Where's the BEEF...Chicken, Eggs, Pork, Shrimp, Cucumbers?
Is Someone Messing with Our Food Supply? The 2025 Recalls Are Too Suspicious to Ignore
Something’s seriously wrong with our food supply, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Heading into the holidays, millions of pounds of chicken, eggs, beef, and even corn dogs have been pulled from shelves across the country. Hormel recalled nearly 5 million pounds of boneless chicken due to metal contamination. Millions of eggs were withdrawn for Salmonella. Beef has tested positive for listeria. Shrimp was found with radioactive Cesium-137. Even corn dogs were recalled for wood in the batter.
These aren’t isolated mistakes — they’re piling up fast. The FDA and USDA have reported more than 240 food recalls in 2025 so far — about an 8% increase from last year. Here’s a breakdown:
- Eggs: Over 7.7 million dozen recalled since June for Salmonella contamination — multiple brands and retailers affected.
- Chicken: Hormel recalled 4.9 million pounds of frozen chicken due to metal fragments; Foster Poultry pulled 4 million pounds of corn dogs over wood contamination.
- Beef & Pork: 2.3 million pounds of jerky contaminated with metal shards. Listeria in ready-to-eat meats and pasta dishes has caused at least four deaths.
- Shrimp: Reports of radioactive Cesium-137 contamination in imported frozen shrimp — raising serious safety questions.
- Produce: Cucumbers linked to Salmonella outbreaks in 23 states, leading to hospitalizations.
- Soda: Even Coca-Cola issued a recall due to metal and allergen contamination.
And it’s not just recalls. Avian flu has wiped out more than 80 million chickens and turkeys, driving prices up by as much as 50%. Tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China are choking the supply of produce, seafood, and even cocoa. Deportations of migrant farmworkers are worsening labor shortages. Add to that pet food recalls, moldy packaged goods, battery fires over farmland, and cyberattacks on suppliers — the picture starts to look coordinated, not coincidental.
No one’s saying it’s a grand conspiracy — but the pattern is hard to ignore. Metal, wood, radiation, and pathogens showing up across multiple food groups? Just as SNAP benefits face cuts and holiday demand spikes? That’s too many coincidences to chalk up to chance.
What You Can Do
- Stock up smart: Keep extra canned goods, grains, and other non-perishables on hand before shortages deepen or prices rise further.
- Check recalls: Visit the FDA and USDA recall pages to confirm what’s safe in your pantry.
- Grow something: Even a small garden or indoor setup can help reduce reliance on unpredictable supply chains.
- Speak up: Ask questions, contact your local representatives, and push for transparency in food safety reporting.
Food shouldn’t be a political weapon or a tool for control. Whether this chaos stems from neglect, bad management, or something more deliberate, one thing’s clear — we can’t afford to ignore it.
Sources & Related Reading
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration – Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) / FSIS – Recalls & Public Health Alerts: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/recalls-public-health-alerts
- U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) – Food for Thought 2025: https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/food-for-thought-2025/
- SGS Digicomply – Ready-to-Eat Foods Lead Food Recalls in 2025: https://www.digicomply.com/blog/ready-to-eat-foods-lead-food-recalls-in-2025-understanding-the-growing-risk
- FoodNavigator – Global Food Recalls Surge: https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2025/07/30/global-food-recalls-surge-top-products-causes-and-solutions/
- FoodAKAI – Global Food Recall Index Q1 2025: https://www.foodakai.com/global-food-recall-index-q1-2025-sees-alarming-rise-in-recalls-for-meat-cereals-and-fresh-produce/
- Think Global Health – Bird Flu Roars Back: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/bird-flu-roars-back-what-it-means-for-thanksgiving
- WebProNews – U.S. Turkey Prices Surge 40% Amid Bird Flu Crisis: https://www.webpronews.com/us-turkey-prices-surge-40-amid-bird-flu-crisis-before-thanksgiving/
- Newsweek – Turkey Prices Soar Before Thanksgiving: https://www.newsweek.com/turkey-prices-soar-before-thanksgiving-10934495
- Associated Press – 58M Pounds of Corn Dogs Recalled: https://apnews.com/article/a617f421508dd1ae10cd76e30e425126
| Year | USDA Pounds Recalled (Millions) | % Increase from Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.9 | — |
| 2021 | 1.2 | 33.3% |
| 2022 | 1.4 | 16.7% |
| 2023 | 1.77 | 26.4% |
| 2024 (est.) | ~2.0 | 12.9% |
| 2025 (proj.) | ~3.0 | 50.0% |
| Sources: USDA annual summaries; PIRG; Sedgwick reports. 2024–2025 values are estimates/projections and should be treated as provisional. | ||
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