Recalls rise, trust falls: Inside Americas food safety anxiety

• Americans worry about the safety of their food supply, wiith public confidence at its lowest ebb ever.
• It's estimated that one in six Americans fall ill with food-related illnesses every year.
• Recent government cutbacks have reduced the number of food safety inspections.

Food recalls dominate the headlines and Americans gravitate to stories about food safety. In the last two weeks, the most widely read news stories on ConsumerAffairs have dealt with frozen shrimp recalls, fishy products at Costco and tainted meals at Trader Joe's.

Thelist goes on: Frozen strawberries tainted with hepatitis A. Deli meats recalled over Listeria. Bags of salad greens pulled for E. coli. Its no wonder Americans are anxious about whats on their plates.

In fact, in the latest Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council, foodborne illness topped the list of consumer worries, overtaking pesticides, additives, and chemicals. Confidence in the U.S. food supply, meanwhile, has sunk to a record low.

Each recall seems to confirm what people already feel: that the food system isnt as safe as it should be.

Consumers aren't alone. Experts are sounding the alarm, especially after cutbacks and layoffs resulting from the government shutdown and earlier staff reductions."Our federal food safety system is teetering on the brink of a collapse," saidSarah Sorscher, a policy expert at theCenter for Science in the Public Interest,in a recentNPR report.

The real toll of foodborne illness

Behind the headlines lies a persistent reality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 9.9 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations, and nearly 1,000 deaths each year can be traced to seven common foodborne pathogens.

Earlier CDC estimates, using broader methods, put the toll higher as many as 1 in 6 Americans sickened annually, with 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. The discrepancy reflects changes in surveillance, not a sudden drop in illness.

The bottom line: foodborne illness is a fact of life in America, and millions of consumers have lived through it. Even mild cases of vomiting, cramps, or diarrhea leave an impression, and those personal stories ripple through families, workplaces, and social media.

Is food getting more dangerous?

Experts say its complicated.

On one hand, food may appear riskier because detection has improved. Whole-genome sequencing now allows health departments to link scattered illnesses to a single contaminated batch. Companies are required to announce recalls more quickly, and the internet amplifies every alert.

On the other hand, modern food systems do carry new vulnerabilities. Centralized processing plants and globalized supply chains mean that one contaminated batch can sicken people across dozens of states. Recalls have shifted in character too: more than 90% now stem from biological contamination or undeclared allergens.

And recent years have brought an uptick in the most serious, Class I recalls those involving products likely to cause severe illness or death.

Why the fear feels personal

Surveys and surveillance data suggest that most adults have had at least one episode of foodborne illness in their lifetime, whether or not it was officially diagnosed.

That lived experience, combined with relentless news coverage, fuels public anxiety. Unlike abstract risks such as chemical residues, food poisoning is visceral painful, disruptive, and sometimes life-threatening.

The road ahead

The U.S. food safety system has improved in many ways, with better testing, stricter standards, and faster recalls. But challenges remain.

• Budget cuts have already reducedactive surveillance by health agencies. From tracking eight pathogens, CDC is down to just two.

• Consolidation in food processing means contamination can affect millions of units at once.

• Climate change may expand the range and seasonality of pathogens, adding stress to the system.

For now, outbreaks and recalls are likely to remain a fact of life and public unease, grounded in both statistics and experience, will not fade easily.

The retailer is helping shoppers prepare for the holiday season early

• BJs is kicking off the holiday season early with a curated list of 2025s top toys many of them BJs exclusives backed by attractive pricing and deals.

• Shoppers can take advantage of free shipping on all toys, plus flexible fulfillment options like curbside pickup, in-club pickup, and same-day delivery.

• The list features a mix of familiar brands (LEGO, Hot Wheels, Barbie) and trending toys like Little Live Pets and Bluey playsets.

The holiday toy hunt is officially underway at BJs Wholesale Club, and this years lineup is something to watch especially if youre looking to get ahead of the crowds.

BJs has released what it calls the Must-Have Toys of 2025, mixing exclusive items with fan favorites all sold at competitive prices, with free toy shipping included.

Holiday shoppers are beginning earlier than ever this year, and BJs is offering unbeatable savings so members can beat the crowds and make sure they get the seasons hottest toys, Dion Evans, Senior Vice President, General Merchandise, BJs Wholesale Club, said in a news release.

We know our members will love our assortment, along with the incredible value and convenience BJs offers.

Whats on the list?

As for the toys themselves, the offerings are generous and wide-ranging. The list includes both staples and surprises:

• BJs exclusive picks like Little Live Pets: Mama Surprise Families, Disney Princess Cinderella Carriage & Doll, Play-Doh Fridge Fun Kitchen Playset, GUND PAW Patrol 6-Inch Plush Multipack, and Barbie Dream Closet Playset.

• Popular non-exclusive staples such as LEGO Botanical Collection Hibiscus Flower and Hot Wheels Loop & Launch Track Set also make the cut.

• Family-friendly choices like Bluey Ice Cream Truck Vehicle & Figures Playset and Maisto F1 RC Car with Bonus Track bring fun for different age groups.

BJs isnt just positioning itself as a toy seller its framing itself as a one-stop holiday shop. Seasonal dcor, groceries, home essentials, and gifts are all part of the mix.

The online retailer offers tips for identifying real messages from fakes

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Be cautious of unexpected messages claiming to be from Amazon about your orders or account.

• Never share personal or financial information outside of Amazons official website or app.

• Report suspicious messages immediately to help Amazon stop scammers before they strike.
  

Millions of consumers will look for deals during Amazons two-day Prime Big Deal Days promotion, but beware scammers are lying in wait.

Amazon is reminding consumers to stay alert for impersonation fraudulent attempts to trick people into sharing sensitive information like Social Security numbers, banking details, or Amazon account credentials.

In 2023, more than two-thirds of reported to Amazon globally involved fake claims about order or account issues. These often start with a call, text, or email saying something like, You bought something on Amazon that you didnt order. The scammer then asks for personal or account information to fix the issue.

Scammers who attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk, said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazons vice president of Selling Partner Services. Although these take place outside our store, we will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on how to avoid .

What Amazon is doing

Amazon said it has implemented several key measures to help customers stay safe:

• Secure email authentication: Customers using Gmail, Yahoo!, and similar services will now see Amazons signature smile logo beside legitimate emails from the companyhelping distinguish real messages from fakes.

• Cracking down on scammers: In 2024 alone, Amazon initiated the takedown of over 55,000 phishing websites and 12,000 phone numbers linked to impersonation schemes.

• Education and awareness: Amazon continues to share safety tips and resources to help consumers recognize and avoid .

Six tips to avoid impersonation

1. Verify purchases on Amazon. If you get a suspicious message about a purchase, dont click any links. Instead, log into your Amazon account or app to verify.

2. Use only Amazons app or website for payments. Amazon will never ask for payment over the phone or by email, nor request a bank transfer.

3. Beware of urgency tactics. Scammers often claim that immediate action is required to pressure you into responding.

4. Never buy gift cards to resolve a problem. Amazon will not ask you to make a payment using gift cards.

5. Contact Amazon directly. If something feels off, stop interacting with the sender and reach Amazon through its app or websitenot through links or phone numbers in messages.

6. Check Amazons Scam Tracker. In partnership with the Better Business Bureau, this tool allows you to search for reports of similar by email, URL, or phone number.

Report suspicious messages

If you suspect a scam, Amazon asks that you report it right away. Amazon offers a self-service tool for customers to flag suspicious messages quickly. Non-customers can also forward scam attempts to reportascam@amazon.com. Each report helps Amazon identify bad actors and prevent others from falling victim.

Heres what some market analysts are saying

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Gold this week surged to all-time highs, crossing the $4,000 per ounce mark, as investors seek refuge in safe-haven assets.

• The rally is being fueled by a mix of inflation fears, expectations for future rate cuts, central bank purchases, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Financial institutions and analysts are split: some see room for further gains toward $5,000+, while others warn of technical overbought risks or timing corrections.

The price of gold did something this week it has never done before: It closed above $4,000 an ounce. Spot and futures markets alike have registered new highs, propelled by strong inflows into gold ETFs and intensifying demand from institutional and central bank buyers.

So far in 2025, gold has rallied by more than 50 %, ranking among the best-performing major assets across equity, bond, and commodity markets. But the question is, where does it go from here?

Golds relentless rally this year is no longer just a general flight to safety, Kevin Rusher, founder of RAAC, said in an email to ConsumerAffairs. Its also a clear sign that investors are losing faith in the US dollar, whose reserve currency dominance is rapidly diminishing.

What analysts are saying

But, is it too late to safely purchase the precious metal? Heres what some market experts are saying about the path ahead:

Investor implications and strategy considerations

Before investing in gold, its a good idea to consult a trusted and objective financial advisor. Prices can go down just as quickly as they have gone up. Here are some things to consider:

• Diversification & hedging: Many experts view gold not as a core return engine but as a portfolio hedgeparticularly in volatile or inflationary regimes.

• Timing matters: Because gold is already at lofty levels, some suggest dollar-cost averaging or waiting for meaningful pullbacks before adding exposure.

• Relative signals: Watch indicators like real interest rates, inflation surprises, central bank buying trends, and technical momentum (e.g. RSI, trend channels).

• Risk controls: Given golds volatility, investors should set stop-losses or caps on exposure sizeespecially for speculators.

• Stay informed on policy shifts: Golds fate in the near term is tightly linked to central bank communications and economic surprises, so monitoring macro data and Fed signals will be crucial.