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What Is a USDA Recall?

A USDA recall is an action taken when meat, poultry, or processed egg products are found to be unsafe, mislabeled, or otherwise in violation of food safety laws. Recalls are overseen by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the public health agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that these products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled.

What Products Does FSIS Regulate?

FSIS oversees recalls for:

  • Raw and processed meat (beef, pork, lamb, veal, and more)
  • Poultry products (chicken, turkey, duck, and other birds)
  • Processed egg products (liquid, frozen, or dried egg products)

This is different from the FDA, which regulates most other foods, drugs, and medical devices. If you're looking for recalls on packaged foods, produce, or seafood, check our FDA recalls section instead.

Why Do USDA Recalls Happen?

Common reasons for a USDA recall include:

  • Contamination with bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria
  • Undeclared allergens (milk, soy, egg, wheat, etc.)
  • Foreign material found in the product (metal, plastic, bone fragments)
  • Misbranding or mislabeling, including missing inspection marks
  • Products produced without the benefit of federal inspection

How Are USDA Recalls Classified?

FSIS assigns each recall a classification based on the health risk involved: Class I, Class II, or Class III. In some cases, FSIS issues a Public Health Alertinstead of a formal recall — typically when the product is no longer available for recall (for example, it's likely already been consumed) but the agency still wants to warn the public. Read our guides on Class I, Class II, Class III recalls, and public health alerts for details.

What Should I Do If I Have a Recalled Product?

  1. Stop eating or using the product immediately
  2. Check the recall details — look for matching lot numbers, establishment numbers, sell-by dates, or UPC codes
  3. Throw it away or return it to the store where you purchased it
  4. Watch for symptoms if you've already consumed the product, and contact a doctor if you feel unwell

Finding USDA Recalls

Use our USDA recalls search to browse recent meat, poultry, and egg recalls. You can filter by category, classification, and status, or search by product name, company, or recall reason.