What do donuts, canned tuna, and nasal spray have in common?  

Certain brands of each were recalled by their manufacturers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration within the last two months. 

A slew of products have been pulled from shelves recently, from baked goods and snacks to medicines and health care equipment. The recalls prompted a nationwide spike in concerns over food poisoning, botulism, and other ailments, particularly after the new administration of President Donald Trump ordered the FDA to temporarily pause all external communications. Those communications resumed, but it’s not clear whether the information released now is comprehensive.  

The reasons for the FDA recalls varied from bacterial contaminations in factories to missing critical information on packaging. Some were preemptive and had no adverse health impacts reported, while others were high-risk and tipped by consumers themselves. A full overview of eight recent recalls is below. 

These rapid-fire decisions come at a pivotal moment for the FDA, as Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his newly-confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, are starting to take hacks at the FDA’s workforce and funding. 

Last Friday alone, HHS fired 5,200 probationary employees across three key agencies: the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Newsweek.

Decreasing this federal workforce and reducing any of its funding could get in the way of potentially lifesaving recalls, like the ones that have been issued this year. Plus, the stakes of a weakened food and drug overseer are increasing; the number of FDA recalls related to salmonella, listeria, or E. coli significantly rose in 2024, while the number of hospitalizations and deaths from foodborne illness doubled, the outlet reported.

Kennedy has made clear his desire to radically change which foods are regulated and which are not in the United States. He wants ultra-processed foods out of schools, but also fewer limitations on things like unpasteurized milk — which could exacerbate the spread of the bird flu — and hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial drug that Trump falsely touted as a COVID-19 treatment in 2020. 

A laundry list of other compounds and therapies are in Kennedy’s sights, yet some say it would be difficult for him to push a truly systemic overhaul of a bureaucracy like the FDA. Any one rule change takes years of work, analysis, and collaboration, former FDA chief counsel Dan Troy explains to Fortune. 

“It takes time, energy, effort, and working with the staff and in the system to really make dramatic changes,” he said.

Without further ado, take a look at several key items called back from the shelves, for your own safety and awareness. 

FDA recalls are classified with risk levels. Class 1 is the highest risk and means consuming or using the recalled product could result in serious injury or death. Class 2 means adverse health effects could still happen but there’s a lower chance, and Class 3 means danger is not very likely. 

There’s more information on FDA recalls and safety alerts available here, and more data available on the agency’s dashboards. 

  • Tri-Union Seafoods called back several of its canned tuna products. The company sells under other names — Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B, and Trader Joe’s — and its canned tuna was pulled from shelves across the nation in a precautionary measure after a manufacturing defect was discovered on the cans’ pull tabs. Since the seal could be weakened, the cans could be contaminated with botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. No illnesses were reported as of February 11, per People Magazine.
  • Pastry distributor FGF Brands voluntarily recalled 2 million cases of baked goods, some of which were sold at Dunkin’ locations across the U.S. The reason was a possible bacterial contamination of listeria at a facility that made 60 different products. Dunkin’ sold 15 of them, including certain munchkins, donuts, and other pastries. The FDA gave the recall a Class 2 risk level, meaning consumption could cause adverse medical effects, but consumers are now safe because all the at-risk products have since expired, Health.com reports. 
  • Several consumers reported a strange odor coming from their NasoGel nasal spray, leading manufacturer NeilMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. to recall 89,312 bottles, citing a “microbial failure” found during testing. The FDA classified the recall as a Class 2, and it has impacted 31 states and several other countries around the world, NJ.com reports. 
  • Riverside Natural Foods Inc. pulled back over 2.4 million cases of its MadeGood granola bars due to concerns that a brush used during manufacturing may have contaminated the bars with metal. The FDA rated it a Class 2 risk level, and no injuries have been reported as of February 15, AOL.com reports. 
  • United Natural Trading had to recall 99 cases of its dark chocolate pretzel snack because the product’s milk contents — a potentially fatal allergen — were not declared on the packaging. This earned the recall the FDA’s highest risk level, a Class 1, per Newsweek. 
  • Johnson & Johnson MedTech is making a change to one of its heart pumps due to ongoing safety concerns. No product is being removed from the market, but the instructions have been updated to avoid any clinician issues. The FDA rated this a Class 1 risk level, according to Cardiovascular Business.
  • Cathay Drug Company voluntarily recalled its Triocef oral drops due to potency issues. The antibiotic drug helps treat acute bronchitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and other bacterial diseases, per News Info.
  • Quaker Oats recalled 10,000 cartons of Pearl Milling Company pancake and waffle mix due to an undeclared milk product, a potentially fatal allergen. The FDA gave it a Class 1 risk level, and no allergic reactions were reported as of January 14, Today.com reports.