How many food recalls were there in 2021?

The FDA reported 1,181 food recall enforcement actions in 2021, of which 408 were Class I, 718 Class II and 55 Class III. That is 8% fewer than the 1,286 reported in 2020.

What caused the most food recalls in 2021?

Undeclared allergens appears in 319 of the 1,181 recalls reported in 2021, followed by listeria monocytogenes with 246. A single recall can name more than one hazard, so these counts overlap.

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FDA food recalls reported in 2021

The FDA reported 1,181 food recall enforcement actions in 2021, 408 of them Class I. That is 8% fewer than 2020. Data last updated 2 September 2026.

Records of 29,386: 1,181
Share of all recalls: 4%
Class I of 1,181: 408
Reported between: 2021 to 2021

Who got ill

The CDC recorded 490 foodborne outbreaks in 2021, with 7,733 reported illnesses, 868 hospitalisations and 26 deaths. That is 5.4% of the 9,038 foodborne outbreaks in the dataset, and 3.4 in every thousand of those reported ill died.

The setting recorded most often was a sit-down restaurant, in 184 of the 424 where a setting was named.

Outbreaks: 490
Reported illnesses: 7,733
Hospitalised: 868
Deaths: 26

Foodborne outbreaks reported to CDC, National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) for 2012 to 2023, read 2026-09-15. An outbreak is two or more illnesses traced to a common food, so this counts people rather than product, and it does not cover the recall years after 2023.

What is different about 2021

The hazard that separates 2021 from the national picture is foreign material: 20.8% of these records name it, against 8.3% of all FDA food recalls.

By product, 2021 is weighted toward bakery: 19.1% of the records here against 12.9% across the corpus.

Recalls in 2021 skew less severe than the corpus: 34.5% are Class I against 44% nationally.

A recall in 2021 stays open a median of 165 days between the report and termination, against 215 days for the corpus as a whole. Termination follows the firm accounting for every unit of the affected lot.

What changed in 2021

A rule changes what a firm has to hold, not what its hazards are, so nothing below explains the counts on this page. It is the regime the records were written under.

23 April 2021

The FASTER Act adds sesame as the ninth major allergen

Sesame was declared the ninth major food allergen, with labelling and manufacturing requirements applying from 1 January 2023. Undeclared sesame becomes a labelling violation from that date rather than only a hazard a firm chose to disclose, which is why sesame records on this site begin where they do.

FDA, Food Allergies

What was recalled in 2021

Counts are by the date the FDA reported the enforcement action, which is the field openFDA publishes as report_date rather than the date the firm started the recall. A single recall can name more than one hazard, so these counts overlap and do not sum to 1,181.

Firms with the most records

A firm appears here because it reported recalls, which is what a working recall procedure produces. A high count frequently reflects a single event split across many product codes rather than many separate failures.

Where the recalling firms are

The state is the location of the recalling firm, not where the product was sold. Distribution is recorded separately on each record.

Most recently reported

The 60 most recent of 1,181 records. Every record has its own page and is reachable from its year, state and firm.
Reported	Product	Firm	Reason	Class
2021-12-29	two-bite carrot cake cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 05525 1 Kimberley's bakeshoppe carrot cake filled gourmet cupcakes 11.5 oz. UPC 7 70981 31026 8	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Cesarina Cookies, Assorted Cookies, Net Weight 16oz (453.59g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's bakeshoppe vanilla mini Frosted soft Sugar Cookies 9.4 oz. UPC 7 70981 30310 9	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite vanilla & chocolate cupcakes 20 oz. UPC 7 70981 03408 9 Favorite Day Bakery chocolate & vanilla mini cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 0 85239 12580 9	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite vanilla & chocolate cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 04502 3 20 oz. UPC 7 70981 03107 1 meijer mini assorted cupcakes with Holiday inspired sprinkle blend 20 oz. UPC 7 08820 40243 0 Kimberley's bakeshoppe vanilla & chocolate cupcakes 22 oz. UPC 7 70981 31122 7	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Wondershop at Target Frosted Sugar Cookies 13.5 oz. UPC 0 85239 13621 8	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	NL Vanilla Iced Assorted cupcakes 24PK 983352 15 lbs. case UPC 1 07 70981 03948 7	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Cesarina Cookies, Tutti Frutti Cookies, Net Weight 16oz (453.59g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Wondershop at Target vanilla mini cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 0 85239 03474 3	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's bakeshoppe vanilla mini Frosted soft Sugar Cookies 9.4 oz. UPC 7 70981 30312 3	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Cesarina Cookies, Mini Linzer Tart, Apricot Raspberry, Net Weight 16oz (453.59g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Favorite Day Bakery madeleine & brownie tiny treats 11 oz. UPC 0 85239 16499 0	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's Bakeshoppe vanilla cupcakes 11.2 oz. UPC 7 70981 31213 2	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Dakota Tom's and Market Fresh branded Chicken Salad Croissant sandwiches. Net Wt. 6.5 oz. UPC 37296-10100, Dakota Toms, Box 271, Corsica, SD 57328.	Dakota Tom's, Inc	Sandwiches contain undeclared egg and milk.	Class I
2021-12-29	Golden Flax Seed Scala Bread,	Calise & Sons Bakery, Inc.	Contains undeclared sesame seeds	Class II
2021-12-29	Cesarina Cookies, Raspberry Sandwich Chocolate Dipped, Net Weight 16oz (453.59g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's bakeshoppe triple chocolate filled gourmet cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 7 70981 31001 5 and 7 70981 31116 6 Favorite Day Gourmet Triple Chocolate filled cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 0 85239 42017 1	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Coca-Cola cola; 12 oz. aluminum can; 12-pack fridge pack/case	COCA COLA Consolidated LLC	Potential presence of foreign matter in container.	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's bakeshoppe Frosted soft Sugar Cookies 13.5 oz. UPC 7 70981 30102 0	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite red velvet cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 05520 6 Marketside red velvet cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 6 81131 10150 9 11.7 oz. UPC 6 81131 24843 3 NL two-bite Red Velvet Premium Cupcakes 12PK 05620 7.52 lbs. case UPC 1 07 70981 05620 0 Favorite Day Gourmet red velvet filled cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 0 85239 42016 4 Kimberley's bakeshoppe red velvet filled gourmet cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 7 70981 31005 3	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Favorite Day Gourmet Vanilla filled cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 0 85239 42018 8 Kimberley's bakeshoppe Vanilla bean filled gourmet cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 7 70981 31117 3 Kimberley's bakeshoppe vanilla filled gourmet cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 7 70981 31003 9	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Flora PASTRIES FIOCHETTO Assorted Flavors Apricot and Raspberry, Net. Wt. 16 oz (454g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Flora PASTRIES BUTTER COOKIES Assorted Varieties, Net. Wt. 16 oz (454g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	NL two-bite Cream Cheese Iced Cinnamon Roll 08030 16.93 lbs. case UPC 1-07-70981-08030-4	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Freshness Guaranteed Cookies N' Creme Tiny Pies 12.7 oz. UPC 0 78742 37636 3	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Flora CHOCOLATE SANDWICH Chocolate Dipped with Sprinkles, Net. Wt. 16 oz (454g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp. Kids Cupcakes chocolate & vanilla kids cupcakes 21.9 oz. UPC 7 70981 31091 6	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Flora PASTRIES RASPBERRY SANDWICH Chocolate Dipped with Sprinkles, Net. Wt. 16 oz (454g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite chocolate cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 04460 6	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's bakeshoppe Caramel Macchiato filled gourmet cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 7 70981 31087 9	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite vanilla & chocolate cupcakes 10.5 oz. UPC 7 70981 03468 3 Sweet P's Bake Shop chocolate & vanilla cupcakes 10.5 oz. UPC 0 11225 54723 2	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Signature Select Pumpkin Spice mini cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 0 21130 98478 7 Bake Shop Pumpkin Spice mini cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 4 09910 02729 56 two-bite Pumpkin Spice cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 05551 0	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Cesarina Cookies, Sesame Seed Cookies, Net Weight 16oz (453.59g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Freshness Guaranteed Black Forest Tiny Pies 18.5 oz. UPC 0 78742 37635 6	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	DoctoRx's Optimal Formula, Dry Eye Formula, Ocular Support Softgel, 60 Softgels/Dietary Supplement	Golden Lab LLC	Undeclared fish allergen	Class II
2021-12-29	Black Rifle Coffee Mac V Whole Bean Coffee 12oz PET bags 40 bags per case	Black Rifle Coffee Company	Possible plastic within final product packaging.	Class III
2021-12-29	two-bite vanilla cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 03460 7 Horneaditos cupcake de vainilla 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 04125 4	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Sprite; 12 oz. aluminum can; 12-pack fridge pack/case	COCA COLA Consolidated LLC	Potential presence of foreign matter in container.	Class II
2021-12-29	Marketside strawberry shortcake cupcakes 11.7 oz. UPC 6 81131 24844 0	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Kimberley's bakeshoppe Christmas cupcakes with rings 22 oz. UPC 7 70981 31188 3	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite chocolate cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 04470 5	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Twin Brook Creamery brand, Pasteurized Chocolate Milk, > 3.25 % fat, packaged in 16 oz. glass bottle with a brown cap, Refrigerated. UPC 8 97605 00117 0. Twin Brook Creamery brand, Pasteurized Chocolate Milk, > 3.25 % fat, packaged in 32 oz. glass bottle with a brown cap, Refrigerated. UPC 8 97605 00116 3. Twin Brook Creamery brand, Pasteurized Chocolate Milk, > 3.25 % fat, packaged in 64 oz. glass bottle with a brown cap, Refrigerated. UPC 8 97605 00123 1. The Ingredients statement on the label is read in part "* MILK, SUGAR, COCOA, CORNSTARCH, SALT, CARRAGEENAN, GUAR GUM, & VANILLIN*".	Fishtrap Dairy LLC	Inhibitory substance was detected.	Class II
2021-12-29	Hacienda Las Glorias Premium, Bebida de Parcha (Passion Fruit Drink) 16 Oz. (480 ML)	San Mar Manufacturing Corporation	Undeclared Yellow #5	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite vanilla cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 03109 5 284 g UPC 7 70981 73109 4 Bakery Fresh Goodness mini vanilla cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 0 11110 18230 2 NL Vanilla cupcakes 12PK - Everyday 03540 7.52 lbs. case UPC 1 07 70981 03540 3 7 Select vanilla mini cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 0 52548 62682 2 Best Choice Bakery vanilla two-bite cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 0 70038 66154 2 Sweet P's bake shop vanilla cupcakes 10 oz. 0 11225 12601 7 Freshness Guaranteed vanilla cupcakes 13.1 oz. UPC 0 78742 36760 6 Kimberley's bakeshoppe vanilla cupcakes 11.2 oz. UPC 7 70981 31008 4 meijer vanilla cupcakes 11.2 oz. UPC 7 08820 65030 5	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite unicorn cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 04417 0 Marketside unicorn cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 6 81131 10125 7	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	Twin Brook Creamery brand, Pasteurized 1% Milk, Vit D3 Vit A Palmitate, 100% Jersey Milk, packaged in 64 oz glass bottle with a green cap, Refrigerated, UPC8 97605 00102 6. Twin Brook Creamery brand, Pasteurized 1% Milk, Vit D3 Vit A Palmitate, 100% Jersey Milk, packaged in 32 oz glass bottle with a green cap, Refrigerated, UPC 8 97605 00105 7.	Fishtrap Dairy LLC	Inhibitory substance was detected.	Class II
2021-12-29	Cesarina Cookies, Fiochetto, Apricot Raspberry Guava, Net Weight 16oz (453.59g)	Cesarina Bakery, Inc	Undeclared Milk	Class II
2021-12-29	Favorite Day Bakery Frosted Sugar Cookies 13.5 oz. UPC 0 85239 41050 9	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite apple caramel cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 05550 3	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-29	two-bite vanilla & chocolate cupcakes 10 oz. UPC 7 70981 03127 9 20 oz. UPC 7 70981 03104 0	GIVE AND GO	Potential for metal in product	Class II
2021-12-22	Livia One Organic Daily Topical Spray Probiotics; 4 oz. (120 ml) UPC: 0 30915 10710 5 Recommended use: Topical: Spray affected area 2-5 times daily as needed. Ingredients: Proprietary probiotic blend in an enzyme enriched substrate: Lactobacillus-Acidophilus, L. Rhamnosus, L-Salivarius, L. Casei, L-Plantarum, Lactococcus-Lactis, Streptocuccus-Thermophilus, Bifidobacterium-Bifidum, B-Lactus, B-Infantis, B-Breve, B-Longum. Made with water and a proprietary blend of three organic grasses Livia Global Inc., Visalia, CA.	Livia Global	Probiotic products contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa .	Class II
2021-12-22	Kool-Aid cherry drink mix powder 19 oz. UPC 043000953532 19 oz. UPC 043000034163 63 oz. UPC 043000082201	KRAFT HEINZ FOODS COMPANY	potential for glass and metal in product	Class II
2021-12-22	Country Time Lemonade drink mix powder 19 oz. UPC 043000951170 29 oz. UPC 043000951194 63 oz. UPC 043000082195 82.5 oz. UPC 043000928608 116 oz. UPC 043000075388	KRAFT HEINZ FOODS COMPANY	potential for glass and metal in product	Class II
2021-12-22	Krispy Kreme DOUGHNUT Bites ORIGINAL GLAZED 5 1.6 OZ (45g) POUCHES NET WT. 8 OZ (227g) Manufactured under the authority of Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation Winston-Salem, NC 27102 UPC 0 72470 00320 1	KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUT CORPORATIO	The firm was notified by customers that the product contained metal fragments	Class II
2021-12-22	Tang orange drink mix powder 20 oz. UPC 043000032275 58.9 oz. UPC 043000082171 72 oz. UPC 043000032268	KRAFT HEINZ FOODS COMPANY	potential for glass and metal in product	Class II
2021-12-22	Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas 817-810-0071 Pasteurized Donor Human milk Volume: 100mL 1.00 g/dL Protein packaged in sterile BPA free plastic bottle	MOTHERS MILK BANK OF NORTH TEXAS	Foreign object found in bottle	Class III
2021-12-22	Yeast Extract Ajirex in 15 kg PE bag in carton box	Mitsubishi International Food Ingredients, Inc.	Potential Salmonella contamination.	Class II
2021-12-22	Tang guava pineapple drink mix powder 18 oz. UPC 043000064511	KRAFT HEINZ FOODS COMPANY	potential for glass and metal in product	Class II
2021-12-22	The Mustard Man Inc Simply Peppered Mustard 8oz plastic bottles, 6 bottles per case	The Mustard Man Inc	Wrong Product in packaging - Simply Peppered Mustard bottles were filled with Simply Horsey Mustard	Class III
2021-12-22	Country Time Pink Lemonade powder drink mix 19 oz. UPC 043000951149 63 oz. UPC 043000082188 82.5 oz. UPC 043000928615	KRAFT HEINZ FOODS COMPANY	potential for glass and metal in product	Class II

Questions

How many food recalls were there in 2021?: The FDA reported 1,181 food recall enforcement actions in 2021, of which 408 were Class I, 718 Class II and 55 Class III. That is 8% fewer than the 1,286 reported in 2020.
What caused the most food recalls in 2021?: Undeclared allergens appears in 319 of the 1,181 recalls reported in 2021, followed by listeria monocytogenes with 246. A single recall can name more than one hazard, so these counts overlap.

All FDA food recall data

Every hazard in this year is a clause somebody had to evidence at an audit. Krolda maps supplier documents to the clause they satisfy in FSSC 22000, IFS Food and 21 CFR 117, and routes the corrective action when the evidence is missing.

Early access

Recall records come from the openFDA food enforcement API, published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the public domain. Krolda adds the hazard classification and the clause mapping; neither is an FDA determination. Always check the FDA notice before acting on a recall.