21 major safety recalls issued in 2021 that you may have missed

Food, product and auto recalls from 2021

Generic shopping aisle. (Photo by Mehrad Vosoughi from Pexels)

A look at some of the biggest recalls of 2021, from pet food to humidifiers, shampoos and frozen meat, to cars, toys, sprays and sunscreen.

Food recalls

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  • Cooked meat: More than 234,000 pounds of fully cooked ham and pepperoni products were recalled nationwide due to Listeria concerns. More info here.
  • Chicken products: Tyson Foods Inc., the second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork on the planet, recalled about 8,492,832 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. More info here.
  • Frozen chicken: About 60,000 pounds of frozen, Serenade Foods stuffed chicken products sold nationwide were recalled for possible salmonella contamination. More info here.
  • Pet food: In January, the FDA expanded a pet food recall after more than 70 dogs have died from suspected aflatoxin poisoning. More info here.
  • Steamers: Millions of handheld clothing steamers sold nationwide on HSN and in stores are being recalled after more than 100 reported burn injuries. More info here.
  • Hot Pockets: NestlĂ© Prepared Foods recalled pepperoni Hot Pockets because consumers reported finding pieces of glass and hard plastic inside the products. More info here.

Product recalls

  • Infant loungers: More than three million newborn loungers were recalled for a potential suffocation risk after eight reports of infant deaths associated with the product. More info here.
  • Infant soothers: In June, Fisher-Price recalled a model of its baby soothers after the deaths of four infants who were placed on their backs unrestrained in the devices and later found on their stomachs. More info.
  • Humidifiers: About two million dehumidifiers sold at big box stores nationwide are being recalled for a fire risk, with more than 107 incidents already reported causing about $17 million in property damage. More info here.
  • Essential oil spray: Walmart recalled about 3,900 bottles of essential oil-infused spray due to a rare and dangerous bacteria that has been detected, officials said. Two deaths are being investigated. More info here.
  • Shampoo and spray products: The Procter & Gamble Company recalled aerosol dry conditioner spray products and aerosol dry shampoo spray products from several brand names due to the presence of benzene. More info here.
  • Snowblowers: In February, Toro recalled thousands of snowblowers due to a potential amputation hazard. More info here.
  • Swimsuits: Target recalled 181,000 infant-toddler swimsuits because they pose a choking threat to children. More info here.
  • Sunscreen: Coppertone recalled five sunscreen spray products due to the presence of benzene, a human carcinogen that could cause increased risk of cancer. More info here.
  • Marijuana: If you’ve purchased marijuana recently, you’re going to want to check the label after a recent recall issued by regulators in Michigan. More info here.

Auto recalls

  • Ford recall: In July, Ford issued three safety recalls covering more than 800,000 vehicles in North America, for separate issues. Here’s what’s covered.
  • GM recall: In July, General Motors is recalling more than 400,000 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the side air bags can explode without warning and spew parts into the cabin. More info here.
  • Kia recall: In March, Kia told owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outdoors due to the risk of an engine compartment fire. More info here.
  • Ford recall: In February, Ford said it lost track of some older Takata air bags that can explode and hurl shrapnel, so it’s recalling more than 154,000 vehicles in North America to check for them. More info here.
  • Honda recall: In March, Honda recalled more than 628,000 vehicles in the U.S. to replace fuel pumps that can fail, causing the engines to stall. More info here.
  • Toyota recall: In November, Toyota recalled more than 238,000 Camry sedans mainly in North America because they can suddenly lose the power assist in the brake system. More info here.

Find more recalls here on the Help Me Hank recall page.



About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.