You used to make yourself the breakfast of champions: some coffee, eggs, toast, maybe some yogurt and berries, along with some screentime. But as soon as you go to take a bite of those scrambled eggs, you stop: you saw a post saying eggs have been recalled for salmonella. Not to worry, you turn to your toast—but now even bread has been recalled for containing metal. Those berries? Recalled for e. Coli. Your breakfast has now become a wearily-drunk glass of water and doomscrolling about the latest recalled food item.
If you’re feeling weary about your food, you’re not alone: the majority of Americans have lost confidence in the American food system. And there’s a good reason: in August alone, the Food and Drug Administration announced 26 food recall notices. Add in drug notices, and the agency posted 46 recalls for the month. According to a consumer survey commissioned by GS1 US—the nonprofit standards group best known for creating the UPC barcode that’s seen in products in your grocery cart—94% of U.S. adults say they’re concerned about how frequently food is being recalled.
And within those warnings lies a growing tension: A recall means a potentially dangerous product has been identified and pulled from the market, one of the mechanisms designed to keep unsafe food away from consumers. Yet as the notices pile up, Americans are losing confidence in that system, with the share of adults who believe recalls effectively protect public health and safety fell to 80%, from 85% last year.
