Voluntary vs. Involuntary Recalls

Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on June 16, 2026

In a world where information is right at our fingertips we learn about recalls on food and other household items a lot faster than the days of the nightly news or morning newspaper. We are often bombarded with information and don’t know how to make heads or tails of what has been presented to us. Today we take a look at voluntary vs. involuntary recalls and how the differences effect the way they are handled with the general public.

What is a Voluntary Recall?

For food products, the USDA is responsible for issuing recalls and health warnings. While product recalls may be costly to a company and its reputation, they are overall helpful in limiting liability for corporate negligence.

Such recalls are often the product of a negotiation between the product manufacturer/retailer with the federal agency that oversees their product category’s safety. Almost all announced recalls are voluntary. Voluntary product recalls are considered to be safeguards against potential lawsuits and sticky legal situations.

What is an Involuntary Recall?

An involuntary recall, according to Lesmes, is when a product “that was never suspected of being bad in any way, actually reached the markets, and suddenly it’s been associated with an outbreak of some sort, which means that the producer never detected any adverse signs” or danger in these products.

At this point, the decision to make the recall is out of the actual food producer’s hands.

“Financially, this is a very tough decision” for food distributors, Professor Uri Lesmes said. “In most Western countries, food producers are bound to report any contamination they found in their products.”

How do agencies, such as the CDC, FDA and USDA, track the source of a foodborne illness outbreak?

There are many networks between food distributors, retailers, restaurants and consumers When there is a contamination spotted within this web of food production, agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), look “at these food networks to try to figure out” where the contamination originated from, according to Dr. Iovine chief epidemiologist and chief quality officer at UF Health Shands Hospital.

The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), which is part of the CDC will visit the locations where the cases are happening and hand out standard questionnaires to the affected patients.

Questions include, “Have you eaten at an outside restaurant in the past month? If so, what was the restaurant?” “What did you eat? How long after you ate did you develop the symptoms?” and “Did anyone else with you develop symptoms?”

The questionnaires are “really good at helping the scientists narrow down or target likely suspects from where” these foodborne illnesses are coming from, Dr. Iovine added.

Once these agencies pinpoint a source of contamination, they ask for samples for testing.

Consult a health care provider immediately, if you are experiencing symptoms from a recalled product.

You can also report a complaint through FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal for foods and dietary supplements.

The food manufacturer or the stores selling the item may also create a website, add a contact form on their official website, or provide their contact information in a press release to submit complaints.

How can people prevent themselves from getting sick, if they come into contact with a recalled food?

The FDA warns that if people believe they have a recalled item in their possession, consumers should read the recall notice carefully and see if they can return the item to the store for a refund or exchange.

If that’s not possible, the agency stresses that these food products must be disposed of properly to avoid spreading the contamination to pets and children. This also ensures that the contaminated food doesn’t come into contact with hard surfaces.

For more information on food recalls keep an eye on Make Food Safe.