How four types of contamination keep sneaking into food

07/04/2025 / By Olivia Cook

Four threats behind most food recalls are these top culprits: Allergenic, biological, chemical and physical contaminants.
2025 major recall spikes tracked weekly by New Food Magazine ranged from Listeria monocytogenes in cheese wedges and sandwiches, Salmonella in organic, cage-free eggs, to plastics in seasonings and undeclared allergens and sulfites in sauces – the risks hit every aisle in the groceries and supermarkets.
Regulation varies globally. A 2021 report by Campden BRI, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), revealed how Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States take different paths toward the same goal: safer, cleaner food.
Technology helps, but it can’t do it all. Agencies use AI and DNA genome sequencing, but even the best systems can’t catch every risk.
Empowered consumers matter most. Stay alert, stay informed and take simple precautions at home because the final checkpoint is often in your kitchen counter.

On an ordinary Tuesday this past spring, a shopper in Arizona tossed a pre-packed turkey sandwich into her grocery cart. That same week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning: Listeria monocytogenes had been found in ready-to-eat sandwiches and snack items made by Fresh & Ready Foods across multiple western states. Ten people were hospitalized and a growing outbreak spanning four months.

This wasn’t a one-off. Since January 2025, a steady wave of recalls – bone fragments in chicken nuggets, plastic shards in spice jars, undeclared allergens in chocolate, etc. – has shown that food contamination isn’t just a possibility. It is happening right now, in real kitchens, on real plates.

Food safety experts often talk about the “four horsemen” of food contamination – the major types of threats that drive nearly all food recalls:

Allergenic hazards – hidden or mislabeled allergens like milk, sulfites or tree nuts
Biological hazards – bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, like Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella
Chemical hazards – cleaning agents, heavy metals, herbicides and pesticides
Physical hazards – bone, hair, metal, nail, wood or plastic fragments

These four types of food contamination are no longer abstract threats. In 2025, they have appeared in kitchens, lunchboxes and grocery aisles with sobering regularity.

According to New Food Magazine‘s Recall Roundups, as well as updates from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and CDC, nearly every category of food has been caught up in a recall involving one or these silent invaders.

Allergenic hazards

Mislabeling continues to plague allergen control – one of the most avoidable but dangerous forms of food contamination.

In February, California’s Monkey Spit BBQ sauces (Atomic Mop BBQ Sauce, Monkey Mop BBQ Sauce and Swamp Mob BBQ Sauce) were pulled from shelves due to undeclared milk, soy and wheat – a dangerous trifecta for allergy-prone consumers. In May, Shore Lunch breading mix was recalled after a consumer suffered a reaction from undeclared milk.

June brought more allergen alarms. Meijer’s dark chocolate almonds were recalled when cashews, an undeclared tree nut, were discovered in the product. That same week, Florida’s dried apricots were found to contain undeclared sulfites, a common preservative that can cause severe respiratory reactions in sensitive individuals.

Biological hazards

The most devastating outbreaks in 2025 have involved Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella.

In April and May, Fresh & Ready Foods recalled 86 varieties of pre-packed sandwiches and salads distributed to airports, hospitals and retail stores across the western United States. Testing revealed a persistent L. monocytogenes strain at the company’s San Fernando facility. By May, at least 10 people had been hospitalized and the CDC had issued a national health alert.

In June, chicken fettuccine alfredo ready-to-eat meals made by FreshRealm were recalled after the same Listeria strain was linked to 17 illnesses, three deaths and one pregnancy loss. That product had been sold under major private-label brands, including Home Chef and Marketside.

Meanwhile, Salmonella appeared in another common staple: eggs. A major recall in June traced a multistate outbreak to August Egg Company, which had distributed cage-free, organic eggs. At least 79 people fell ill, 21 were hospitalized and several lawsuits followed.

Chemical hazards

Some dangers can’t be seen or tested. In March and April, baby food products from Target’s Good & Gather line and other brands were recalled due to elevated lead levels. Lead, along with heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium, continues to show up in food marketed to infants, prompting lawsuits and policy calls across the United States.

Imports haven’t escaped scrutiny either. The FDA blocked and recalled several shipments this spring due to illegal pesticide residues and unapproved chemical additives. While these items are often caught at the border, not all violations are intercepted in time.

Physical hazards

In January, Wegmans recalled nearly 3,000 of frozen chicken nuggets after customers reported finding bone shards large enough to pose a choking risk. Just weeks later, seasoning jars from Cape Herb & Spice (Himalayan Pink Salt, Seasoned Salt, Salt & Pepper and Sweet & Smoky BBQ) were pulled from shelves for potential plastic fragments – a problem serious enough to trigger international recalls.

Metal contamination made headlines too. In March, 30,000 pounds of Chomps beef and turkey sticks were recalled nationwide when fragments of metal were found embedded inside the vacuum-sealed meat, putting customers at risk for oral and internal injuries, or worse. In April, Lamb Weston yanked over 34,000 cases of frozen hash brown patties after 8mm plastic pieces were detected during internal quality checks.

Why these recalls keep happening

The food supply chain today is both global and intricate. A salad mix might combine lettuce grown in California, tomatoes from Mexico, cheese from Wisconsin and packaging made in China. Every link in that chain is a potential contamination point.

A comprehensive international comparison, the “Final Report: Review of National Food Control Plans in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States,” sheds light on how different countries manage these threats. Commissioned by the U.K.’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) and authored by Campden BRI (Nutfield) in 2021, the report revealed a wide variety of approaches to food safety oversight.

Decentralized vs. centralized oversight: Australia and the U.S. divide food responsibilities across multiple agencies, which can lead to communication breakdowns. In contrast, Canada and New Zealand assign all food regulation to a single authority, allowing faster response times but concentrating risk in one organization.
Sampling strategies: Canada uses statistical modeling to direct inspections to higher-risk areas. New Zealand focuses on high-interest import categories. The U.S. uses AI-powered analytics and genome sequencing to determine which shipments or batches deserve deeper scrutiny.
Data sharing and transparency: Canada’s social investment ERA database, the FDA’s Total Diet Study and Australia’s use of both academic and trade data help uncover new food risks before they escalate into outbreaks.

Here’s how to stay safe:

Sign up for recall alerts.
Don’t overtrust labels.
Monitor expiration dates.
Read ingredients list closely.
When in doubt, throw it out.

From AI that predicts risk hotspots to whole genome sequencing that matches bacteria to factories, food safety is becoming more sophisticated. But the most powerful tools remain basic hygiene, informed choices and active awareness. Because when food contamination is this common – and this dangerous – it is no longer enough to trust the packaging.

Watch the following video about the types of food contamination.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.