Key findings
- In New York City, 1,360 of 1,504 initial-cycle inspections (90.4%) cited at least one critical violation, compared with 90.1% in August 2026. The median initial score was 13 points (lower is better), and the Health Department ordered 87 closures.
- The most-cited NYC violation was code 10F (non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material), found in 53.5% of initial inspections. Pest-related code 08A appeared in 36.4%.
- In Chicago, 244 of 991 completed inspections failed (24.6%), up from 21.5% in August 2026. Complaint-driven inspections failed 50.4% of the time (n=141), compared with 24.5% for routine canvass inspections (n=335).
- FDA enforcement reports dated September 2026 list 104 food product recall records from 48 events. Salmonella accounted for 46 records; undeclared allergens accounted for the most events (19).
- From January to September 2026, the FDA reported 1,015 food product recall records, compared with 1,241 in the same months of 2025 (−18.2%).
Don’t compare the two cities with each other. New York and Chicago use different inspection codes, scoring systems and outcomes. Each city is compared only with its own previous month.
New York City
Source: NYC DOHMH restaurant inspection results on NYC Open Data, dataset version October 19, 2026. Initial-cycle inspections are the first inspection in each grading cycle. Counts are of inspections, not violations.
| Metric | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections (all types) | 2,846 | 2,910 |
| Initial-cycle inspections | 1,573 | 1,504 |
| …with 1+ critical violation | 90.1% | 90.4% |
| Median initial score (lower is better) | 13 | 13 |
| Initial scores in the A range (0–13) | 56.5% | 56.6% |
| Closures ordered by the Health Department | 72 | 87 |
| Manhattann=570 · median score 13 | 90.4% |
|---|---|
| Brooklynn=407 · median score 13 | 88.7% |
| Queensn=359 · median score 13 | 91.6% |
| Bronxn=127 · median score 13 | 91.3% |
| Staten Islandn=41 · median score 13 | 95.1% |
| Latin Americann=80 · 92.5% critical | 22 |
|---|---|
| Chinesen=98 · 95.9% critical | 20 |
| Americann=258 · 91.5% critical | 13 |
| Bakery Products/Dessertsn=82 · 92.7% critical | 13 |
| Mexicann=48 · 85.4% critical | 13 |
| Japanesen=45 · 97.8% critical | 13 |
| Italiann=44 · 100% critical | 13 |
| Caribbeann=43 · 97.7% critical | 13 |
| Coffee/Tean=161 · 85.1% critical | 12 |
| Pizzan=77 · 80.5% critical | 12 |
| Chickenn=43 · 86% critical | 12 |
Most-cited violation codes
| Code | Description (NYC DOHMH) | Share of initial inspections |
|---|---|---|
| 10F | Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit. | 53.5% (804) |
| 08A | Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests. | 36.4% (548) |
| 02Gcritical | Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation. | 26.3% (396) |
| 06Ccritical | Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. | 25.7% (387) |
| 06Dcritical | Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. | 25.7% (386) |
| 10B | Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of. | 23.8% (358) |
| 04Ncritical | Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies. | 22.3% (336) |
| 02Bcritical | Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F. | 18.3% (275) |
Chicago
Source: Chicago Department of Public Health food inspections on the Chicago Data Portal. “Completed” leaves out inspections recorded as Out of Business, No Entry, Not Ready or Business Not Located.
| Metric | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections (all) | 1,238 | 1,128 |
| Completed inspections | 1,046 | 991 |
| Failed | 21.5% | 24.6% |
| Passed with conditions | 16.5% | 11.2% |
| Canvassn=335 | 24.5% |
|---|---|
| Canvass Re-Inspectionn=156 | 10.9% |
| Complaintn=141 | 50.4% |
| Licensen=139 | 31.7% |
| Complaint Re-Inspectionn=123 | 13.8% |
| Short Form Complaintn=51 | 13.7% |
| License Re-Inspectionn=40 | 12.5% |
| Restaurantn=533 | 25.0% |
|---|---|
| Schooln=253 | 24.9% |
| Grocery Storen=97 | 24.7% |
| Children's Services Facilityn=27 | 29.6% |
| Risk 1 (High)n=797 | 24.5% |
|---|---|
| Risk 2 (Medium)n=128 | 28.1% |
| Risk 3 (Low)n=66 | 19.7% |
FDA food recalls
Source: openFDA food enforcement reports, data last updated October 7, 2026. One recall event can cover many products, so we count both product records and distinct events. A month is based on each record’s FDA report date. Causes and categories come from keyword rules applied to the free-text reason and product fields. They are approximate and are not FDA classifications (see rules).
| Salmonella11 events · 45 Class I records | 46 |
|---|---|
| Undeclared allergen19 events · 9 Class I records | 33 |
| Foreign object3 events · 0 Class I records | 9 |
| Listeria4 events · 2 Class I records | 4 |
| Chemical contaminant3 events · 0 Class I records | 3 |
| Labeling or registration issue3 events · 0 Class I records | 3 |
| Other or not stated2 events · 1 Class I records | 2 |
| Undeclared drug or unapproved ingredient1 events · 1 Class I records | 1 |
| Other microbial, mold or spoilage1 events · 0 Class I records | 1 |
| Processing, temperature or packaging1 events · 0 Class I records | 1 |
| E. coli / STEC1 events · 1 Class I records | 1 |
| Fresh produce14 events | 50 |
|---|---|
| Other foods12 events | 14 |
| Bakery, grains & pasta7 events | 13 |
| Dairy & eggs9 events | 9 |
| Dietary supplements4 events | 6 |
| Spices, sauces & condiments4 events | 4 |
| Snacks, candy & chocolate3 events | 3 |
| Prepared & ready-to-eat foods2 events | 3 |
| Nuts, seeds & nut butters1 events | 1 |
| Seafood1 events | 1 |
| tree nut | 7 |
|---|---|
| milk | 7 |
| wheat | 6 |
| egg | 4 |
| peanut | 3 |
| soy | 3 |
| sesame | 3 |
| sulfites | 2 |
| fish | 1 |
Monthly trend
FDA food recall product records per month, January 2025 to September 2026. September 2026 is shown in red.
Year to date
| Cause | Jan–Sep 2025 | Jan–Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Undeclared allergen | 368 | 433 |
| Salmonella | 217 | 175 |
| Foreign object | 141 | 105 |
| Other or not stated | 71 | 72 |
| Listeria | 290 | 69 |
| C. botulinum / botulism risk | 15 | 49 |
| Processing, temperature or packaging | 54 | 39 |
| Chemical contaminant | 12 | 21 |
| Labeling or registration issue | 30 | 18 |
| Other microbial, mold or spoilage | 21 | 14 |
| E. coli / STEC | 6 | 13 |
| Undeclared drug or unapproved ingredient | 16 | 7 |
| All records | 1,241 | 1,015 |
| Distinct events | 409 | 378 |
Class I recalls reported in September 2026 (sample)
| Recall # | Firm | Product | Reason (abridged) |
|---|---|---|---|
H-1258-2026 | H & U Inc. dba Sun Noodle | Sura Tanmen Hot and Sour Flavor Premium Japanese Noodles & Soup Base. Retail package net wt. 15.4oz. Product is ramen noodle kit which contains noodles and Soba | Soba sauce packet, which contains bonito, sardine, and mackerel (fish), was packed into Sura Tanmen Hot and Sour Flavor ramen noodle package kit, but fish species are not declared on finished product |
H-1259-2026 | KHONG GUAN (HQ) | Glutinous Rice Balls with Black Sesame Filling NET WT. 14.1 OZ (400 g) Product of China UPC: 6908791000053 | Undeclared peanuts. |
H-1263-2026 | ZMB Enterprises | Addall XR Shot 1 single bottle, 2 fl. oz., liquid dietary supplement | The product contains 1,4-DMAA, Phenylethylamine and Phenibut. |
H-1260-2026 | KHONG GUAN (HQ) | BLACK AND WHITE GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS WITH BLACK SESAME FILLING NET WT. 14.1 OZ (400 g) Product of China UPC: 6908791000084 | Undeclared peanuts. |
H-1301-2026 | Jaime's Foods ATX, LLC | Jalapeno Ranch, packed in 16 oz. glass jars, 6 jars per case, with UPC #199284564923. | Undeclared Egg Allergen |
H-1262-2026 | Sirna and Sons Produce, Inc | Sirna & Sons Produce PEPPER JALAPENO BREAK 1LB, repackaged into 1 lb. plastic bags, Product Number: 55255, Packed by Sirna & Sons Produce 7176 State Route 88, R | Potential Salmonella Javiana contamination |
H-1273-2026 | Botticelli Foods, LLC | bettergoods brand Pistachio Nut Butter, NET WT 6.7oz (190g), UPC 194346207961 | Product may be contaminated with Salmonella. |
H-1329-2026 | Fayus Inc. | OLA-OLA Pounded Yam (Iyan) IYANINSTANT, NET WT. 2 lbs., 4 lbs., 5 lbs., 10 lbs, packed in flexible plastic bags. INGREDIENTS: Processed Dehydrated Yam Flour, fr | Undeclared milk. |
H-1328-2026 | Marina Del Rey Foods inc. | Frankie's Organic Plant-Based Puffs Vegan Cheddar, NET WT. 4 oz. (113 g). Product is packaged into flexible plastic bag, UPC 816929000119. Sold wholesale: 12 re | Product tested positive for undeclared milk. |
H-1309-2026 | THE HAMPTON GROCER | THE HAMPTON GROCER brand; Lacnola; SMALL BATCH LACTATION GRANOLA, 8oz, stand up pouches; NUTRIENT DENSE INGREDIENTS + MORINGA; SUPPORTS + PROMOTES HEALTHY LACTA | Product may be contaminated with Salmonella. |
H-1303-2026 | Ron's Home Style Foods, Inc. | Item #DIPSAU0205RFS Salsa Autentica 5 lb. packaged in round plastic container. | Products were manufactured with jalapenos that have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella |
H-1319-2026 | Savor Seasonings LLC | Organic Cheddar Type Seasoning, NET WT: 50 lbs. Product is packaged in bulk poly-lined paper bag. Savor Seasonings, LLC. 4292 Armstrong Boulevard Batavia, OH 45 | Product tested positive for undeclared milk allergen. |
Cite & download
Download
food-2026-09.csv has one row per metric (release, section, metric, group, value, n, unit). food-2026-09.json holds the full release.
Our derived statistics are published under CC BY 4.0. Each underlying dataset keeps its own terms (see methods).
Suggested citation
Red Plate Index, “September 2026 food safety index,” published October 20, 2026, https://redplateindex.pages.dev/releases/2026-09/. Based on NYC DOHMH, Chicago CDPH and FDA (openFDA) public data.
Source dates. NYC dataset version 2026-10-19. Chicago pulled 2026-10-20. openFDA last updated 2026-10-07. Computed 2026-10-20 09:13 UTC.
Do not rely on openFDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated. We may limit or otherwise restrict your access to the API in line with our Terms of Service.
Red Plate Index is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the City of New York, the Chicago Department of Public Health or the City of Chicago.