Published April 5, 2026 · Updated monthly
Food Brands With the Most Recalls in History
Some food brands have significantly more FDA recalls than others. A high recall count does not always mean unsafe products — large companies with broad product lines naturally have more exposure. But the type of recalls matters. Brands with frequent Class I recalls (serious health risk) deserve more scrutiny than those with mainly Class III (minor issues).
Top 20 Brands by Recall Count
| Rank | Brand | Total Recalls | Class I | Class II |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newly Weds Foods Inc | 114 | 31 | 83 |
| 2 | Garden-Fresh Foods, Inc. | 112 | 109 | 3 |
| 3 | FRESH IDEATION FOOD GROUP, LLC dba Fresh Creative Cuisine | 81 | 81 | 0 |
| 4 | C & S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. | 74 | 0 | 74 |
| 5 | Whole Foods Market | 62 | 36 | 26 |
| 6 | Good Herbs, Inc. | 56 | 0 | 56 |
| 7 | Blue Bell Creameries, L.P. | 53 | 52 | 1 |
| 8 | Reser's Fine Foods, Inc. | 50 | 42 | 8 |
| 9 | Sunland, Incorporated | 37 | 37 | 0 |
| 10 | High Liner Foods Inc. | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| 11 | Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. | 37 | 11 | 26 |
| 12 | Working Cow Homemade Inc. | 36 | 36 | 0 |
| 13 | Spartan Central Kitchen | 33 | 0 | 33 |
| 14 | Health One Pharmaceuticals Inc | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| 15 | Treehouse Foods | 27 | 12 | 15 |
| 16 | Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc | 26 | 23 | 1 |
| 17 | Target Corporation | 26 | 0 | 26 |
| 18 | Sunset Natural Products Inc. | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| 19 | Rabbit Creek Products Inc. | 25 | 25 | 0 |
| 20 | Koogee-Queen Anne, LLC | 24 | 0 | 24 |
Why Big Brands Have More Recalls
Before drawing conclusions, consider scale. A company that produces 10,000 products and distributes nationally will inevitably have more recalls than a regional brand with 50 products. The relevant metric is recall rate — recalls per product line or per million units sold — not raw count.
That said, some brands on this list have a disproportionate number of Class I recalls, which indicate serious safety failures: pathogen contamination (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli), undeclared allergens, or foreign material that could cause injury. These are the recalls that matter most.
Most Common Recall Reasons
- Undeclared allergens (most common) — Milk, peanuts, soy, wheat, tree nuts, or eggs not listed on the label. This is life-threatening for people with severe allergies.
- Pathogen contamination — Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7 are the most frequently detected pathogens in recalled foods.
- Foreign material — Metal fragments, plastic pieces, glass, or other physical hazards found in products.
- Labeling errors — Wrong labels, missing ingredient information, or incorrect nutritional data.
Look up any brand on FoodRecall Watch to see their complete recall history, Class I counts, and affected product categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
The brand with the most FDA recalls varies by how you count (total recalls vs. Class I only). Large national brands with broad product lines tend to have the highest raw counts. See the ranking table above for current data.
Not necessarily. Large companies with thousands of products and national distribution have more opportunities for recalls. A more meaningful metric is the ratio of Class I (dangerous) recalls to total products. Some companies with many recalls actually have excellent safety records per product.
Sign up for FDA recall alerts at fda.gov, follow @FDArecalls on social media, or bookmark FoodRecall Watch for a searchable database. You can also search by brand name on our site to see if any products you buy have been recalled.