A food recall is an action taken by either the food industry (Manufacturer) with or without the support of the Food Regulatory Authority of the region/Country to remove unsafe or unsuitable/non complied food from the distribution and sale, and from consumers. A food recall may happen sometimes there has been an outbreak of food-borne illness related to food. In such a situation, Food regulatory/safety Authority initiates the recall along with the food manufacturer. All recall is costly to food manufacturers. The issues behind the recall are usually discovered by either food regulatory authorities or internal testing by manufacturers while conducting routine, pathogen testing, or a review of quality controls or quality assurance or internal audit reports.

Biological contaminants such as E-Coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and other bacteria, parasites, and toxins are the main causes of recalls.

A recall of a food product means the food has to be taken out of the fridge or off the kitchen shelf. You can throw it out or take it back for a refund from the shop, sometimes no need for proof of purchase, a notification of recall is sufficient.