Recently, many food, drink and consumer products have been recalled for Salmonella, E Coli or parasites like Cyclospora. This has led many food and drug protection companies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to warn consumers of possible contamination. 

The recalls are circling around major contamination of Salmonella poisoning, carocogins and a long list of other hazards. Salmonella poisoning, being the most common currently, is caused by bacteria in animal feces through cross contamination in food. Salmonella poisoning can be fatal but it is not common and the effects of it can mostly be diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. 

Currently, big companies like Kinder and Skippy have been recalling their products for Salmonella contamination. Ground beef also suffers from recalls for traces of E. Coli. A recall on water has also occurred with the brand “Real Water.” The Las Vegas water company has had several cases of liver disease and even death, and the company had to be put under investigation due to hepatitis being traced in the water.  

There are a large number of recalls outside of food too. Many cosmetics, over the counter prescriptions and medical devices for testing have been recalled as well. Most recently there was a recall on the Pfizer Pill due to a presence of carocings and a high cancer risk. Products like hand sanitizer, deodorant and skin care products have too been affected by bacteria and other poisonous substances. 

The children’s Disney branded hand sanitizer had been recalled due to Methanol being discovered in the sanitizer itself which can cause a number of medical problems, putting both adults and children at risk for severe health issues. As the demand for hand sanitizer has risen since COVID, many more people were affected by the recall.

A number of reasons have been responsible for the surge of recalls. Some parts of it are possible due to the complexity of supply chains, smaller sellers, and even more regulations on global trading. Other reasons have been the upbringing of new technologies too. 

The growing number of products having to be reexamined right after being released to the public is outrageous, and is draining funds for many companies across the world. Of course recalling a product if proven dangerous for consumption or use is a good thing, but with as many as there are at this point it is becoming tiring and really raises a lot of fear of if the food being eaten, or products being used are safe. 

Contact Jordan Graham at [email protected]