Source for the graph: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts
same graph, year by year
The FDA has cut “3,859 staffers in fiscal year 2025 and an additional 473 in fiscal year 2026” in food safety. This suggests an undercount of incidents after the cuts.
https://www.verifoods.com/blog/fda-workforce-cuts-food-safety-crisis
What changed at the end of 2023 and into 2024? It feels like there may be more to this story than a 2025 budget cut.
Was there a new regulation? A change in regional sourcing? Climate change? Water scarcity leading to increased reclaimed water usage?