at fault.

Affected by a Food Poisoning Outbreak? Get Legal Help

Foodborne illnesses can be severe, causing high medical bills and time away from work. Fortunately, victims of food poisoning can recover compensation by filing a successful personal injury lawsuit against the company responsible.

• Damages can include the following:
• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering

If you got sick after eating a dangerous or contaminated food product, contact an experienced attorney for help. FindLaw’s directory of product liability attorneys can get you started. Select your state or city to review contact and ratings information for local experts. Your search results will also link you to additional details about the attorneys’ experience with food poisoning cases.