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Population Review

Multiple Sources · 52 states

States With Most Food Recalls

Source·US Census ACS 5-Year 2023Updated·Reviewed by·PopulationReview Editorial Team
By PopulationReview Editorial Team
Raw data·Download states.csv· no email required ·all datasets

Food recalls are a critical food safety measure, and their distribution across states reveals where food production and processing are concentrated. States with the most recalls are also the largest food producers, so higher numbers largely reflect scale. A food recall occurs when a product is contaminated, mislabeled, or otherwise unsafe. Common causes are undeclared allergens, bacterial contamination (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli), and foreign material. The FDA and USDA jointly oversee food safety, with recalls classified by severity.

Key Findings

  • 1Indiana leads with a total food recalls of 2,888, followed by New York (2,474) and Pennsylvania (2,391).
  • 2Alaska ranks last at 1,220, while Indiana leads at 2,888.
  • 3The national median across all states is 1,684 (Alabama at the midpoint).
  • 4The top 10 states are: Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina.

Full Ranking: States With Most Food Recalls

Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates

#StateTotal Recalls
1Wyoming1,449
2Wisconsin2,005
3West Virginia1,441
4Washington1,884
5Virginia2,128
6Vermont1,310
7Utah1,515
8Texas2,220
9Tennessee1,834
10South Dakota1,344
11South Carolina1,783
12Rhode Island1,405
13Puerto Rico1,266
14Pennsylvania2,391
15Oregon1,810
16Oklahoma1,638
17Ohio2,329
18North Dakota1,367
19North Carolina2,125
20New York2,474
21New Mexico1,477
22New Jersey2,110
23New Hampshire1,550
24Nevada1,649
25Nebraska1,524
26Montana1,412
27Missouri1,926
28Mississippi1,576
29Minnesota1,842
30Michigan2,081
31Massachusetts1,914
32Maryland1,949
33Maine1,515
34Louisiana1,641
35Kentucky1,818
36Kansas1,672
37Iowa1,667
38Indiana2,888
39Illinois2,328
40Idaho1,373
41Hawaii1,302
42Georgia1,960
43Florida2,279
44District of Columbia1,358
45Delaware1,508
46Connecticut1,803
47Colorado1,737
48California2,335
49Arkansas1,637
50Arizona1,843
51Alaska1,220
52Alabama1,684

Methodology

Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

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Related Rankings & Top Entities

#1 Indiana

Ranked #1 by total food recalls

#2 New York

Ranked #2 by total food recalls

#3 Pennsylvania

Ranked #3 by total food recalls

Frequently Asked Questions

Indiana has the highest total food recalls at 2,888, according to latest Census ACS data. New York and Pennsylvania round out the top three.

Alaska has the lowest total food recalls at 1,220. Puerto Rico is second-lowest at 1,266.

The median across all 52 states is 1,684. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.

This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.

Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.

Sources: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates

Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.