From Shrimp To Shredded Cheese, America’s Packaged Food Recall Is Getting A Bit Chaotic — And Testing Shoppers’ Nerves

• Earlier this week, the FDA raised its risk warning for certain varieties of shredded cheese, one of the most-consumed foods.
• That comes in a year of frequent food recalls that have left consumers frustrated and feeling insecure.
• Some users report avoiding packaged foods altogether. 

From radioactive shrimps to exploding wine bottles and bacteria-infested pasta, this year has not been the most appetizing. Now, the food regulator has raised the risk warning on certain cheese, one of the most consumed processed foods, leaving consumers scrabbling and cussing online.

The Cheese Crisis

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the risk level on Great Lakes Cheese Co.’s shredded cheese, impacting more than 1.5 million bags sold across major chains like Target, Walmart, and Aldi, to Class II. That’s the FDA’s second-highest warning and conveys serious, although non-fatal, health risks.

The agency is recalling the company’s various branded cheeses in as many as 31 states, with Google trends showing high searches for ‘cheese recall.’

Hardly The First Recall

It's only the latest in a series of major recalls this year. In August, it was found that certain frozen shrimp varieties sold at Walmart might have had traces of radioactive elements – likely one of the most bizarre in years. 

Costco recently recalled some of its salad dressing for possible plastic contamination, and before that, its Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiadene wine (941,400 bottles in total) due to a potential risk of spontaneous bottle shattering.

Of the more worrisome, Nate’s Fine Foods recalled large quantities of pre-cooked, ready-to-eat pasta in September and October after tests found contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium. The FDA confirmed shortly after that at least 25 were hospitalized, and six died of Listeria monocytogenes infections.

Consumers Frusatrated

Although there is no evidence that packed-food recalls have hurt sales at top retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, and Costco, online public sentiment is dipping.

User posts show on X show widespread concern and frustration regarding the frequency of food recalls this year, creating a “trust crisis.” Users were also blaming the FDA and food companies for their oversight, while some said they would skip packaged food altogether for a while.

It also led to what some call "recall fatigue," which involves consumers having to constantly check FDA recall notices, batch numbers, and expiration dates for the foods they buy.

"All of this lack of oversight of these food processing firms has led to the largest recall of food for adults and babies. Apparently those companies are letting poison food in the public domain and are hoping they make a profit before too many die. @USDAFoodSafety" an X user posted on Nov. 26.

Editor’s note: If you’re concerned about contaminated food, you can check the product recall pages of Walmart and Kroger’s, and the FDA’s safety alerts page.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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