Full List of Food Recalls in December as Warnings Issued Nationwide

Food recalls shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during December led to warnings being issued to consumers nationwide. Why It Matters Consuming recalled food products can result in serious health risks. More than two dozen recalls were initiated during December for reasons including contamination with dangerous pathogens like listeria and salmonella and mislabeling mistakes that could expose vulnerable people to potentially deadly allergic reactions. What To Know The word “recall” stamped across a blurred image of a supermarket aisle in this undated file photo. Food recalls were announced by the FDA and USDA during December for various reasons. The word “recall” stamped across a blurred image of a supermarket aisle in this undated file photo. Food recalls were announced by the FDA and USDA during December for various reasons. Colleen Michaels Newsweek has compiled the following list of all of the food recalls shared by the FDA and USDA from December 1 to December 30: Salmonella is the most common cause of food poisoning in the U.S. Eating contaminated food can lead to an infection known as salmonellosis, which usually appears between six hours to six days following consumption, according to the FSIS. Cases typically last from four to seven days and include such symptoms as abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. Severe cases, which are more likely to occur in children, the elderly or people with compromised immune systems, can include a range of other symptoms involving joints and the nervous system. E. coli typically causes unpleasant symptoms within three to four days after eating contaminated food. Symptoms can include dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. While most people recover from an E. coli infection within a week, a rare type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome can affect 5 to 10 percent of people infected with certain strains of the bacteria. Elderly adults and children under the age of 5 are especially vulnerable. Listeriosis, an infection of Listeria monocytogenes, can result in severe symptoms even in those who are otherwise healthy. About 260 of an estimated 1,600 annual cases are fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most listeriosis infections are limited to the digestive system, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food. But a more invasive form of the illness develops in some within two weeks, killing about one in 20 people who are not pregnant. For those who are pregnant, symptoms are generally mild or nonexistent, but invasive illness “usually leads to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn,” according to the CDC. Undeclared ingredients can cause the potentially deadly condition of anaphylaxis in those with related allergies. About 6 percent of U.S. adults and 8 percent of children have at least one food allergy. Anaphylaxis requires prompt medical attention because of symptoms that include throat swelling, difficulty breathing, a sudden drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Other symptoms of serious allergic reactions include rashes, hives, itching, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. What People Are Saying The FDA, on its website: “While the American food supply is among the safest in the world, the federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness each year. This estimate is equivalent to 1 in 6 Americans becoming sick from contaminated food, which results in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.” What Happens Next “When necessary, the FDA works with food producers to facilitate voluntary recalls of potentially contaminated products; the agency also has mandatory recall authorities under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA),” the FDA said on its website.