Federal health officials note that the perception of an increase in foodborne outbreaks linked to serious and potentially deadly bacteria may be due to the scale of the latest recalls.
In recent months, several significant foodborne outbreaks and corresponding recalls have occurred, including those involving Boar’s Head deli meats, BrucePac’s ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, and most recently, McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
An FDA spokesperson told FOX Business that the number of food-related recalled events in fiscal year 2024 was “generally consistent” with years past.
“There may be a perception that the amount of recalls has increased particularly if one recall event has a large number of affected products,” the FDA said in a statement, adding that these recalls are “critical in protecting the public against harmful products.”
Peter Pitts, a former associate FDA commissioner and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, argued that consistency isn’t a good thing when it comes to foodborne diseases.
“If the numbers are consistent, then something’s wrong,” Pitts told FOX Business, adding that as time goes on, the ability for the “system to identify issues with foodborne diseases should be getting better. It shouldn’t be staying the same.”