What To Know About Food Recalls

CLEVELAND - You may have seen the headlines for a recall involving jalapeños over concerns about potential salmonella contamination.

Food recalls pop up in the news all the time, but what should you do when you hear about one?

“With food recalls, it can be because the food is contaminated with something, there are foreign bodies in it, or it was produced in an unsafe environment. You always need to look at what the recall is and check if you have that product. When in doubt, throw it out,” explained Marianne Sumego, MD, a primary care physician with Cleveland Clinic.

Some recalls are issued because food may be contaminated with bacteria or viruses, which can cause food poisoning.

Salmonella, norovirus and E. coli are some of the most common culprits.

If you do get food poisoning, Dr. Sumego has some advice on what to do next. 

“First, you want to think about whether there was a food item you got sick from, because if there was, you want to discard it. If you were at a picnic, you want to let others know you got food poisoning,” Dr. Sumego said. “Then, for yourself, it's just treating symptomatically – keeping those fluids on board, the broths, things with salt in them that have those electrolytes to help retain water.”

Dr. Sumego said you should see a doctor if you notice signs of dehydration or other concerning symptoms, like a high fever or severe stomach pain.