Q1 2025 food recalls in the EU and UK, highlighting aflatoxins, Salmonella, and milk allergens as top safety risks.

Q1 2025 EU Food Recall Trends Reveal Key Safety Risks: Aflatoxins, Salmonella, Milk Allergens

đź“… July 2025 | QMS4 News | Regulatory Trends & Food Safety Insights

In the first quarter of 2025, EU and UK regulators recorded a total of 1,242 food and beverage product recalls, marking a 14.5% decrease from the record-breaking 1,452 recalls in Q4 2024. While the decline offers a glimpse of progress, the numbers also reveal persistent and evolving challenges across the food safety landscape.


Top Recall Triggers: Contaminants Still Dominate

🧪 1. Non-Bacterial Contamination – 550 recalls

Despite a decrease from 609 in Q4, non-bacterial contaminants—including chemical and physical hazards—remain the leading cause of product recalls.
🔬 Aflatoxins topped the list of contaminants, contributing to 135 recall events, highlighting ongoing risks in categories like nuts, grains, and dried produce.

🦠 2. Bacterial Contamination – 237 recalls

This category showed a decline from 275 in the previous quarter.
🔥 Salmonella was the primary bacterial culprit, responsible for 174 recalls, emphasizing the need for stricter hygiene controls and thermal process validation.

⚠️ 3. Undeclared Allergens – 94 recalls

Food allergens continue to be a significant concern, particularly for vulnerable populations.
🥛 Milk was the most frequently undeclared allergen, cited in 19 recalls, signaling gaps in label verification and cross-contact prevention.


Most Affected Product Categories

Category Q1 2025 Recalls Q4 2024 Recalls
Fruits & Vegetables 270 309
Nuts, Nut Products & Seeds 150 159
Poultry Meat & Poultry Products 101 N/A

Fresh produce and plant-based ingredients continue to lead in recall volume, partly due to their vulnerability to contamination and minimal processing steps.


What This Means for Food Businesses

While the reduction in total recalls is encouraging, the quality and safety risks are far from resolved. The recurrence of specific hazards—such as aflatoxins, Salmonella, and undeclared milk—indicates systemic weaknesses in:

  • Supplier controls and verification

  • Allergen management programs

  • Environmental monitoring and sanitation


QMS4 Takeaway

“Recall data isn’t just a statistic—it’s a warning system. Every trend in contamination or mislabeling should trigger internal reviews of preventive controls, supplier quality agreements, and documentation practices.”


Action Points for QA/QC & Regulatory Teams

  • đź“‚ Review your HACCP and FSVP plans for relevance and completeness.

  • 🔄 Conduct refresher training on allergen control and labeling accuracy.

  • đź§ľ Audit your suppliers more frequently—especially in high-risk categories.

  • đź§Ş Increase environmental testing and product sampling for biological and chemical hazards.


Stay Ahead of Recalls

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Source: Data sourced from Sedgwick’s Recall Index, Q1 2025. For more details, visit Sedgwick’s website

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