Staying Safe in an Era of More Frequent Food Recalls

From farms around the world to factories, grocery stores, and ultimately our kitchen tables, food travels through a complex cycle before it reaches us. Along the way, it is harvested, processed, packaged, transported, stored, and handled by many different people and businesses.

This complexity helps provide consumers with year-round access to an extraordinary variety of foods! But it also creates multiple opportunities for contamination, labeling errors, or other food-safety concerns. Food recalls appear to be increasingly present in the news and in our daily conversations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to issue recalls, safety alerts, and outbreak advisories involving a wide range of products.

So, how can we stay safe?

Besides staying informed for FDA's recall and safety-alert for foodborne illness outbreak, consider buying local. This can play an important role in creating a more transparent and resilient food cycle.

When you buy food from local farmers, markets, and producers, they often have a better opportunity to understand where their food comes from and how it was grown or produced. Locally sourced food usually spend less time traveling through long and complex supply chains before reaching the consumer.

For families, buying local can mean access to very fresh, seasonal products while creating a stronger connection with the people who grow and produce their food. Visiting farmers' markets and buying directly from local producers can also provide an opportunity to ask questions about growing practices, the use of chemical fertilizers and preservatives, and food handling.

For local farmers and producers, community support can make a significant difference. Purchasing locally helps keep more food dollars circulating within the local economy and supports small businesses, agricultural jobs, and regional food production. Strong local food systems can also help build more resilient communities by reducing dependence on distant supply chains.

In an increasingly complex food system, consumers cannot eliminate every food-safety risk. However, becoming more informed about where our food comes from and supporting transparent, local food systems can help us become more connected to the quality of food we eat and the people who produce it.

Know your food. Know your producer. Support your local food community.