When Risk Management And Consumer Trust Collide

TL;DR

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A Food Safety News report examines how companies’ recall decisions and public communications can affect consumer trust, using Raw Farm cheese and ByHeart infant formula as examples. The report argues that acting early and communicating clearly can reassure consumers, while the full impact on trust and the companies’ internal decision-making are not established by the account.

A Food Safety News report published in October 2026 says the way food companies decide whether to recall products—and how they explain those decisions—can shape consumer trust, drawing on disputes involving Raw Farm cheddar cheese and ByHeart infant formula. The cases highlight the tension between uncertain safety evidence, company decisions and the public’s need for clear information about potentially contaminated food.

In the Raw Farm case described by the report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a consumer notice in March saying the company’s cheddar cheese products may have been contaminated with E. coli and recommending a recall. Raw Farm declined at first. The company’s owner disputed the FDA’s findings, saying internal testing found no pathogens in its products. The report says more consumers became ill after eating Raw Farm cheese during the dispute.

After about two weeks, Raw Farm issued a recall “under protest” while continuing to challenge the basis for the FDA’s position. The report argues that the delay and the company’s public stance may have weakened trust. It does not provide case-level illness figures or independently establish the cause of each reported illness.

The report also cites ByHeart’s infant formula recall, which the company initiated after illnesses were potentially linked to its product. It describes communication as unclear, delayed and incomplete, and says some retailers did not remove affected products from their supplies. The recall was later expanded after federal investigators and independent laboratories could not rule out broader contamination, according to the report.

Recall Choices Shape Consumer Confidence

Recalls can require decisions before every detail is known. Companies may be weighing evolving test results, public-health concerns, supply-chain complexity, legal exposure and financial costs, the report says. Consumers generally cannot see those internal discussions, so they often judge a brand by what it does and when: whether it acts promptly, explains the risk and gives practical instructions.

That judgment matters because a recall is not only a response to a product hazard. It is also a test of how a company handles uncertainty and communicates with people who may have bought or used the product. A delayed or confusing notice can leave consumers unsure whether an item is affected or what to do with it. The report’s examples suggest that successive decisions and explanations can influence public perception, but they do not quantify the loss of trust or establish how consumers’ views changed.

For consumers, the practical takeaway is to look for specific product identifiers, clear instructions and timely updates in a recall notice, and to follow guidance from public-health authorities. For companies, the report’s argument is that acknowledging what is known and unknown, and explaining what happens next, can help people respond even when an investigation is ongoing.

Two Recalls, Different Communication Problems

The report’s cases involve different points of friction. In the Raw Farm dispute, the central issue was the company’s initial refusal to follow the FDA’s recall recommendation while disputing the agency’s evidence. In the ByHeart case, the account focuses on the clarity and timing of communications, retailer stock removal and a later expansion of the recall.

Those distinctions matter: the report does not present the cases as identical, and a product recall can change as investigators gather evidence. It argues, however, that consumers may interpret a company’s actions as a signal of its priorities, especially when the science is difficult for the public to evaluate. The author, Roger Hancock, is identified as CEO of Recall InfoLink and a steering committee member of the Alliance for Recall Ready Communities.

““under protest””

— Roger Hancock, author of the Food Safety News report

Evidence and Trust Effects Still Unclear

The report does not provide detailed illness counts, laboratory results or a full account of the evidence reviewed by the FDA, Raw Farm, federal investigators or independent laboratories. It reports that Raw Farm disputed the FDA’s findings and that ByHeart’s recall was expanded after broader contamination could not be ruled out; the underlying technical records are not included.

It is also unclear how many consumers lost confidence in either company, whether that trust later changed, or what specific internal factors shaped each recall decision. The report presents its assessment of consumer reactions as analysis, not as a survey or measured finding. The status of any related investigations or subsequent regulatory action is not specified in the supplied account.

Follow Notices and Company Updates

Consumers who may have bought affected products should check current recall notices from the relevant company and public-health authorities for product names, lot codes, dates and instructions. The supplied report does not give those identifiers or set out current consumer guidance, so readers should consult the latest official notices rather than rely on this account alone.

Further developments would include any updated findings from regulators or investigators, changes to product-removal instructions, and additional statements from the companies. The report does not identify a scheduled next announcement or a specific date for new findings. Until more information is available, the scope of the investigations and the longer-term effect on consumer trust remain open.

Key Questions

What is the report about?

It examines how food companies’ recall decisions and communications can affect consumer trust, using Raw Farm cheddar cheese and ByHeart infant formula as examples.

What happened in the Raw Farm case?

The report says the FDA issued a consumer notice in March about cheddar cheese that may have been contaminated with E. coli and recommended a recall. Raw Farm initially declined, disputed the FDA’s findings, then recalled the product after about two weeks “under protest.”

Why did the ByHeart recall expand?

According to the report, federal investigators and independent laboratories could not rule out broader contamination. It does not provide the underlying test records or further detail on the expansion.

What should consumers look for in a recall notice?

Look for product and lot identifiers, clear instructions, and updates explaining what consumers should do. Follow the latest guidance from the company and relevant public-health authorities.

Has the effect on consumer trust been measured?

No measurement is included in the supplied report. It argues that the companies’ actions may affect trust, but gives no survey results or figures showing how consumers’ views changed.

Source: rss