The number of food recalls issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased in recent years, after a sharp decline during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each year, the Food Safety and Service Inspection division of the USDA issues recalls for food products when problems such as foreign material, undeclared allergens and pathogens are found.

The agency only issued 31 recalls in 2020, which was a 75% decline from the previous year.

In 2023, there were 65 food recalls issued, a 40% increase from the previous year.

2015 had the most food recalls in a single year, at 150 recalls. That was the most in a single year in the past dozen years.

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John McCracken covers the industrial agriculture meat industry for Investigate Midwest. He has experience reporting at the intersection of agriculture, environmental pollution and climate change. He... More by John McCracken, Investigate Midwest

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GRAPHIC: Food recalls on the rise post-COVID-19 - The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting