Product Recalls Have Doubled Since the Pandemic: New Study

The majority of products recalled by the FDA were food and beverages.

The shelves at a Marc's grocery store, which has started rationing cans of powdered baby formula, in the west Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, Ohio, on May 13, 2022. Customers are limited to three 12.5-ounce cans of Enfamil during the shortage that has been caused by a recall of other brands produced by Abbott Labs in Michigan. Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times

Product recalls—including those for food, beverages, and baby products—issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have doubled in rate since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2018, the FDA has initiated more than 1,000 food and drug recalls, while the CPSC has been responsible for more than 1,500 product recalls, hitting a record high of 603 recalls in 2022. The organizations expect to reach 443 recalls by the end of 2023. Previous years saw 280 to 300 recalls.