Salmonella
A bacterium behind many food recalls and outbreaks, found in poultry, eggs, produce, and increasingly in dry foods like powdered milk and flour.
Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the US. It causes salmonellosis, with symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and cramps that usually appear 6 hours to 6 days after eating contaminated food and last about a week.
Most people recover without treatment, but young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems can develop severe illness that requires hospitalization. That risk is why Salmonella contamination is usually classified as Class I.
Salmonella is best known in poultry, eggs, and fresh produce, but it increasingly shows up in low-moisture foods that people assume are safe: powdered milk, flour, peanut butter, dry cereal, and spices. The 2026 California Dairies powdered milk recall is an example, where bulk dried milk was pulled for potential Salmonella, triggering a cascade of recalls in products that used it as an ingredient.
If your product is in a Salmonella recall, throw it out or return it. Cooking can kill Salmonella, but cross-contamination during handling and the risk of undercooking make it safer to discard a recalled product than to rely on cooking it thoroughly.
Related terms
Class I Recall
The most serious FDA recall class, used when a product has a reasonable chance of causing serious health harm or death.
Listeria monocytogenes
A bacterium that survives refrigeration and is a frequent cause of Class I recalls in deli meats, soft cheese, and ready-to-eat foods.
FDA vs USDA Jurisdiction
Two agencies split US food recalls: the FDA covers most packaged foods and produce, while the USDA covers meat, poultry, and egg products.