US food recalls surge as salmonella outbreaks sicken thousands

Food recalls in the US have reached elevated levels in 2026, with major salmonella outbreaks linked to jalapeños and eggs sickening thousands. As of July 31, there have been 122 food and beverage recalls, compared to 135 in the same period in 2025 and 146 in 2024, according to the Poynter Institute Source: The Verge. While the total number is not significantly higher, experts note that some individual recalls affect extraordinarily large quantities of food Source: The Verge.

The outbreaks

A salmonella outbreak tied to fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, has sickened 431 people across 32 states, with 57 hospitalized, according to the CDC Source: Fox Business, Wired. The peppers, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, prompted recalls of prepared foods at major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods Source: Fox Business. Chipotle and Qdoba stopped using the affected jalapeños Source: Wired.

Separately, a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs has sickened 98 people in 17 states, with 26 hospitalized Source: Wired. Midwest Poultry Services recalled 19 million eggs, though the company's eggs did not account for all illnesses Source: Wired.

The bigger picture

Other recalls include frozen blueberries over E. coli concerns, Outshine fruit bars for potential glass contamination, and dog food linked to canine illnesses Source: The Verge, Wired. The cyclospora outbreak from lettuce contributed to over 9,000 illnesses, possibly the third-largest recorded Source: The Verge.

Experts say summer conditions favor bacterial growth, and increased media attention may not reflect a true uptick in risk Source: The Verge, Wired. However, Darin Detwiler warns that "recall fatigue can become trust fatigue" Source: The Verge.