Several common foods\u2014including raw eggs, deli meats, leafy greens, and flour\u2014currently pose higher risks for foodborne illness due to frequent contamination and recalls.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Many of these foods are typically eaten raw or minimally cooked, making proper handling, storage, and awareness of recall alerts especially important.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Staying informed through brand emails, FDA alerts, and safe sourcing practices (like shopping local or growing your own) can help reduce your exposure to risky food products.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Food recalls have been a scary reality in recent years, as announcements about potential life-threatening contaminants in our standard groceries put Americans supermarket shoppers on edge.<\/p>\n
Though food recalls are not exponentially on the rise<\/a> (and some of that may be thanks to 2025 budget cuts defunding the FDA), the prominence of popular foods like Boar\u2019s Head meats and organic carrots being recalled has captured America\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s no surefire way to know if a food at the store may be recalled in the near future, knowing some safety signs<\/a> to look out for can help you stay safe and illness-free.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be difficult to know if a food is potentially dangerous because it will often look and smell normal,\u201d says Marisa Landetta, RDN. \u201cIf a package is broken, or if food is still raw after being cooked, and of course if it doesn\u2019t look or smell normal, then it could be dangerous.”<\/p>\n Key Points<\/p>\n Diane Han, MPH, RD<\/strong><\/a>, a weight management dietitian based in San Francisco, CA, and the founder of Woking Balance Wellness<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Marisa Landetta, RDN<\/strong><\/a>, a registered dietitian based in Utah, and former Clinical Dietitian at Primary Children\u2019s Hospital<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Here are a few foods to use extra caution with when you shop, according to the most recent food safety data:\u00a0<\/p>\n Unpasteurized Eggs and Dairy \u201cUnpasteurized foods, such as raw eggs and dairy products, including [raw] milk, carry a higher risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogenic bacterium found in soil and water,\u201d says Diane Han, MPH, RD, a weight management dietitian based in San Francisco, CA, and the founder of Woking Balance Wellness. \u201cConsuming these contaminated foods can cause symptoms like diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting, and may even result in hospitalization or death in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: The 10 Foods Most Linked to Recalls and Disease Outbreaks<\/a><\/p>\n Poultry, Pork and Uncooked Meat Koval Nadiya\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThe foods that are the highest risk of causing illness are foods that are raw,\u201d says Landetta. \u201cFoods that are raw, meaning they are not cooked or heated, have the highest risk of causing illness because if they are contaminated with any harmful bacteria, a lot of the times cooking or heating the food will kill the bacteria and won\u2019t pose much of a threat.\u201d In 2023, millions of pounds of meat were recalled due to potential contamination.<\/p>\n Deli Meat and Processed Meat Vladimir Mironov \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n If you think cooked meat is less risky than raw meat, well, that\u2019s unfortunately not the case. Processed meat products are some of the most commonly recalled foods by the FDA thanks to \u201cforeign matter\u201d seeping into production lines and all of the standard potential contaminants with meat. \u201cWithout proper storage, handling, and preparation, pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella can contaminate foods such as deli meats<\/a>,\u201d says Han. Even if your deli meat hasn\u2019t been recalled, leaving it out at a picnic<\/a> can be dangerous too. Products like canned beef stew, ham croquettes, and frozen pulled pork have all been recalled as of July 2025.<\/p>\n Leafy Greens Ekaterina Smirnova\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Eating your greens is generally recommended, but do so with a bit of excess caution. Leafy greens<\/a>, like lettuce, are some of the most often recalled foods. And because they\u2019re typically eaten raw, it\u2019s important to pay attention to the recalls. Pre-washed and bagged salads are particularly risky, due to the possible contamination at every level, from dirty irrigation water, contaminants in the soil, E. coli at the processing plant, and bacteria growing in the package during transport. \u201cI like to sign up for food brands\u2019 email lists and follow them on social media so I can be notified in a timely manner about any food recalls or safety issues,\u201d says Han. \u201cOccasionally, if I haven\u2019t heard much from the news, I also visit the FDA website to check for updates. You can also opt in there to receive food recall alerts.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: Are Sprouts Safe to Eat? Here’s How to Avoid Food Poisoning<\/a><\/p>\n Cucumbers Alberto Rojas Garcia \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n In June 2025, a salmonella outbreak was linked to cucumbers<\/a>. Water-dense vegetables<\/a> are indeed risky, as they can easily become contaminated if they\u2019re exposed to dirty water. Cucumbers<\/a> are also sensitive to temperature and typically consumed raw, so eating a contaminated cucumber is particularly dangerous. This also doesn\u2019t just apply to whole cucumbers, cucumbers used in packaged salsas, salads, and sushi have been recalled this year due to a potential salmonella risk. It may be time to start growing your own<\/a>, or shop at the farmers market.<\/p>\n Flour Mari Carmen Martinez\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Flour<\/a> is another raw food that can carry E. coli or other toxins. And yes, that\u2019s a great reason to skip raw cookie dough or licking the whisk after making cake batter. Pillsbury, Gold Medal, and King Arthur have all recalled flour in recent years thanks to E. coli and salmonella risks.<\/p>\n Seafood Getty Images<\/p>\n Seafood<\/a> is particularly finicky, as it needs to be treated and stored properly as soon as it comes out of the water. Factor in the extra handling and steps for processed products like smoked salmon<\/a> or fish sticks, and even more potential contaminants come into play. The Journal of Food Protection found that undeclared allergens were the most common reason for seafood recalls, which is helpful to know for those without allergies. Shopping at a local seafood market<\/a> where the monger knows the province of the fish, when it came in, and any helpful details about quality and flavor, can help with safety concerns.<\/p>\n Onions Onions<\/a> may live in your pantry for months, which is what makes a recall particularly scary\u2014do you know where your onions originally came from? E. coli poses a particular risk to onions, which can also appear at restaurants,<\/a> like McDonald\u2019s. And yes, eating the onions uncooked makes exposure to the bacteria even riskier.\u00a0\n
![\"Karandaev\/Getty](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2b619829409ea296c090fb075cafa9b8.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Koval](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/9180e53eff146a01ff3c089f73a22102.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Vladimir](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/d30b8bd9e2e2d0a1ddbd57539db786f1.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Ekaterina](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2df2e732f1179fdf8658e9c7f91bad4c.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Alberto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/07fa945b68de8664f21ee441de1320c1.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Mari](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/30019b66d3808472fabab73b6ca395d8.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/7e9f91fd324ca6fab7ea5a0fc8c2073b.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Lezh\/Getty](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/e856cac0b1532fcee0e783182b12774d.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/c38071b912c2b7312c9e3f136339470d.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n