Recall notices have become a routine part of American life — but the trend has taken a stranger turn, with brands and retailers now highlighting that their products were left out of recalls.
That unsettling sales pitch comes as Gizmodo, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service data, reported that complaints about meat, poultry, and eggs jumped 40% in 2025, most often initiated due to the detection of foreign material.
Here's what to know
At the same time common products keep landing on recall lists, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has been tracking more complaints.
Foreign material was the top complaint category in 2025 for meat, poultry, and eggs.
One case involved a toothpaste recall of 4 million tubes.
Pritam International Private Limited recalled products including Brush Buddies kids toothpaste, and the action received a Class II designation on Oct. 19.
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Other major food recalls included 1.5 million pounds of meat that had not been kept cold enough and smoked salmon tainted with listeria.
More background
Gizmodo pointed to a report from NBC Selected, which promotes products and features affiliate links.
It first promoted Colgate by emphasizing that it didn't appear on the Food and Drug Administration's recalled products list, before mentioning that one of the brand's most popular whitening formulas was 47% off, bringing the price to under $10 for a pack of three.
In San Diego, California, a grocery-store sign photographed on Oct. 12 offered a similar reassurance.
"Shop with confidence. The eggs we carry are not affected by the current recall," the message to shoppers read. The sign's exact age was unclear, but it appeared after egg recalls, including one involving 19 million eggs.
A recall wave spanning toothpaste, eggs, meat, and salmon suggests more than isolated bad luck.
In large industrial supply chains, repeated failures can point to weak oversight, shortcuts in handling and storage, or inconsistent safety standards from one producer to another.
What's being done?
Pritam International Private Limited initiated the toothpaste recall, and the FDA's Oct. 19 Class II designation indicated how serious it may be.
Public recall listings are also becoming part of how retailers and publishers communicate with shoppers.
NBC Selected explicitly referenced the FDA's list of recalled products when contrasting Colgate with the recalled toothpaste, showing how consumer-facing sales copy now uses official databases.
Stores are using their own messaging, too.
The San Diego egg sign is one example of a retailer trying to reassure customers during a broader category scare, even if the message mainly reflects how widespread recall anxiety has become.
Meanwhile, complaint tracking by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service offers another form of accountability.
The FDA describes Class II as "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote."
Where can I learn more?
These stories look at recent recalls involving meat, eggs, and prepared foods. They cover USDA meat enforcement actions, listeria warnings, and a massive egg recall that sickened dozens of people.
• The USDA recalled 167,639 pounds of pork, beef, and goat over a false inspection mark.
• More than 3,200 pounds of deli meat, including pastrami and corned beef, faced listeria concerns.
• The FDA raised a recall of 19 million eggs to its highest risk after 98 illnesses.
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