Deadly Meat Recalls Spiked by 83 Percent Since 2013

Government recalls of Class 1 meat products has increased by 83 percent from 2013 to 2018, according to a new report by consumer watchdog organization Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). The report, which is based on USDA and FDA data, describes this category of animal products as “a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death.” The report also revealed that recalls of all meat products have increased by 67 percent, with beef recalls up by 55 percent, pork recalls by 67 percent, and poultry recalls up by 70 percent since 2013. PIRG also identified that recalls of certain vegetable crops, such as romaine lettuce and spinach, are on the rise due to poor sanitation standards at factory farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). “These [contaminants] can spread beyond the CAFO to nearby produce farms as runoff from animal waste from cattle operations can contaminate irrigation water for clean crops and cause contamination,” the report stated.