What gets a recall into the news
When a recall notice lands in Brenda's inbox, it's competing with roughly one hundred other recalls. She only has seconds to decide whether it becomes news. To decide what makes it, scale matters first — a nationwide recall spanning multiple products carries more weight than a single affected lot, and then the seriousness of the hazard itself.
“If it's salmonella or E. coli, or a pathogen or something like lead…that is another reason for my alarm to go up.” — Brenda Goodman
Class 1 recalls, where the health risk is serious and probable, get coverage nearly automatically. Less serious classifications are more likely to be passed over.
The first story stays shallow for good reason
Most initial recall coverage repeats the public advisory — product, seller, what to do. Frank finds that unsatisfying. Brenda defends it.
“Having somebody amplify the recall notice is super important, because when food is recalled, a lot of people aren't even aware of it.” — Brenda Goodman
A short, shareable story can reach someone who bought that exact product last week and has no idea.
Deeper reporting only comes when new developments keep arriving and implicate new actors — the 2022 Cronobacter baby formula investigation ran for months and is still generating coverage in 2026 because the information around the story itself keeps evolving.
What disappears when local news outlets close
The 2025 Medill State of Local News report found that roughly 3,500 newspapers have closed in the United States over the past twenty years, leaving 50 million Americans in communities with limited or no access to local news.
“I think our democracy, frankly, is suffering because we don't have enough fact-checked, thoroughly reported information.” — Brenda Goodman
Local reporters are often part of bringing to light what federal systems initially miss — and when those reporters disappear, so does the accountability they provided. Frank and Brenda both point to the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders as an example of how quickly a local signal can become a national story when the right people are paying attention.
Social media is filling the gap — imperfectly
A 2018 MIT study found that falsehoods are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true information and reach 1,500 people about six times faster. Brenda describes social media as filling the gaps left by local news closures, but what fills in is often the wrong version of a story.
“True information does not spread as quickly on social media as false information does.” — Brenda Goodman
When a food safety story breaks on a platform before anyone has verified it, the version that spreads fastest is often inaccurate, and corrections travel slower than the original false claim. "Trust, but verify," she says, is the mantra of reporters everywhere.
How to speak to a reporter as a food safety professional
Fear of the media keeps food safety professionals from talking to the media where their expertise is exactly what the public needs.
“Don't be afraid. You can absolutely set the terms that you want when you talk to a reporter.” — Brenda Goodman
Reporters work with sources three ways. “Off the record” means nothing can be reported — it is purely for the reporter's own understanding. “On background” means the information can be used without the source being named, an option Brenda will use for people in sensitive positions where attribution could cost them their job or reputation. “On the record” means full attribution by name and title, always her preference because it is the most transparent for readers.
Beyond individual sources, she has another ask — take calls from younger reporters and smaller outlets. The reporters who keep showing up, even from places no one has heard of, are often the ones who eventually get the deeper story right. And if a recall notice goes out and an expert sees a bigger story going unreported, Brenda wants to hear about it.
This episode of Smarter Food Safety is available now, wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about the host, Frank Yiannas, and why Ecolab is partnering on this show, read our profile here.
Episode Field Notes
Terms and resources worth bookmarking for food and beverage operators this year.
PulseNet: The CDC's national laboratory network for detecting foodborne illness outbreaks — the system Brenda identifies as how most outbreaks come to light before they ever reach a recall notice or a newsroom.
FDA recall classifications: The Class I, II, and III framework Brenda uses to triage recall notices — Class I recalls, where the health risk is serious and probable, drive nearly automatic news coverage.
Food Safety News: The specialty publication Brenda singles out by name as a model for dedicated food safety coverage — founded by Bill Marler following the Jack in the Box litigation.
FDA's foodborne illness outbreak investigations page: The live tracker of active and closed FDA outbreak investigations — the starting point for food and beverage operators who want to monitor what's being investigated before it becomes a headline.
