The mechanics
of a modern recall.
Five ongoing studies of the systems that produce, publish, and (fail to) distribute recall information — and where the mechanics break down.
The Notification Gap
A study of the median time between a recall going public on a government website and a directly-affected consumer becoming aware of it. Findings: 92% of affected consumers learn from news coverage, social media, or a friend — not from the manufacturer or a government notice. Median lag: 11 days.
Listeria in the Cold Chain
Ten years of Listeria outbreaks in USDA-regulated deli meats. Documents the 2024 Boar's Head event in detail, traces regulatory-response timelines, and identifies four common failure modes in ready-to-eat production facilities.
The Undeclared-Allergen Problem
Undeclared allergens are the #1 category of FDA food recalls by count. This paper analyzes 900 undeclared-allergen recalls 2020-2025, identifies the manufacturing conditions that produce them, and proposes disclosure-improvement metrics for regulators.
Repeat-Offender Dynamics
Analysis of the 40 companies that appear most often in the CPSC recall database 2020-2026. What patterns predict repeated recall exposure? Findings: sub-scale sourcing, opaque supplier chains, and delayed hazard reporting each independently correlate with 2-4× recall rate.
The Infant-Formula Crisis Redux
A close read of the 2022 Abbott Sturgis shutdown and its cascading effects — Cronobacter sakazakii detection, WIC availability, national shortage. Documents the failures at each layer (facility, FDA, distribution) and outlines what a modern early-warning system would have caught.
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