Why are there so many food recalls?

There have been more than 300 food recalls this year, from Boar’s Head deli meat to the onions served on some burgers at McDonald’s.

If you’ve been paying attention to the news recently, you’ve probably seen a recall for at least one food that you eat. Listeria, for example, has shown up in everything from deli meat to prepared salads to frozen waffles. So far this year, there have been more than 300 food recalls. Here’s a small sampling from the last four months: