What to do if you ate a recalled product
This is not medical advice. The official notice is the authority on what the hazard is. A clinician or Poison Help is who to ask about symptoms.
Stop, and keep the package
Stop eating the product. Do not serve the rest of it to anyone else and do not feed it to a pet. Keep the package, or a photo of the brand, product name, lot or best-by date, and UPC. You will need that to compare with the notice and, if the company asks, to request a refund. Scanning the barcode only tells you whether that code appears in a notice we have; the lot code still decides whether your package is in the recall.
Read the official notice before you decide how worried to be
Not every recall is the same hazard. Some are undeclared allergens, some are bacteria such as Listeria or Salmonella, some are a foreign object, and some are a labeling error with a narrower risk. FDA's consumer update on product recalls explains that many recalls are voluntary and that the classification describes how serious the agency considers the risk. Follow the notice for disposal or return. Do not assume that cooking, washing, or scraping off a layer fixes it unless the notice says so.
If someone is ill
If a person is seriously ill, having trouble breathing, or having a severe allergic reaction, call 911. For immediate advice about something that was swallowed, or a suspected poisoning, contact Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (available all day) or the Health Resources and Services Administration's Poison Help page. Take the package and the official notice with you if you go for care. A pet that ate recalled pet food needs a veterinarian, not this page.
Afterward, sign up for alerts so the next recall of a brand or allergen you care about arrives by email. Matching a package before anyone eats it is covered in how to check food in your fridge.
Official sources
- FDA 101: product recalls
- FoodSafety.gov recalls and outbreaks
- Poison Help (HRSA)
- FDA recalls, market withdrawals, and safety alerts
Related guides
How to check food in your fridge · Allergen recalls explained · Which agency handles which recall