10 Dangerous Food Recalls and Outbreaks of 2023
Consumer Reports looked at illnesses, hospitalization, and deaths caused by E. coli, salmonella, and listeria
Getting sick after eating food contaminated with dangerous bacteria is never fun. It often means spending a couple of days confined to the couch, and close to a bathroom. But for some people—especially young children and people who are older, pregnant, or have weakened immunity—the consequences can be much more dire: Infections caused by E. coli, salmonella, and other bacteria send about 128,000 people to the hospital each year, and are responsible for an estimated 3,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To help identify the foods that cause these infections, and help you stay safe, Consumer Reports’ food safety experts recently identified the 10 foods linked to the most serious food recalls and outbreaks last year caused by bacteria, based on data from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture.
The actual number of illnesses associated with each outbreak or recall is almost certainly larger than listed below, the CDC says, in part because many of the people affected recover on their own and never report their illness to the agency. (Note that CR’s list does not include perhaps the most serious recalls last year, of children’s fruit purée pouches, which were caused by extremely high levels of lead, not a bacteria.)
All kinds of foods were implicated in last year’s recalls, including some you might not be surprised by, such as raw cookie dough and ground beef, but also several fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Our list isn’t to say that you shouldn’t consume these foods, because some of them are important to a healthy diet,” says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, who led the analysis. “But it can help consumers and caregivers be aware of how to properly handle these foods, and when to avoid consuming certain items in order to stay safe.”
What happened: Contaminated whole and precut cantaloupe were recalled in November 2023 after an alert from the Canadian government that one brand, Malichita, had tested positive for salmonella. The products were produced by Sofia Produce (doing business as Trufresh) in Nogales, Ariz., and sold in multiple states by retailers including Aldi, Kroger, Kwik Trip, Sprouts, Stop & Shop, and Trader Joe’s.
Those sickened included children at childcare centers and older people in long-term-care facilities. The CDC said that as of January 2024, the outbreak had ended.
Sofia Produce did not respond to CR’s questions about where the salmonella in its products came from.
What to do: CR’s food experts have long advised to steer clear, when possible, of precut fruit. In this case, even whole cantaloupes were implicated. While it’s always a good idea to wash whole fruit with water, that’s mostly to remove dirt and some pesticides, says James E. Rogers, PhD, who oversees food safety at CR.
What happened: By the time Gills Onions in California recalled several lots of its chopped, packaged onions in October 2023, nearly 75 people had become ill with a strain of salmonella that the FDA eventually traced back to the company’s products. The FDA investigation found salmonella in the water and in the environment of the farm that supplied the produce to Gills Onions. (The FDA did not name the supplier farm.) The CDC declared the outbreak ended in December 2023.
A spokesperson for Gills Onions told CR, “Nothing is more important to us than the health and wellness of consumers. Following our recall, we worked with third-party food safety experts to make our supplier requirements even more rigorous.”
What to do: Cooking onions is the best way to assure they’re free of pathogens. When eating onions raw, consider discarding the first few layers, then using the more inner core of the onion for your salad or dish that calls for raw onion.
What happened: In December 2022, 16 people became ill after eating raw alfalfa sprouts supplied by Sun Sprouts, a Nebraska company, prompting the company to recall four lots of the product. By early 2023, additional illnesses were traced to the recalled products. After a follow-up inspection of Sun Sprouts’ facilities, the FDA sent the company a warning letter criticizing it for not testing its spent irrigation water for salmonella and E. coli, and for shipping alfalfa sprouts from a batch where the used irrigation water initially tested positive for salmonella. The FDA further cited Sun Sprouts for failing to clean and sanitize surfaces used to grow, harvest, pack, or hold the spouts, saying investigators had found “significant filth on the irrigation nozzles.” And the agency noted that none of the company’s supervisors or managers had passed a food safety training course.
Sun Sprouts, now under new ownership, told CR its employees have now received food safety training courses and that it passed its most recent pathogen test, as required by the FDA. As of Feb. 28, 2023, the CDC said the outbreak was over.
What to do: Alfalfa sprouts are tricky to grow safely and have a history of foodborne outbreaks causing thousands of illnesses that date back at least a decade. For that reason, the CDC strongly recommends that people who are pregnant, older, or have weakened immunity avoid them altogether.
One problem, Rogers says, is that sprouts are grown in warm, moist environments—ideal conditions for pathogens. Another issue is that sprouts are often eaten raw. To play it safe, stop adding sprouts to sandwiches or salads and instead reserve them for soups or other hot dishes. In fact, the CDC recommends cooking sprouts until they are steaming hot.
What happened: People became ill with salmonella after eating raw cookie dough from the pizza franchise Papa Murphy’s.
The most likely sources of salmonella in the cookie dough were either unpasteurized eggs or raw flour, or both, Rogers says, because they are known to carry the bacteria. As of July 13, 2023, the CDC said the outbreak had ended and closed the investigation.
Papa Murphy’s did not respond to CR’s questions about its recalled raw cookie dough, though the company’s website does include a warning to cook its cookie dough (and S’mores Bars) before eating them. In any case, we no longer see the product listed for sale on the company’s website menu.
What to do: Avoid eating raw cookie dough that contains eggs or flour, because they could be contaminated with salmonella or other pathogens. Only cooking the dough according to a recipe’s directed time and temperature will kill salmonella.
What happened: Listeria is a hearty bacteria and difficult to eradicate, Rogers says. In this outbreak, the CDC was able to determine the strain responsible for the outbreak through testing, but there was not enough information to pinpoint a brand or trigger a recall.
What to do: Leafy greens are normally consumed raw, though cooking them would kill listeria. But if you’re older, are pregnant, or have a compromised immune system, opt for cooked greens like kale, spinach, collards, or Swiss chard, in lieu of raw greens. For everyone, consider purchasing whole heads of lettuce instead of bagged or boxed, and remove the outer leaves when doing so because bacteria can lurk on the outer leaves.
What happened: Nine people who’d purchased ground beef at ShopRite stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York reported becoming ill. Although the USDA was able to identify the strain causing the illnesses, not enough information was available to identify a specific brand as the culprit, so no recall was issued. As of Aug. 23, 2023, the CDC said the outbreak had ended.
One problem with ground beef in general, says CR’s Rogers, is that in the processing of it, it can more easily spread pathogens, including salmonella, because so much surface area of the meat comes in contact with the machinery to process it—unlike whole cuts of meat.
What to do: Cooking ground beef to well-done, or 160° F, will kill salmonella and other common pathogens like listeria and E. coli, while whole cuts require only 145° F. (Use a meat thermometer to gauge the temperature.) Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours so that bacteria doesn’t multiply, or within an hour if the food is exposed to temperatures of 90° F or higher.
During food prep, use one cutting board for meat and another for produce. In addition, wash knives used on meat before cutting other food, and wash up those items and areas where you’ve spilled or splattered juices using a paper towel or wipe (not a sponge) and immediately throw it away. Wash your hands before and after touching the meat.
"Another basic principle is temperature management. That starts by keeping meat cold: Bacteria levels can double in as little as 20 minutes between 40° F and 140° F. Thaw ground beef in the fridge, not on the countertop.
When shopping for ground beef in the grocer, or storing it in the fridge, keep it separate from other foods by putting it in a plastic bag or bowl.
What happened: The outbreak was first traced to a deli in Brooklyn, N.Y., but the CDC later linked illnesses caused by the same strain to people in other states who had never been to that deli. So the CDC concluded that a different contaminated food, which it could not pinpoint, likely had introduced the listeria strain into delis and grocery stores in multiple states. One person became ill during pregnancy and lost their baby. The CDC said the outbreak was over by the end of March 2023.
What to do: Listeria is killed when food is cooked. While it may not be practical to heat deli-sliced cheese or cold cuts to that temperature, CR’s Rogers suggests taking the additional step if you are pregnant, are older, or have a weakened immune system, because it is the only way to be assured you’re safe from listeria—or consider avoiding these foods altogether.
For everyone else, consuming only small amounts of deli meats—or eliminating them entirely—isn’t a bad idea from a nutritional standpoint, says Amy Keating, a nutrition expert at CR. That’s because they’re loaded with sodium and are considered processed meat, she says. Regularly consuming even small amounts of processed meats can, over time, increase your risk of cancer and other health problems.
What happened: In April, General Mills announced a recall of several sizes of its Gold Medal Bleached and Unbleached All Purpose Flour after a routine inspection showed that a sample from a 5-pound bag tested positive for salmonella.
While the investigation has been closed, and General Mills did not respond to our questions, Rogers notes that livestock like cattle and chickens or even wild animals like deer and rodents can carry salmonella in their gut. Waste from these animals can get into the water supply and flow into nearby wheat fields and contaminate crops. Unfortunately, milling the grain into flour does not kill salmonella.
What to do: Cooking flour as part of normal food preparation is what makes it safe. Avoid eating raw cake batter or cookie dough, or anything else that contains uncooked flour. And, because flour is light and fluffy and can easily get on kitchen surfaces and prep items, wash anything in the kitchen that comes in contact with it using soapy, warm water.
What happened: In November, HMC Farms in Kingsberg, Calif., issued a nationwide recall of its fresh peaches, nectarines, and plums sold in packages and individually in Cub, Hyvee, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, Walmart, and other grocery, produce, and convenience stores.
A spokesperson for HMC Farms said the company’s investigation found that the contamination was isolated to a single packing facility, which was shut down. “We are engaged in a comprehensive assessment of the facility and its practices. We will resume operations at the facility only after we are confident that appropriate actions have been taken to ensure food safety and mitigate risks.”
As of Jan. 30, 2024, the CDC said this outbreak was over.
What happened: In January 2023, the Maryland Department of Health found that samples of enoki mushrooms produced by Shandong Youhe Biotechnology Co. in China tested positive for listeria. A month earlier, Missouri state officials found listeria contamination in enoki mushrooms from the same company. In both cases, the strains were linked to yet another listeria outbreak that began in late 2022. Because of an earlier outbreak of imported enoki mushrooms in 2020, the FDA and several state health boards have substantially increased mushroom testing. The CDC said that as of April 7, 2023, the investigation and the outbreak had ended.
What to do: The FDA’s investigation found numerous samples contaminated with listeria. The agency warns people who are pregnant, 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system to not consume raw enoki mushrooms, and to store them separate from foods that won’t be cooked. And, to reduce the risk of listeria contaminating your kitchen area, wash thoroughly with warm, soapy water, anything that raw mushrooms come in contact with in your refrigerator or food prep area, Rogers says.
Final Tip
Basic kitchen food safety practices can go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe. Those include: washing your hands before and after touching food, and washing down food prep surfaces and refrigerator shelves and drawers where food is stored, as well as your kitchen sink, and utensils.
