As recalls increase, parents are grappling with new food safety concerns

Food recall warnings have become more common in recent months. This week, Treehouse Foods Inc. known to voluntarily recall more than 600 types of frozen waffles – which were sold under various brand names, including Gather & Good, Kodiak Cakes and Great Value – due to the potential for listeria contamination.

Then last week, an ongoing listeria recall was reissued to include an additional nearly 2 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that may be contaminated, bringing the recall to a total of nearly 12 million pounds of product. As Salon reported, the recalled foods, produced by Oklahoma-based company BrucePac, were sold at major retailers across the country, including Trader Joe’s, Walmart, AldiTarget, HEB, Giant Eagle and Kroger.

Amid the recall warning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) also specified that some of the potentially contaminated products had been distributed to schools across the country.

This series of alarming food reminders has left many parents with a growing sense of unease. Each report serves as a stark reminder that the meals they prepare for their children – once deemed safe – can suddenly become potential sources of harm, just like breakfast and lunch at school. While food safety experts emphasize that the recall system functions primarily as a precaution, with only a small portion of recalled products causing illness, the reality is that parents often bear the emotional toll of these warnings.

However, health and legal experts say parents can also take steps to take more control over their family’s food safety.

Amie Alexander, a registered dietitian at Nutri Peak, said first and foremost, consumers shouldn’t feel like they have to panic when news of a recall makes headlines.

“It’s overwhelming to think that something as simple as the food you pack for your children, something you expect to be safe and healthy, could make them sick,” Alexander said. “While serious, it is important to remember that the recall system is out of an abundance of caution for consumers.”

For example, it made headlines when it was reported in June that the Food and Drug Administration had already “removed more than 100 foods and beverages from the market that were deemed ‘in violation’ of the agencies’ regulations.”

It seems like a staggering number of recalls, but according to data reviewed by NewsweekOf the 108 food and beverage products the FDA recalled from January to May, only eight caused “harm or illness in at least one consumer.”

During the same period last year, eight foods and beverages – but out of only 98 products recalled – were again linked to illness or negative effects.

Alexander continued: “Often, potential dangers are recognized well before a person becomes ill.”

That said, having to check the USDA and FDA for recall warnings can be a challenge for busy parents. After all, there’s a lot of invisible work involved in feeding a family, from juggling meal planning to meet different tastes and needs, to grocery shopping. Statistics also show that these tasks are mainly the mothers’ responsibility.

According to one 2019 Time Use Survey sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in households with both female and male heads of household and one or more children under the age of 18, “80% of mothers say they are the family member who usually prepares meals.”

That is the same as the share that says it is the most important grocery customer, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.

“For mothers specifically, it’s more of the emotional labor that we have to take on, because the vast majority of us – not myself – are ‘food people,’” said Margaret Quinlana researcher at the University of North Carolina who studies the intersection between parenting and health. “We monitor what we don’t have, do the shopping, keep an eye on the taste and safe food of the children, and so on.”

According to Quinlan, children, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions that lead to school absenteeism, could face district-level disciplinary action if they become ill from food products — another stress that parents don’t need.

“At my research partner’s children’s school, they can lose their magnet spot if they are absent too much. My children could be detained for missing too much school,” she explained. “Parents don’t have to worry about dealing with other bureaucracies because companies don’t bother to follow the rules. They can afford to pay to make the problem go away, but parents may need to do more to deal with it.”

Quinlan continued: “It’s stressful and I feel like a Victorian before food regulations and inspections.”

Sylvia Smith, a relationship and parenting expert at Marriage.com, echoed Quinlan’s sentiments.

“With every report of yet another recall – whether it’s contaminated prepackaged lunches or potentially unsafe food on the cafeteria menu – your alarm goes through the roof,” Smith wrote via email. “Food safety is one of those things that you cannot compromise on as a parent; and when recalls happen, it sometimes feels like you’re not in control of the situation.”

The key, she said, lies in trying to find a balance between vigilance and a pragmatic approach.

“Recalls are usually made out of an abundance of caution, meaning there is a good chance the food in question did not harm anyone,” Smith said. “I think it’s important for parents to stay informed about potential risks by monitoring official recall warnings from agencies like the FDA or USDA. The ways to deal with this include introducing a food safety system in your home, such as checking product codes or batch numbers regularly, so that you can manage stress and not become overwhelmed.

For parents still weary of news of another recall, Smith said it may be time to reconsider their approach to shopping for certain groceries.

“On a practical level, you can limit your reliance on highly processed foods, which are more likely to be in a widespread recall,” Smith said. “I also encourage you to get to know local vendors or farmers, who can help you feel more secure about the food you serve.”

It’s sensible advice, but Quinlan points out that some of it may not be realistic for every family, especially in the short term. “There is a judgment about parents who send their children in with processed foods, but I have a judgment picky eaterand if his safe food is not safe, that is a problem for our family,” she said.

On a broader scale, many parents’ concerns about the recent increase in recalls stem from a sense of powerlessness when it comes to holding companies – especially repeat offenders – to account. But Oliver Morrisey, the owner and director of Empower Wills & Estate Lawyers, believes parents actually have more power in these situations than they realize.

“Let’s talk about class action lawsuits for a moment,” Morissey wrote via email. “If you see repeated recalls from the same company or supplier, it is worth considering whether negligence has occurred. Parents can come together to file a class action lawsuit, which is a way to hold these companies accountable on a larger scale.”

According to Morissey, the idea is that if enough people take action together, it won’t just be about compensating for any damage already done as a result of the recalled food, but about forcing companies to improve their safety measures.

“It’s more than just responding to recalls,” he continued. “It’s about preventing future mistakes by making it clear that these mistakes are not acceptable. This type of class action is incredibly powerful and often pushes companies to address issues they might otherwise ignore.”

Parents can also advocate for stricter oversight of the food provided to schools and other institutions that serve children. They can campaign for mandatory and more frequent food inspections, but also push for stricter penalties for companies that fail to meet safety standards.

“This does not have to be done individually,” Morissey wrote. “You can work with other parents and legal experts to argue a case with local governments or school boards. The goal here is to ensure that safety measures are strengthened across the board so that these recalls do not occur as regularly.”