2018: A Year-in-Product Recalls

As 2018 winds down, many people are taking a moment to look back at the highs and lows of the past year. But among the top 10 lists and best-of compilations, 2018 was an especially troubling year for consumers. It seemed like every week new product recalls were announced, and consumers could hardly eat a salad or start their car without worrying for their safety.  Here are just a few of the product recalls that made headlines in 2018.

January

HP recalls 50,000 laptop batteries over fire risk

Dozens of brands of ice cream bars recalled for Listeria

Skip Hop recalls high chairs due to fall hazard

Panera Bread recalls all cream cheese products over Listeria fear

February

Dog food brands recalled after trace amounts of euthanasia drug were found

Harley-Davidson recalls motorcycles over braking problems

Meijer recalls yogurt products after glass found in packages

Toyota and Hyundai announce massive, separate recalls of trucks and SUVs

March

Instant Pot multicookers recalled over potential fire hazard

Ford recalls nearly 1.4 million Fusions and Lincoln MKZs because the steering wheel can fall off

Kidde recalls nearly 500,000 smoke alarms that may not detect fire

Minnesota company recalls 48 tons of canned chicken products contaminated with hard plastic

April

200 Million eggs recalled over salmonella fears

Stella Artois brand beer recalled for possible glass particles

FDA orders Triangle Pharmaceuticals to recall kratom products over salmonella risk

7,000 pounds of raw beef recalled after it was produced and packaged without having a federal inspection

May

U.S. Department of Agriculture orders Hormel to recall more than 228,000 pounds of spam due to metal objects in the food

Allergan recalls 170,000 packs of birth control over packaging error that could lead to unintended pregnancy

Organic baby foods recalled over bacteria risks

Nasal spray recalled due to small glass particles found in bottles

June

Kellogg recalls around 1.3 million cases of Honey Smacks cereal over possible salmonella contamination

34,000 pounds of fully-cooked ground beef recalled due to plastic contamination

Kia recalls 106,000 minivans because sliding door may not automatically reverse if closed on a limb

Toyota recalls 115,000 Lexus convertibles and sedans due to fire risk

July

Ritz Crackers recalled over salmonella risk

FDA recalls blood pressure medicine due to carcinogenic impurity

Ikea recalls pet water fountain after two dogs die

Del Monte recalls vegetable trays after 200 consumers are infected by a microscopic parasite

August

Over 30 children’s medicines recalled over microbial contamination

Vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk recalled because it may contain real milk

Pfizer recalls Children’s Advil due to overdose fears

FDA expands blood pressure drug recall due to cancer concerns

September

GM recalls 210,000 vehicles due to faulty brake component

Boy Scouts recall neckerchief slides over high lead levels

Wayne Farms recalls over 400,000 pounds of fully cooked chicken due to possible metal contamination

30,000 fitness trackers recalled after consumers suffered severe burns to their wrist

October

BMW recalls 1.6 million vehicles worldwide over fire risk

Toilet flushing device recalled after causing $710,000 in property damage, 23 injuries

9.1 tons of meat and poultry deli products recalled for possible Listeria

Nearly 7 million pounds of raw ground beef recalled after salmonella outbreak

November

Jennie-O recalls 91,000 pounds of turkey products due to salmonella risk

Pfizer recalls ThermaCare heat wraps because they could leak ingredients and cause skin burns

Outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce hospitalizes 19 across 15 states

Target recalls children’s slap bracelets after reports of lacerations

December

FDA recalls 25 dog food products due to potentially toxic amounts of vitamin D

FDA cautions eating romaine lettuce, infection number climbs to 52 people

Infant ibuprofen recalled after finding potentially higher concentrations of ibuprofen

More than 2,500 tons of raw beef added to salmonella recall

We didn’t include every product recall from this year on our list, simply because there were far too many. The FDA list of food and drug recalls for 2018 alone is 13 pages long, and that’s just products they regulate.

We hope our readers have a happy and safe holiday season, and remind you to stay up-to-date on the latest product recalls by visiting sites like Recalls.gov that curate the most recent recalls issued by six federal regulatory agencies. You can also download the USDA FoodKeeper app for Android or Apple devices to receive notifications about the latest recalls.

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