A new report says fewer food recalls are being announced by the federal government, signaling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is changing its approach. The report, from the non-profit U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), says recalls are not made in a timely manner when outbreaks occur. “When a food safety problem is discovered, there isn’t much done to make sure consumers find out. Under the FDA, companies are expected to notify the FDA and issue a news release. Under the USDA, companies must notify the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). No one has to contact grocery stores or restaurants. No one has to notify consumers,” according to the PIRG report. Not only are recall procedures vague, the process does not seem to place any urgency on companies under FDA jurisdiction to issue recalls. “It sometimes takes years from the first illness before regulators identify a product to recall in an effort to prevent others from getting sick,” the ...