Costco has announced a voluntary recall of its Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon products due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium is known to contaminate various food items and can lead to a serious infection called listeriosis, which is notably the third most common cause of mortality from foodborne diseases in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have indicated that Listeria can proliferate in food processing environments, posing a risk to public health.

The recall affects specific batches of Costco's Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon that were purchased by customers between the 9th and 13th of October. The implicated products can be identified by the lot number 8512801270, which is printed in the top right corner of the product's front packaging. Costco has advised customers against consuming these products and has offered a full refund for the returned items. The recall was instigated by Acme Smoked Fish Corp., Costco's supplier for the smoked salmon, after the company detected the presence of possible Listeria bacteria in their products. It is reassuring to note that no related illnesses have been reported to date.

This recall is part of a broader context of heightened vigilance around foodborne illnesses. In July, a significant recall of over 7.2 million pounds of Boar’s Head liverwurst and other deli meats was initiated following a fatal listeria outbreak. The CDC has documented at least 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations across 19 states as a result of this outbreak. In response, the century-old deli meat producer ceased the sale of liverwurst and shut down the Virginia facility that was implicated in the outbreak. Boar’s Head has come under legislative scrutiny after it was revealed that as early as 2022, there were indications of potential listeria contamination at one of the company's food processing plants.

Beyond Listeria, there has been an E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder burgers served at McDonald’s restaurants in several states. The CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have reported 75 illnesses, 22 hospitalizations, and at least one death across 13 states due to this outbreak. In October, there have been multiple recalls, including Costco’s salmon products, due to potential Listeria contamination, as tracked by the FDA, which monitors public announcements.

While these recalls follow the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak and McDonald’s E. coli outbreak, experts have clarified that an increase in recalls over potential contamination is not necessarily a cause for alarm. Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, the director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, emphasized the importance of differentiating between a recall and an actual outbreak. On October 24th, the FDA announced a recall of chicken taco kits produced by Sprouts Farmers Markets due to potential Listeria contamination. These items had been previously recalled by the producer on October 11th.

On October 22nd, an expanded recall was issued for waffle and pancake products manufactured by Treehouse Foods due to potential Listeria contamination. The food processing company had previously recalled numerous frozen waffle products sold at Target, Walmart, Publix, and other stores due to potential Listeria contamination on October 18th. Earlier in October, nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products were recalled by producer BrucePac due to possible Listeria contamination. This substantial recall impacted a wide range of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken products in stores and schools nationwide.

Diez-Gonzalez noted that while there has been an increase in recalls over potential Listeria concerns, this does not translate to a new surge in Listeria outbreaks. Outbreaks signify that people have fallen ill, whereas recalls are initiated due to the detection of potential contamination. Importantly, there have been no reported illnesses from the Listeria-related recalls in October, and the timely recall of these products can help prevent illnesses. According to the CDC, a foodborne disease outbreak is defined as two or more people falling ill from the same contaminated product. There has been only one Listeria outbreak in 2024, which was the Boar’s Head outbreak.

The FDA’s dashboard of recalls shows that there have been 1,905 recalled food or cosmetic products in 2024, up from 1,563 in 2023. However, 2024 recalls are generally in line with or below pre-pandemic levels. For instance, there were 2,549 recalled food or cosmetic products in 2014, a decade prior. An FDA spokesperson stated that the number of food-related recall events in 2024 is generally consistent with prior years. "There may be a perception that the amount of recalls has increased, particularly if one recall event has a large number of affected products; however, the number of food-related recall events in (2024) is generally consistent with years past," the spokesperson clarified.

In fact, Diez-Gonzalez suggested that the recent increase in recalls could be a sign of heightened precautions and monitoring by companies. "There are more companies testing," Diez-Gonzalez said. "It’s not that the numbers of products contaminated really are increasing, but the more we have those systems in place, the more you’re going to be finding it, and the more you’re going to recall." Additionally, Diez-Gonzalez pointed out that the US food system is complex, and one factor contributing to the size of the recalls has been the consolidation of the food supply, where one processing company like BrucePac has distribution across multiple states.

Diez-Gonzalez also noted that over the past two decades, there has been an increased focus on microbiological testing and implementing surveillance processes to detect potential instances of Listeria. "As a result of enhanced surveillance and enhanced testing, the frequency of withdrawal of products from the market has increased," he said. The CDC estimates that approximately 1,600 people are infected with Listeria each year, leading to about 260 deaths. Deli meats, according to the CDC, are particularly prone to Listeria outbreaks, and the bacteria can spread across surfaces.

While recalls tend to negatively impact a company's reputation, ideally, they would identify contaminated products before they reach the market, Diez-Gonzalez said. However, the detection of potential Listeria contamination does not necessarily indicate an outbreak, and the fact that these items were identified and recalled could be a positive sign for preventing illness.