Record Number of Food Industry Recalls Sounds Alarm on Quality Control Failures

The food industry in Brazil is facing a warning sign: product recalls have increased in recent years, putting at risk not only public health but also the financial sustainability of companies in the sector. In 2024 alone, 82 food recall incidents were recorded, affecting 237 products, according to data from Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the specialized portal Food Safety Brazil.

The rise in recalls — a procedure that requires companies to pull products posing health risks or failing to meet safety standards off the market — is raising alarm across the industry. Even well-established brands are not immune: recent cases show that errors in the production chain can jeopardize consumer health while simultaneously generating losses in the millions. The scenario highlights the challenges the food sector faces in maintaining absolute control over increasingly complex, heavily regulated processes.

This situation takes on added relevance on June 7, World Food Safety Day, a date established by the United Nations (UN) to reinforce the importance of safe practices throughout the production chain. This year’s theme, “Food Safety: Science in Action,” turns the sector’s attention to processes, technology, and technical rigor to ensure food reaches consumers safely.

Recent Cases Reinforce the Alert on Food Safety Risks in Brazil

In recent months, several incidents have sounded the alarm over food quality control failures in the country. The botulism outbreak in Bahia, which left six people intoxicated and caused two deaths after consumption of contaminated chicken mortadella, and an isolated but fatal case in Belo Horizonte involving a contaminated pie, underscore the importance of food safety across the entire production and consumption chain.

Other cases have further heightened concern. Products known as “fake coffee” were pulled from the market after Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture found no coffee in the composition, excessive impurities, and mycotoxin levels exceeding what current legislation allows, rendering them unfit for consumption. In the baby food segment, batches had to be recalled for containing elevated levels of aflatoxins, toxins with carcinogenic potential.

These recent cases reinforce that food safety depends on a well-prepared industry and underscore the importance of the industry investing in technologies that ensure product integrity, with digitalized processes and robust quality control practices, guaranteeing safety across the entire chain, from manufacturing to the end consumer.

The Impact of a Recall Goes Beyond Financial Loss

When a batch has to be pulled from the market, the effects are devastating. Direct financial impact can reach R$ 10 million per occurrence, according to industry estimates, factoring in costs for reverse logistics, product destruction, replacement, crisis communication, fines, and, in some cases, legal action. There is also an impact that is not always easy to quantify but is extremely damaging: harm to brand reputation and consumer trust.

According to a survey by Food Safety Brazil, among the main reasons behind the rise in food recalls in Brazil are issues such as inadequate composition, including the use of unauthorized ingredients and nutritional deficiencies, as well as labeling errors and regulatory noncompliance, such as missing product registration or incorrect packaging information. Failures in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which compromise industrial processes, also appear as a recurring factor. Added to these problems are the risks of microbiological contamination, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and histamine, and chemical contaminants, such as ochratoxin.

Much of this stems directly from failures in process control and data management within quality control laboratories and manufacturing plants. Manual processes and difficulties integrating and managing information significantly increase the risk of errors that end up escalating into full-blown crises.

“When a problem is identified, response time is critical. Companies without a robust quality control management system face enormous difficulty quickly pinpointing where the failure occurred, which batch was affected, and how to act swiftly to protect the consumer,” explains Ramon Spinassé, CEO of Actiz, a company specializing in laboratory management systems.

Technology as an Ally in Food Safety

It is in this context that technology emerges as a strategic ally in preventing recalls and protecting public health. Solutions such as Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) ensure, for example, the digitalization of processes, eliminating common errors found in manual record-keeping, and provide full traceability across the production cycle.

Adopting a LIMS can reduce the time needed to execute corrective actions in recall cases by up to 50%, while also significantly lowering associated costs.

“World Food Safety Day is a call for the entire production chain to rethink its processes. Safety cannot rely solely on manual procedures or flawed controls. Technology plays a fundamental role in democratizing access to high standards of quality and safety, making control more accessible, efficient, and preventive,” concludes Spinassé.

About World Food Safety Day

The date was established in 2018 by the United Nations (UN), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), with the goal of drawing attention to the risks associated with producing and consuming unsafe food. It is estimated that, globally, one in ten people fall ill each year from eating contaminated food, according to UN data.

About Actiz

​Actiz is a company specializing in developing laboratory management solutions, focused on process digitalization, traceability, and regulatory compliance. Actiz LIMS is used by laboratories and industries across different segments, including food, beverages, agribusiness, environment, and mining, helping raise quality and safety standards. Schedule a demo with our specialists!