US Food Recalls Reach 9-Year High: How to Manage Food Waste Without Going to Landfill

Food recalls in the US hit a nine-year high in 2025. According to Sedgwick's 2026 State of the Nation US Product Safety and Recall Index, the FDA recorded 571 food and beverage recalls last year, a 15.4% increase over 2024. This breaks down to 138.5 million packaged units recalled. Additionally, the USDA recalled 67.6 million pounds of food product, the highest in 13 years.

If you are a food manufacturer, you already know what this means - pallets of product that can't be sold, warehouses filling up, and pressure to move the product fast.

What do you do with food product that can’t be sold? For many companies, the answer is “send it to landfill”. But landfilling recalled food is costly and wasteful. And if your company has committed to waste reduction targets, or sustainability goals, every ton of food product sent to landfill works against those goals. Food waste is the single largest material stream in US landfills and accounts for 58% of fugitive landfill methane emissions, according to the EPA.

Solution: Food Waste Landfill Diversion

SES is built to handle these situations. Our food waste depackaging facilities accept large-volume loads of recalled, expired, off-spec, and unsellable food and beverages. Our equipment processes up to 20 tons per hour, separating organic content from packaging at scale. Organics are transformed into nutrient-rich soil and mulch. Packaging is processed into alternative fuels that replace fossil fuels in industrial applications. Even the water is captured and reused. Nothing goes to landfill.

All delivered with documented landfill diversion data for your sustainability reporting.

We accept palletized loads, full truckloads, compactors, and roll-offs. Whether a single SKU recall or an entire production line of expired inventory, we can handle the volume.

• Recalled food & beverage products
• Off-spec and expired food products
• Pet nutrition products
• Canned goods and bottled liquids
• All packaged foods and beverages

Nationwide Reach, Rapid Response, Measurable Results

Food recalls don't wait, and neither do we. SES facilities are equipped to receive and process your recalled food products quickly, so you can close out the recall in a sustainable way.

Contact SES to start diverting your food waste from landfill today.

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