Is America’s Food Supply Getting Riskier?

Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on June 22, 2026

Is America’s food supply getting riskier? By some statistics we are led to worry a little more than normal. Entering a new year we hope that 2026 brings less foodborne illness, less outbreaks, less recalls, but do we really know?

According to a consumer alert from the US PIRG Education Fund, hospitalizations and deaths from contaminated food doubled in 2024. Food recalls for Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli jumped by 41% across the United States. A staggering 98% of all illnesses were linked to just 13 outbreaks. As the data increased, so did the impact. According to US PIRG, more people in the United States got sick from contaminated food in 2024 than in the previous year, and the number of hospitalizations and deaths doubled. Nearly 1,400 individuals fell ill from food they consumed in 2024, compared to 1,118 in 2023. Tragically, deaths more than doubled last year, with 19 fatalities recorded, up from eight in 2023.

Foodborne illnesses are scaring consumers

In September, McDonald’s faced an E. coli scare that impacted its Quarter Pounder burgers. This outbreak sickened 104 individuals across 14 states, leading to 34 hospitalizations, four instances of serious illness, and one death, according to the CDC. The source was eventually traced back to fresh slivered onions.

Prior to this incident, McDonald’s had been experiencing steady increases in year-over-year business, partly due to its $5 meal deal promotion.

However, a study by Placer.ai, which tracks retail and restaurant trends, revealed that once the outbreak was announced in mid-October, customers began to avoid the chain. During the week of October 21, visits decreased by 6.31% compared to the same time last year. “Historically, food safety events like these can impact visitation trends for an extended period,” said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai.

McDonald’s acted swiftly. Taylor Farms, which supplied yellow onions to McDonald’s restaurants in multiple states, voluntarily recalled the product on October 22, prompting restaurants in those areas to temporarily cease using slivered onions. McDonald’s also halted the serving of Quarter Pounder hamburgers in the impacted states.

By December, the CDC announced the outbreak was resolved. However, McDonald’s fourth-quarter traffic was still down 1.4%, marking the largest drop since the onset of COVID-19, though it was less severe than the initial decline. Hottovy indicated that these measures likely mitigated the impact on sales.

Consumers obviously were anxious to continue to consume the McDonald’s food after the recalls because they were afraid. One can say that this would lead to the same feelings no matter where the recall came from. Be it salad, eggs, meats, or anything else in between. No one wants to think they could consume something and have the risk of major illness or even in the worst case scenario death.

Many people are blaming these changes in food regulations on the changes being made in the running of the FDA but others say that is more political than anything. Regardless when there are gaps in these positions there are bound to be issues that pop up. Some important safety groups were totally terminated in changes made in 2025.

We can often rely on ourselves to keep informed with resources like this blog and food safety attorneys found at Make Food Safe but we also have to make sure we are knowledgable about food safety practices within our own homes and making sure that where we choose to dine is safe as well.