Food and Drink Recalls Hit 6-Year High in Q1 2026

Food and drink recall events in the United States surged to a six-year high in the first quarter of 2026, with 140 incidents reported. This represents an increase from 127 recall events in the first quarter of 2025, according to Sedgwick’s 2026 first-quarter U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index report. Despite the rise in recall events, the total number of recalled food and drink units decreased year-over-year, falling from 70.25 million in the previous year to 57.40 million in the first quarter of 2026. The first quarter of 2026 also saw a decrease in recall events compared to the preceding fourth quarter of 2025, which recorded nearly 160 incidents.

Recent recalls highlight safety concerns across the industry. General Mills voluntarily recalled nearly 736,000 Pillsbury bread rolls in early June 2026 due to potential glass contamination. A spokesperson for General Mills stated that food safety is their top priority and that the recall was issued out of an abundance of caution for two frozen dough products sold exclusively at Walmart in-store bakeries in the United States. The company emphasized that the recall was limited in scope and all potentially impacted products had been removed.

In addition to the Pillsbury recall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning this week regarding iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The warning advised consumers against eating the lettuce due to potential cyclospora contamination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reportedly traced the parasite, which can cause diarrhea, back to Taylor Farms of Salinas, California, a supplier to the fast-food chain. Taco Bell stated it voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure and is monitoring the situation with public health authorities.