Why it seems like there have been so many food recalls in Canada recently

Canada has seen many high-profile food recalls this year — from sweet kale chopped-salad kits to plant-based milks — and even some Listeria cases.

Why does it seem like there have been so many recalls recently? Here's what you need to know.

Over the summer, in what may have been the most talked-about recall, three people in Ontario died in a listeriosis outbreak associated with certain Silk and Great Value plant-based beverages. A total of 20 people were also sickened in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta. The affected products included almond milk and oat milk.

People who eat foods contaminated with Listeria may carry the bacteria and not develop the listeriosis illness. But more severe illness may result in the brain infection meningitis and blood infection in newborns and older adults. Severe illness during pregnancy is also a risk to the fetus.

Last month, the Public Health Agency of Canada said the outbreak appeared to be over and it closed the investigation.

There was also news coming from McDonald's in the U.S. of slivered onions tied to E. coli illnesses, and 61 people infected with an outbreak strain of Listeria from 19 U.S. states tied to deli meats.

And over the past few weeks in Canada, recalls have included organic carrots, due to E. coli risk, and cucumbers and chopped kale salads, over salmonella concerns.

Not exactly. There have been 139 recalls so far in the 2024-25 fiscal year, which ends March 31, said Meghan Griffin, acting manager of food safety and recalls at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

On average, there have been between 220 to 250 total recalls each fiscal year for the past five years. (There was an outlier in the 2019-2020 year, which saw 560 recalls, according to the CFIA's data.) 

There hasn't been a significant increase over that period either, says Griffin.

The appearance of an increase might be because the food supply is under scrutiny — and that captures the public's attention.

"I'm thinking that it's heightened awareness and more rigorous testing," said microbiologist Lori Burrows, a biomedical sciences professor at McMaster University. "When some recalls start happening, people start to take a closer look."

That includes food producers, processors and distributors, as well.

Timothy Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University, said contamination and outbreaks are identified quicker than before.