How food recalls work in the U.S.: FDA vs. USDA

Updated November 2, 2026 · By the PantryRecall team

Two federal agencies handle food recalls in the United States, and which one is in charge depends on the food. That split explains why recall information is scattered across different websites.

Who regulates what

• USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) covers meat, poultry, Siluriformes fish such as catfish, and processed egg products (liquid, frozen and dried eggs).
• The FDA covers almost everything else: produce, dairy, seafood, shell eggs, packaged and frozen foods, spices, nuts, baby food, infant formula, bottled water and dietary supplements.

A frozen pizza with meat topping may be under USDA, while a cheese pizza is under the FDA.

How a recall starts

Most recalls are voluntary: a company finds a problem through its own testing, a customer complaint or an inspection, and decides to remove the product. Since the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, the FDA can also order a mandatory recall if a company refuses, but this power is rarely used because companies almost always act voluntarily.

Where recalls are published

• Company press releases posted on fda.gov, usually the same day.
• The FDA Enforcement Report, published weekly, with classification, quantities and distribution details.
• USDA FSIS recall and public health alert notices for meat and poultry.

PantryRecall collects the FDA sources every day and organizes them by food, so you can check one item instead of reading long, date-ordered lists. See our methodology page for exactly how we do it.