From Trader Joe’s to Costco, multiple brands have voluntarily recalled products due to concerns ofListeriacontamination in recent months.

These headlines might make you anxious about what is safe to eat. But are there actually moreListeria-linked outbreaks and food recalls happening? We talked to experts and looked at the data to see if cases are increasing and the potential reasons behind these recalls.

Why Are We Seeing More Listeria Recalls Lately?

There appears to be no drastic increase in the number of total recalls related toListeriain 2024, saidThomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America.

Last year, the consumer-interest groupU.S PIRG (Public Interest Research Groups)released a report that found 47 of the food recalls and alerts in 2023 were due toListeria, compared to 43 in 2022 and 56 in 2019.

However, the size of high-profile recalls and the effects of the contamination have been far-reaching.

Theoutbreak linked to Boar’s Headhas affected 59 people in 19 states and has been linked to 10 deaths.

“That’s the worst outbreak that we have had in terms of mortality since 2011 when aListeriaoutbreak linked to cantaloupe killed 33 people. We certainly have not conquered microbiological food-borne illness,” Gremillion said.

Improved tools for detecting outbreaks may also explain why there have been more recalls.

It used to beextremely difficult to find an outbreak if it impacted just a few people in multiple states, saidWilliam Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Now, genetic testing of bacterial samples can help epidemiologists figure out if the same strain of bacteria is making people sick in multiple states.

Public health authorities can submit “molecular fingerprinting” from the bacteria to the CDC,” Schaffner explained. As a result, CDC officials can figure out if genetically similar bacteria are infecting people, which would indicate they have been exposed to the same source of the bacteria.

“We’re actually finding more of these low incidence, wide, geographically distributed outbreaks than we ever did before," he said.

Listeria Contamination Can Spread Quickly

A challenge for food safety officials is that a single batch of contaminated food can now spread quickly across the nation.

In October, Oklahoma-based BrucePacannounceda voluntary recall of over 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Those products wereused in everythingfrom Trader Joe’s lemon chicken and arugula salad to Costco’s mini chicken burritos. Currently, no illnesses or deaths have been reported in relation to this recall.

Gremillion said these types of large recalls show how important it is to have fully staffed agencies to ensure the contaminated products can be taken out of the food supply quickly.

“You can have this scale effect where there’s lots of contaminated food all across the system,” Gremillion said. “That’s where [having] effective traceability regime and regulatory agencies that are ready to step in and conduct a recall and get that food off the market is so important.”

Fixing the Food Safety System

In 2024, only57%of Americans said they have faith in the federal government’s ability to safeguard the food system, according to a Gallup poll. This is down 11% from 2019.

The USDA has struggled to “recruit and retain” inspectors as well. In its 2025 budget summary, the agency said it’s taking steps to address this problem, including offering a $5,000 signing bonus, among other benefits. Despite these challenges, a spokesperson for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said they still have “sufficient inspection personnel,” with around 7,000 inspectors working in plants.

The USDA has also faced scrutiny afterreducing routine microbiological testingthis year. The bacteria that led to the BrucePac recall was discovered as part of this routine FSIS testing.

In a statement to Verywell, the USDA said they plan to decrease microbiological samples from 155,222 in 2023 to 90,152 in 2024. However, the amount of analytes or chemical substances tested from these samples has actually increased from 688,425 to 691,705.

“In modifying sampling each year, FSIS’ goal is to collect the most actionable data that will have the greatest public health impact,” an FSIS spokesperson told Verywell.

The FDA has also been underfunded under both Democratic and Republican administrations, saidRena Steinzor, JD, emerita professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

In the last 13 years, the FDA has issued a mandatory food recall just three times, according toU.S. PIRG.

“The FDA is ineffective in enforcing the law,” Steinzor said, explaining that much of the agency is focused on drug regulation. “It’s a constant struggle for them. They’ve always been behind on food, and they generally have a pretty bad reputation in terms of enforcement.”

In October, the FDAannouncedthey have implemented a reorganization of its Human Foods Program that will “modernize and strengthen the entire agency to work more cohesively and collaboratively.”

“Outbreak response is a high priority area for FDA,” an FDA spokesperson told Verywell in an email. “Continued investments are needed to support the extensive collaboration with our regulatory partners that is necessary for effective outbreak response as well as our expanded response needs that come with the increasing ability to detect signals and outbreaks with technological advancements, such as whole genome sequencing.”

What This Means For YouEnhanced genetic testing now enables experts to detect smaller outbreaks, helping to identify and recall contaminated foods faster. Although no drastic spike inListeriacases has occurred, recent large-scale recalls, like those from Boar’s Head and BrucePac, show how quickly contaminated food can spread across the country. To stay safe, check the latest food recall announcements and maintain proper food storage and preparation practices.

What This Means For You

Enhanced genetic testing now enables experts to detect smaller outbreaks, helping to identify and recall contaminated foods faster. Although no drastic spike inListeriacases has occurred, recent large-scale recalls, like those from Boar’s Head and BrucePac, show how quickly contaminated food can spread across the country. To stay safe, check the latest food recall announcements and maintain proper food storage and preparation practices.

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Listeriaoutbreak linked to meats sliced at delis.

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