Recalls for days

American consumers are no strangers to recalls. Our food was recalled 12 times between November 21, 2024, and December 2, 2024. How can we keep ourselves safe given the increase?

Recalls and the American Experience

Food recalls are part of the everyday experience in America. The problem with the recent recalls is they occurred during a holiday meant to bring together family and friends around food. If you were trying to eat healthy by purchasing organic you may have felt discouraged. But why is this happening?

Simply put, food regulations were relaxed during the 2016-2020 administration. As this administration gets ready to take office again in 2025, they are already talking about removing the agencies that manage the food industry. This will lead to more recalls. American food is already some of the worst in the world. We will easily become the worst in the world for food quality.

I am not saying our regulations are great. Like the ADA, food regulations are the bare minimum companies need to achieve to not be sued. The regulations do not require true transparency in our food.

So, what can consumers do to stay safe?

1. If buying organic food you cannot buy it in a store. Grocery stores from your local store to Whole Foods do NOT sell true organic foods. Part of the current regulations means all organic produce in stores needs to be sprayed before shipping and being placed in the store. If you want to buy true organic foods you need to buy from an Organic Farmer in your area.
2. Understand that not all organics are created equally. In California, we have different levels of farmer markets. My food sensitivity means I can only buy food from Certified California Organic Farmers Markets. In my area, this accounts for roughly less than 10% of markets. If you are looking to buy Organic look up your state’s requirements and their definition of “organic”.
3. Shop at Farmers Markets. Again you need to research your city and state’s requirements and definition of “farmers market”. When I lived in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area I learned how each city has different definitions of “farmers markets”.
   • In Minneapolis, they were glorified flea markets. The “fresh produce” was delivered early in the morning by a major company that also supplied local grocery stores. They used the term “farmers markets” but farmers were not the ones providing most, if any, of the fresh produce.
   • In St. Paul, they had a true farmer’s market. The company that ran the market posted the requirements on its website. Vendors who wanted to sell at the market had to be within a 50-mile radius of St. Paul. They had to grow their produce. They had to be available for three surprise inspections a year. They could not sell any produce they listed with the market at the beginning of the planting season.

I had to learn all of this information the hard way. I cannot buy food at a grocery store. There is no such thing as “safe food” for me. In my everyday life I have to be concerned second-by-second with how to stay safe and not get sick or die from food, cosmetics, cleaning products, and the list goes on and on.

My goal is to help consumers to read between the ingredient lines. Every time I share information about my book I hear the stories of everyday people and their similar struggles. A majority of Americans struggle to eat safely. It has become commonplace for people to struggle with food safety we don’t even give it a second thought anymore.

I also want to work with food companies that are trying to do better. those who see the regulations and go beyond to create a product that is better for consumers and the world around them. In my almost two decades of struggle, I am still finding companies who are doing better but don’t have the information to reach people like me who are searching for them.