According to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ),between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2017, FSANZ coordinated 626 recalls. The average number of recalls per year for the last 10 years is 63.
During the last 10 years, undeclared dairy (milk) has been the most common allergen related recall, accounting for 31% of all allergen related recalls. Peanut is the second most common type of allergen-related recalls, accounting for 20% in this category. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and E. coli are the three microorganisms most commonly associated with microbial food recalls in Australia.
Dairy products are more commonly recalled due to concerns with process hygiene, indicated through E. coli testing, than other categories of food. Other products commonly recalled for E. coli include fresh sprouts, salads and some processed meat products.