What Is a Listeria Recall?

A Listeria recall occurs when a food product tests positive for Listeria monocytogenes — a dangerous bacterium that can cause listeriosis, a serious infection particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

Why Are Listeria Recalls Serious?

The FDA classifies the vast majority of Listeria recalls as Class I — the highest severity level — meaning there is a reasonable probability that consuming the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. Listeriosis kills approximately 260 people in the United States each year according to the CDC.

What Should I Do If a Listeria Product Is Recalled?

Stop using the product immediately — do not taste it to check if it seems safe. Discard or return the product — Listeria cannot be detected by sight, smell, or taste. Clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that touched the recalled product, and watch for symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, or diarrhea, seeking medical attention if symptoms appear.

Foreign Material Food Recalls

FDA Enforcement Data · FoodRecallFinder.com · 95 brands tracked · Updated weekly

What Is a Foreign Material Recall?

A foreign material recall occurs when a food product is found to contain physical contaminants that are not part of the intended food — such as metal fragments, glass shards, plastic pieces, bone fragments, or other extraneous materials. These contaminants can pose serious injury risks to consumers.

Foreign material contamination is one of the most common physical hazards in food manufacturing and is closely monitored by the FDA as part of its food safety oversight program.

Why Foreign Material Recalls Are Serious

The FDA typically classifies foreign material recalls as Class II — meaning the product may cause temporary adverse health consequences. However, sharp or hard foreign materials such as metal fragments or glass can cause Class I level injuries including lacerations, broken teeth, choking, and internal injuries.

Children and the elderly are at particular risk from foreign material contamination due to the potential for choking and the difficulty of detecting contaminants in processed foods.

Most Common Types of Foreign Material

Metal fragments — from processing equipment wear, broken blades, or wire mesh
Glass shards — from broken containers or equipment during production
Plastic pieces — from packaging materials, conveyor belts, or equipment
Bone fragments — particularly in meat and poultry products
Wood splinters — from pallets or wooden equipment components
Rubber pieces — from gaskets, seals, or conveyor components
Stones or pits — particularly in fruit and vegetable products

Common Causes of Foreign Material Recalls

Equipment failure — broken or worn machinery components entering the food stream
Inadequate metal detection — failure of inline metal detectors or X-ray systems
Human error — accidental introduction of materials during processing or packaging
Raw ingredient contamination — foreign material present in incoming ingredients
Facility maintenance issues — improper equipment maintenance or repair practices

Foreign Material Recalls in Our Database

FoodRecallFinder.com tracks 95 brands where foreign material is the predominant contamination type in their FDA recall history. Foreign material is the fifth most common contamination category in our database.

To view the full recall history for any brand including foreign material events use the search bar on our homepage or browse all brands A-Z.

What to Do If Your Product Is Recalled

Stop using the product immediately
Do not consume it — foreign material may not be visible in all portions of the product
Return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund
If you have already consumed the product and feel any discomfort seek medical attention
Report injuries or adverse events to the FDA at FDA.gov

Data Source

All recall data on FoodRecallFinder.com is sourced from the FDA Recall Enterprise System via the openFDA Food Enforcement API. Data is updated weekly. FoodRecallFinder.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For the complete list of foreign material recalls visit FDA.gov directly.