when 48 infants across 17 states The parents of those who became seriously ill after consuming ByHeat formula desperately searched for answers, just like any other parent would. Too often, recall notices that could have protected those babies were locked behind a paywall. This isn’t just a media industry issue; it’s a food justice issue. No one should be denied access to important recall notifications like these. As the national conversation about paywalls grows, hiding important public health information behind a paywall doesn’t just limit readership. It determines who will protect their family and who will not.
Each year, contaminated food kills approximately 3,000 Americans and sends 128,000 to the hospital (CDC, 2011), with an economic cost of more than $36.6 billion (in 2013 dollars) (USDA ERS, 2015). But it doesn’t have to be this way. Many of these tragedies could be prevented if people had the information they need to identify and prevent recalled foods.
Studies have shown that consumers obtain information about food recalls through both traditional and online news sources. But recall notices in digital news media are often locked behind paywalls. Many of us have clicked on provocative headlines warning of recalls of “life-threatening” food products, only to discover that the details needed to identify the recalled products are hidden behind a paywall. It creates a barrier to accessing information essential to protecting public health.
Timely dissemination of information about food recalls is essential to prevent unnecessary illness and death from consuming contaminated food. Broadcasting this news as widely as possible is key to consumer awareness and action.
But the reality is that most consumers do not pay for digital news subscriptions, and those that do are older, have higher incomes, and are mostly white. In June 2025 Pew Research Center Last year, only 17% of U.S. adults reported paying for digital news. However, nearly three-quarters (74%) reported experiencing a paywall when searching for news online. And when they found this out, only 1% reported paying for access. Instead, more than half (53%) looked for free content elsewhere, and a third (32%) gave up entirely.
These data suggest that hiding essential information about food recalls behind a paywall does not improve public health or a publication’s bottom line. So why not make information about deadly food contamination available to the public for free?
We have seen media organizations respond to situations where public health is at risk. During the COVID-19 pandemic, publications have made health information freely available. The same goes for emergency preparedness alerts for hurricanes, floods, or wildfires. This is a moment where public health and safety outweigh commercial considerations. Food recalls deserve the same treatment.
Paywalls are not the only obstacle to timely and widespread dissemination of recall information, but they are obstacles we can address quickly and easily. Newsrooms can take simple steps. This means ensuring food recall notifications are accessible to everyone, regardless of subscription status.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. It is our job to ensure that our food supply is safe for everyone, especially the most vulnerable in our society. In the case of a ByHeart recall, babies cannot be protected if parents do not have access to recall information. A paywall shouldn’t mean missing out on an opportunity to protect your family’s health. It is wrong to charge through a paywall to access this information. Removing paywalls for food safety warnings is simply not good journalism. This is a public service that helps save lives and protect the public’s health and wellbeing. When important public health information is withheld from those who need it most, we fail in our fundamental obligation to keep our communities safe.
About the author:
Sandra EskinJD is the Chief Executive Officer of Stop Foodborne Illness. She served as USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety in the Biden Administration, where she helped lead the Agency and the Food Safety Inspection Service. Previously, Sandra directed the Safe Food Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Vanessa KaufmanPhD is the Executive Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, where he leads efforts to build a stronger, more positive food safety culture across the industry. Trained in environmental epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, her research has focused on food systems and the impacts of industrial agriculture on workers and communities.
William HolmanPhD is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. A research psychologist with expertise in risk perception and risk communication, he studies how consumers hear about and react to food recalls.
Ben ChapmanPhD currently serves as Interim Associate Director of NC State Extension, Chair of the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, Professor, and Director of the Safe Plates Food Safety Extension and Research Program at North Carolina State University. His work focuses on reducing foodborne illnesses through research on food handling and safety systems, developing and implementing strategies, and evaluating food safety messages from farm to fork.
