Dozens of recalled salad products that may contain harmful bacteria have been given the highest risk warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
New York-based Made Fresh Salads issued a voluntary recall in September for all of its ready-to-eat deli-style salads, assorted cream cheese products, and half-size aluminum pans due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The products have now been given a Class I risk rating by the FDA. Altogether, 61 products have been recalled and classified.
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A Class I recall, the highest risk level, is issued when there is a “reasonable probability” that the use of or exposure to a product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
The products were distributed in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and New York City by direct delivery to retail stores and distributors, the FDA has said.
Newsweek has contacted Made Fresh for comment via phone call outside of regular working hours.
What To Know
The recalled foods include black bean and corn salad, chickpea salad, crab salad, shrimp salad, tuna salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, quinoa salad, pasta dishes, chocolate and vanilla puddings, potato croquettes and crab cakes.
More than two dozen cream cheese product listings are also affected, including scallion, garlic and herb, blueberry, jalapeño and strawberry varieties, as well as tofu spreads.
The products were distributed in five-pound and 30-pound plastic tubs and aluminum trays, with expiration dates ranging from September 3 to September 18, 2026. The FDA warned that retailers may have repackaged the products into smaller containers with different labeling and product codes.
The recall followed environmental sampling by the company, which detected Listeria monocytogenes in areas of the production facility.
Made Fresh Salads subsequently stopped production and distribution while investigating the source of the contamination.
Consumers were advised to return affected products to their place of purchase for a full refund.
What Is Listeria?
Listeria is a type of bacteria that can contaminate food and cause an infection known as listeriosis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infections are relatively uncommon but can become serious, particularly in at-risk groups like pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea, headaches and a stiff neck. Severe cases can cause life-threatening complications, while infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature delivery.
The recall comes amid continuing concerns about foodborne illness in the United States.
Major Outbreaks and Recalls In 2026
This year has been a busy year for food outbreaks and recalls, with several high profile illness outbreaks caused by contaminated food.
Among the largest was a Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico, which sickened 12,883 people across 21 states, hospitalized 570 and was associated with two deaths. The outbreak prompted a major recall by Taylor Farms de Mexico in July. The FDA has now classified the outbreak as over.
Another Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers sickened 488 people across 34 states and hospitalized 65. It triggered recalls of products including dips, salsa, guacamole and prepared meals sold through major retailers.
Meanwhile, more than 1.5 million dozen eggs were recalled in July following a Salmonella outbreak that ultimately sickened 134 people across 18 states, while powdered infant formula was recalled in June after four infants were hospitalized with botulism.
The outbreaks have occurred against a backdrop of changes to federal food safety oversight under President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In March 2025, the Trump administration announced plans to eliminate approximately 3,500 positions at the FDA as part of a wider restructuring of federal health agencies. Officials maintained that food inspectors and reviewers would not be affected.
However, Reuters reported in May 2025 that staffing reductions had disrupted food safety programs, including work involving milk and produce testing. Some of the layoffs were subsequently reversed.
The Trump administration has defended its food safety record despite criticism of staffing reductions. In August, Stateline reported that CDC staffing had fallen by 28 percent since December 2024. A White House spokesperson told the outlet that the administration had “never cut FDA food inspectors or other frontline personnel for domestic disease response” and insisted the federal government remained capable of “robustly addressing any future outbreaks.”
Trust In Food Safety
This year has done little to instill Americans’ confidence in food safety. A September GS1 U.S. survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that 94 percent are concerned about the frequency of food recalls, which is up from 93 percent in 2025. Confidence that recalls are effective in protecting the health of the public also fell from 85 percent to 80 percent.
Following a recall, two thirds—66 percent—of those surveyed said they would purchase the product or brand again, up from 59 percent in 2025. Women are also more hesitant, with 71 percent saying they were more likely to avoid an entire food category if something in it has been recalled, compared to 63 percent of men.
A survey by Gallup, published this month, also found that just 47 percent of Americans have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the federal government’s ability to ensure food safety, down from 53 percent in 2025 and 68 percent in 2019.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Liz Perkins.
