Recalls have been crowding our food news sector the whole year, with products ranging from daily consumables like ham for sandwiches to exotic organic carrots. Every time one company initiates a recall, the domino effect begins, involving more brands thereby making it a challenge to distinguish the safe products from the affected ones.

The ripple effect is witnessed in the public reaction as well, some customers steering clear of an entire food category while others avoid only the recalled items. As per the predicaments of food safety experts, they too are faced with similar confusions each time there's a recall. Considering the frequency of food recalls currently, we further delve into the reactions of food safety experts upon recalls and their rationale behind it.

Food safety authority and a professor at Northeastern University, Darin Detwiler, also known for his book, "Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions," reveals a blend of concern and frustration each time he listens about a new recall. "Each recall symbolizes a deficiency within the system – be it oversight, validation, or communication, or maybe all three," he asserts while empathizing with the families impacted by the contaminated products. Detwiler's narrative carries a personal note as his 16-month-old son, Riley, was a victim of the 1993 E. coli outbreak which turned fatal. Each recall, thus, goes beyond headlines for him and brings out the dire effects faulty food safety can lead to.

Detwiler’s approach to a new recall is centered around cautiousness about the product and its umbrella category. From there, he stays alert about sourcing and handling the product by constantly checking labels, brands, and origin information. "If the recall involves lettuce, I might avoid bagged ones or those mixed till I have more information,” he adds.

The author notes that "recalls tend to amplify as investigations proceed." Depending on the nature of the recall, he might steer clear of an entire food category. If the recall involves a systemic issue, like contamination in water affecting numerous farms, Detwiler prefers avoiding the entire food category temporarily. "For instance, I might abandon salads altogether during outbreaks related to leafy greens due to the high probability of escalated recalls."

Detwiler is joined by many in his discipline who prioritize caution. He shares about a friend who discarded all her canned sauces due to the carrot recall recently.

Ellen Shumaker, a food safety expert at North Carolina State University, shares that she always reads the recall details to judge her next move. The nature of recalls determines her response. If it involves an undisclosed allergen, Shumaker generally disregards it as her family doesn't have any known food allergies. However, recalls about physical contaminants or harmful pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli prompt her to verify and discard the product.

Even though Shumaker rarely avoids a complete food category, she maintains a vigil about possible inclusion of the affected items in other products, for instance, salad kits.

Barbara Kowalcyk, a food safety expert whose 2-year-old son succumbed to kidney failure due to E. coli from contaminated meat, maintains a low risk tolerance. Apart from regularly scrutinizing recall notices and checking her pantry and refrigerator for affected items, she is extra careful about products at the grocery store. If she identifies a recalled product on the shelf, she alerts the management immediately. Kowalcyk suggests keeping food receipts to verify the presence of a recalled product at home.

Differing from the previous expert opinions, Wade Syers, an expert at Michigan State University Extension, prefers to only avoid the specific recalled product after meticulous examination of recall notices.