Henderson County Health Department: Food recalls... how to keep food safety a priority
Several food recalls have made headlines recently, notably the recall of JIF brand peanut butter and powdered infant formula.
Food is recalled by a food producer when there is reason to believe it may cause consumers to become ill. In some situations, government agencies may request a food recall. Recalls for food may happen for many reasons, according to the website FoodSafety.gov, including but not limited to:
Discovery of organisms, including bacteria such as Salmonella or parasites such as Cyclospora.
Discovery of foreign objects such as broken glass or metal.
Discovery of a major allergen that does not appear on the product label.
To date, the Food and Drug Administration has posted 99 recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts this year related to food and beverages. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted 28 recalls and public health alerts in 2022.
It can be hard to keep up with every alert and what to do if you have the affected product. Fortunately, there are ways to help navigate through the recalls and make food safety a priority.
Read the recall notice; Return or dispose
The FDA and USDA publish detailed information on recalled food products to help you identify whether you have the product in your home. This material can be found on their websites and is shared by the media. The information contains specific details on the packaging, branding, SKU numbers and oftentimes pictures of the products and labels so consumers can check if they have the affected product.
If the notice details match the food product you have at home, FoodSafety.gov says do not open or consume it. Instead, do one of the following:
Return the item to the store you bought it from for a refund.
Properly dispose of the product so other people or animals don’t eat it, especially if the product has already been opened. Do not feed it to your pets either as they can get food poisoning too.
Sign up for recall alerts
The FDA and USDA both have email notifications you can sign up for to get recall and safety notices on their websites. Alternately, FoodSafety.gov also posts recall alerts from both agencies on its Facebook and Twitter pages as well as on www.foodsafety.gov/recalls-and-outbreaks.
Don’t panic, but treat recalls seriously
It’s true most food recalls are not associated with a foodborne illness outbreak, but rather the potential for the food to be contaminated. Most recalls are issued as a precautionary measure from manufacturers, according to FoodSafety.gov.
Even if the product was recalled as a precaution, still do not eat it. A voluntary recall doesn’t make it less serious than other recalls. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Clean contaminated surfaces
A food product that has been recalled due to possible germ contamination or illness can leave germs around your kitchen and contaminate surfaces, according to FoodSafety.gov, including the drawers and shelves in your refrigerator. If the food has already been prepared or it is still in your refrigerator, it’s important to throw out the food and clean the kitchen.
Wash any cookware or utensils used as well as clean counters, refrigerator drawers or shelves the product was on with hot soapy water. Then wipe any surfaces, shelves, or drawers and rinse dishes and cookware with a sanitizing solution and let them air dry.
Let friends and family know
Don’t assume everyone knows about a recall whenever an alert hits the news. Share recall alerts on social media and with your friends and family, especially if you know they typically buy the product.
For more information on food safety, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
Andrew Mundhenk is the Communications Manager for the Henderson County Department of Public Health.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson County Health Department: Food recalls... how to keep food safety a priority
