Your loyalty cards could save your life

It’s well known that direct-to-consumer (DTC) food recall communication needs improvement. Currently, there’s no legal requirement for food companies to notify consumers directly when food products are recalled. While recalls may be posted publicly on the FDA or USDA websites, the onus is on the consumers to find them. The consumers most at risk are often the ones who don’t hear about a recall until it’s too late. Compounding the issue, DTC recall communication lacks a standardized approach, impacting how consumers can access critical information and whether they learn about recalls at all.

Recently, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund published a Food for Thought 2026 report that highlights concerns about direct-to-consumer recall communication, specifically around notification delays, communication gaps, and lack of transparency. According to the report, time delays remain a serious problem. 

The report also flagged that government agencies, like the FDA and USDA, don’t post about every food recall on their websites, only spotlighting the recalls that they believe pose a “significant or serious risk” to public health. However, this isn’t a foolproof system. As cited by the report, they didn’t post information about a recent, potentially life-threatening, Class 1 breadcrumb recall. Per the report, the current system is flawed, with no specific requirements for notifying grocery stores, restaurants, or consumers about food recalls.

The PIRG report encouraged the use of technology programs to identify consumers who bought recalled products and send them understandable recall notifications. Loyalty programs allow the food industry to distribute personalized recall alerts to consumers about products they’ve actually purchased.

Loyalty programs only work if consumers sign up
As advocates call for improved recall notifications, better communication, and more DTC alerts, they say food brands should be required to notify consumers directly. Retailers need to offer shoppers a way to be contacted by phone, text, email, or a push notification from an app. Often, the easiest way to accomplish this is through loyalty programs. Loyalty programs help companies monitor purchase history and send targeted notifications directly to consumers who bought products that may be affected, instead of only issuing general public service announcements. 

However, loyalty programs won’t work as a recall notification tool unless consumers actually sign up— which means retailers need to actively encourage enrollment, and consumers need to join.

Consumer participation is what makes targeted, purchase-based notification possible, so it’s essential for consumers to opt into loyalty programs for the stores they frequent and the products they buy. Recall notification systems are only as good as the data behind them. Right now, the data is incomplete because many consumers haven’t signed up for these programs, which means they’ll miss critical recall notifications.

Signing up for loyalty programs at the stores they frequent is one of the most concrete steps a consumer can take right now to protect themselves.

Caution about sharing personal data is reasonable and worth acknowledging. Only share your contact information with reputable businesses that can keep it secure. But recognize that this is a different calculation than entering your email into a random app or website. The tradeoff is worth it: when you share your contact info with stores you trust, you’ll get notified when it matters most.

 Of course, food brands must use loyalty programs as just one tool in their toolbox, in addition to other forms of DTC notification. When food brands utilize a multi-channel approach, they can reach consumers in a variety of ways. Recall information on their websites and social media platforms, press releases, QR codes on labels, and well-informed supply chain partners are all part of a successful recall communication strategy. 

 Improving direct-to-consumer recall communication will help expand reach, maximize awareness, and drive proper actions, ultimately keeping consumers safer. Technology solutions like loyalty programs give food businesses a faster, more accurate way to get understandable recall information directly to the consumers who bought the affected products. Consumers need to do their part and sign up for the loyalty programs—this quick effort could save your life.

 About the author: Roger Hancock is CEO of Recall InfoLink. Recall InfoLink makes recalls faster, easier, and more accurate across the supply chain to protect consumers and brands. As the only company focused entirely on recalls, Recall InfoLink’s solutions drive immediate action, streamline the recall process, and simplify compliance.