Hospitalizations and Deaths From Contaminated Food Doubled in 2024 — Here’s Everything You Need to Know

From cucumbers to deli meat and even eggs, last year was packed with food recalls — and 2025 is starting to look like more of the same, as staples like ground coffee and bottled water have already been recalled in recent months. 

Staying abreast of announcements is important as the food safety issues that prompt these recalls can have dramatic consequences. The United States Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) reports that although the number of recalls in 2024 didn’t increase compared to 2023, the number of hospitalizations and deaths caused by them did.

Along with this concerning statistic, the PIRG offers insights to help us better understand the current landscape of food safety, including the foodborne pathogens that present the biggest threats and what actionable steps consumers can take to protect themselves and their families. After analyzing recalls from 2024 and preceding years, the nonprofit shared its findings on everything you need to know.

Did food recalls increase last year?

Food safety certainly had a tumultuous year in 2024, and the numbers paint a clear, albeit grim, picture. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) witnessed an 8% rise in food and beverage recalls versus 2023, with a total of 241 announcements issued by the agency. Meanwhile, recalls by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) moved in the opposite direction, dropping 38% to 55 incidents. 

These two agencies regulate all food in the United States, and while their combined number of recall announcements last year — 296 — declined compared with 2023, the number of illnesses and fatalities due to contaminated food did not. In the words of the PIRG, just because the number of recall announcements went down "doesn’t necessarily mean that food was safer." Nearly 1,400 people became sick in 2024 because of food they ate that was ultimately recalled.

Even more concerning is the number of hospitalizations and deaths caused by recalled items, which more than doubled, with 487 hospitalizations and 19 deaths last year suggesting serious public health lapses. 

It’s clear that 2024 was a year with major gaps in inspection frameworks and manufacturing discipline, as highlighted by high-profile incidents like the Listeria outbreak at a Boar’s Head plant in Virginia. This was the deadliest Listeria outbreak in over a decade and resulted in the deli meat brand closing the plant permanently.

Why is contaminated food making more people sick?

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian and author of Health Shots, suggests that we may be seeing an uptick in cases of foodborne illness not because more people are falling ill, but rather thanks to advances in health technology. 

“With better testing systems, we are now able to detect [contamination] more quickly,” she tells Food & Wine, theorizing that while we may be able to detect more cases of food contamination or related illnesses, the volume of items recalled or impacted could decrease as we are able to identify issues more swiftly — an opportunity that presents a bright spot following the harrowing data from 2024.

What caused the most recalls?

Undeclared allergens were the largest cause of food recalls in 2024, followed by Listeria, Salmonella, then excessive lead content in food, the presence of foreign materials, and E. coli. 

The number of recalls due to outbreaks of Listeria, Salmonella, and E.coli all increased last year, making up roughly 40% of recalls. Symptoms for each of these bacterial infections will differ, but often include fever, nausea, and diarrhea. Vulnerable members of the population are at greater risk of severe infections, which could lead to hospitalization or death.

Although it’s not included by the PIRG as a primary cause of recalls in 2024, the nonprofit report does note that norovirus is another significant food contaminant. Like Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, norovirus can result in hospitalization or death in acute cases. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness. 

Who is most at risk?

Certain groups are more susceptible to be severely impacted by foodborne illnesses, and are considered vulnerable groups:

• Children under the age of 5
• Elderly adults
• Pregnant people
• Individuals with compromised immune systems

For these groups, it’s possible that even minor exposure to contaminated food can lead to significant health complications.

“For pregnant [people] specifically, listeria is one of the biggest threats to prenatal health,” explains fertility and prenatal dietitian McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN. “While getting sick from any foodborne illness has the risk of dehydration from excessive vomiting or diarrhea, a listeria infection can be particularly dangerous in pregnancy, as it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or preterm labor."

How can you find out about food recalls?

Author and registered dietitian Elizabeth Shaw, MS RDN CPT emphasizes that “one of the most important things you can do to keep you and your family safe from a foodborne illness is to be an informed consumer.” According to Shaw, “This means you are tapped into the outlets sharing the outbreaks so you can quickly assess your home inventory to see if any of the products in question happen to be in your kitchen.” She suggests keeping tabs on the websites for the CDC and USDA and following the FDA on social media.

More specifically, each of these agencies have web pages that are dedicated to alerting consumers about recalls and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. 

The FDA has a page for “Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts,” which curates information from press releases and public notices about recalls for FDA-regulated products. The FDA does note that the list is not exhaustive, but it’s regularly updated and makes it easy to search for information about past recalls.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has a page for all recalls, with easy-to-read callouts noting what the recall class and reason are for each incident.

Consumers can stay updated on notices of multi-state foodborne outbreaks issued by the CDC here.

The PIRG also provides an extensive guide to staying updated on recalls, including the best apps to download, like the Food Recalls and Alerts app.

How can you prevent foodborne illness at home?

In its review of foodborne illness outbreaks last year and in a separate, more comprehensive report, the PIRG provides some best practices you can employ to reduce the risk of consuming contaminated food at home:

Practice proper food handling.

• Wash hands, utensils, and food preparation surfaces regularly.
• Avoid cross-contamination by separating raw meat from other foods.
• Use a food thermometer to ensure ingredients are cooked to a safe internal temperature, especially meat.
• Wash fruits and vegetables before slicing, peeling, or eating.

Follow proper refrigeration and freezing protocol.

• Refrigerate perishable food within two hours if it’s been left out at room temperature.
• If perishable food is sitting out at temperatures above 90°F, refrigerate it within one hour.
• Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator.

Vulnerable groups may need to take further precautions.

• Avoid eating raw or unpasteurized milk, juices, and certain cheeses.
• Reheat deli meats to 165°F before consumption.

What should you do when there is a recall?

Not every recall alert means the risk is immediate for you. Here’s what to consider when reading a recall notice and what to do next.

• Product details: Check the product name, lot number, and production dates to see if anything matches what you have at home.
• Reason for recall: Understanding whether the issue is an allergen, bacteria, or foreign material helps assess urgency.
• Scope of the recall: Multi-state recalls or recalls linked to confirmed pathogen outbreaks are likely greater cause for concern.
• What to do next: Discard affected items or return them to the store for a refund.

“If you think you have a recalled product in your kitchen, read the recall notice carefully and follow product-specific instructions,” Amidor advises. “Oftentimes, you can return the recalled product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund. If not, you should dispose of the product properly, and if it is contaminated, wrap it securely before putting it in the garbage.” 

Although this may seem like an obvious note, it’s important to remember that you should never give a recalled product to anyone else, like a food bank or your pets.

What the landscape looks like now

Foodborne illnesses remain a significant public health issue. However, consumers can empower themselves with knowledge and preventive action, making their homes safer and reducing the risk of illness. By staying informed about recalls and following safe food handling habits, we can all contribute to better food safety outcomes.