Frequently asked questions
What is Safer Pantry?
A free email service that watches official U.S. government food recall announcements and alerts you when one matches the foods your household buys. It's made by Macronova as a free public service.
What does it cost? What's the catch?
Nothing, and there isn't one hiding. Macronova pays for Safer Pantry because we believe looking out for families is good for our brand — that's the whole business model. We never sell your information and we don't run ads.
Where does the recall information come from?
Two official sources: the U.S. FDA's public recall announcements (foods, beverages, and dietary supplements) and the USDA FSIS recall feed (meat, poultry, and egg products). Every alert links to the original government notice so you can verify it at the source.
What kinds of products are covered?
Human food and beverages, baby food and formula, vitamins and dietary supplements, and pet food. Not covered yet: medications, medical devices, and cosmetics — we may add some of these later.
What counts as an "urgent" recall?
For USDA products, we use the government's own classification: recalls flagged as the most serious health risk. FDA publishes its public announcements specifically for recalls it considers a significant or serious risk, so if you chose "urgent only," you'll get every FDA announcement that matches you, plus the most serious USDA ones. Choosing "every recall" adds the lower-risk USDA notices too.
Will I hear about every recall of everything I buy?
Honestly — no service can promise that, and you should be suspicious of any that does. Not every recall gets a public announcement, and official feeds sometimes lag real-world events. Safer Pantry makes it far more likely you'll hear promptly about the recalls that matter to your family. For belt-and-suspenders coverage, you can also subscribe to the FDA's and USDA's own email lists — we'll never mind.
Why did I get an alert for a recall that isn't in my state?
Some recall notices don't clearly list which states are affected. When that happens, we'd rather tell you than guess and stay silent — so unclear notices go to everyone who matches the food type.
Will you tell me about recalls from before I signed up?
No — Safer Pantry watches forward from the day you confirm your email. It isn't a lookup tool for past recalls. For history, the FDA and USDA sites both have searchable archives.
What do you do with my information?
Very little, on purpose. We keep your email, your preferences, and (if you shared them) your first name and state — nothing else, stored with our email provider, never sold, never shared with advertisers. We look at preferences in aggregate (for example, "40% of subscribers have a nut allergy at home") to understand our audience. Full details on the Privacy page.
How do I change my preferences or unsubscribe?
To stop all alerts: click "unsubscribe" at the bottom of any email — it works instantly, no login, no questions asked. To change what we watch for you: just fill out the signup form at saferpantry.com again with the same email address and your new choices, then click the confirmation link we send. Your preferences are replaced with the new ones — nothing to log into, nothing to remember.
Is this medical advice?
No. If you or a family member may have eaten a recalled product and feel unwell, contact your doctor or, in an emergency, call 911. Our emails tell you what the official notice says to do with the product — that's it.