An essential lesson for the food industry to learn from the first six months of 2020 is just how quickly consumer behavior, preferences and loyalty can change — even when you do everything right.

In 2017, there were more than 400 food recalls in the United States. Undeclared allergens and/or improper labeling led the charge as the primary source. Pathogenic organisms from Listeria Monocytogenes and Salmonella and foreign materials came in second and third, respectively.

Nestlé USA recalled certain packages of its Nestlé Drumstick ice cream cones after receiving positive test results for Listeria monocytogenes from equipment contact surfaces.

Maytag Dairy Farms has recalled its raw milk blue cheese because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

It's a journalistic crutch to evoke T.S. Eliot and his description of April in his poem "The Wasteland." Nevertheless, it's an apt description of the food recalls that roiled the industry in the last 30 days.

Consumers like probiotics. But dairy processors need to be aware of what they can and cannot say, both here and abroad. An attorney specializing in food issues offers some advice.