Allergic Reaction: Allergens Cause Dangerous Spike in FDA Recalled Food Units in Q3

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 7, 2017

The Recall Index, which reports quarterly on recalls in the food, pharmaceutical, automotive, medical device, and consumer product industries, found that FDA food recalls declined 11 percent in Q3 2017 to 158 recalls. While that would usually be seen as good news, the scale and severity of the recalls were troubling.

Of the FDA recalled food units in Q3, 95.6 percent were considered Class I threats – the most serious health-threatening classification. Nearly all (96.9 percent) of the recalled units were because of undeclared allergens, which have been a consistent cause of all food recalls (38.9 percent) for the last four quarters. The top allergens from Q3 2016 through Q3 2017 were milk, followed by nuts, soy, and wheat. The number of pounds of food recalled by the USDA dropped (by 27 percent) but allergens accounted for 62.5 percent of recalls.

"Allergens continue to be a leading cause of food recall activity, and manufacturers still struggle to find a solution," said Mike Good, Vice President of Marketing & Sales Operations, Stericycle Expert Solutions. "It is a growing concern because as the number of allergen-caused recalls have increased, so has the number of people with food allergies in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that 4 to 6 percent of children and 4 percent of adults now suffer from food allergies, causing approximately 30,000 emergency room treatments and 150 deaths each year."

Consumer Products and Med Device Recalls Down; Auto and Pharma Recalls Slightly Increase
The Recall Index found positive and negative trends across the other categories as well. Consumer product recalls dropped 8 percent to 59 – the lowest number since Q1 2015. At the same time, incidents reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission plummeted 92 percent to 895, while injuries decreased 62.3 percent to 114. 

Sports and recreational equipment made up the top recall category for the sixth quarter in a row with 23 recalls. Volume-wise, home furnishings and fixtures were the most pervasive, making up 76.2 percent of all recalled units. While incidents and injuries declined, the top peril was entrapment, strangulation, or lacerations, comprising 76.1 percent of all recalled consumer product units.

The medical device industry also saw a decline in recalls, dropping 39 percent to 167 – the lowest quarter since Q4 2011. Despite this steep drop, recalled units ticked up 1 percent to 68 million. The main reason was sterility issues, causing 89.4 percent of all medical device recalled units. Software issues were the biggest cause of recalls at 24.6 percent, making it the top recall cause for the sixth quarter in a row.