Navigating ARFID, OCD and Food Recalls

Authors: Lauren Sharifi, MPH, RD, LDN and Allyson Inez Ford, MA, LPCC

This blog post has been heavily requested by those with lived experience with ARFID. It was written in collaboration between Lauren Sharifi, a registered dietitian specializing in ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and Allyson Inez Ford an Eating Disorder and OCD therapist @bodyjustice.therapist. This post is intended to educate and inform, not to treat. Please seek support from a therapist, registered dietitian or other medical professional for personalized treatment and support.

What is the intersection between ARFID and OCD?

ARFID and OCD often overlap, but they aren’t the same. Here are some key things to note:

Similarities

• Both can lead to rigid food rules, anxiety around eating and avoidance behaviors.
• Both can present as fears of aversive consequences (getting sick from contamination) of specific foods.
• Both are forms of neurodivergence and necessitate accommodations and compassionate attunement vs. forced exposure.

Differences

• OCD is an anxiety disorder driven by obsessions (unwanted, intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors meant to reduce anxiety). For example: someone might fear contamination and compulsively avoid certain foods or check expiration dates excessively. When the fear is rooted in OCD, it may be more transitory in nature.
• ARFID is an eating disorder rooted in sensory sensitivities, fear of aversive consequences (like choking or vomiting), or a lack of interest in eating certain foods. It doesn’t involve obsessions/compulsions in the same way — but it can co-occur with OCD. ARFID can be experienced across the lifespan and often ebbs and flows based on felt safety/stress levels but doesn’t typically wax and wane the way OCD does

So how might this show up with food recalls?

Those with ARFID and OCD can have obsessive or intrusive thoughts on food safety (depending on OCD theme) and may tend to avoid or restrict foods that have a higher risk of contamination or potential for food borne illness. This is driven out of a pervasive fear of illness or contamination. Food recalls can be a major trigger for both conditions.

What is a food recall?

Food recalls occur when a manufacturer or FDA (Food and Drug Administration) identifies a potential health or safety hazard and removes it from the market to protect consumers.

Some types of foods recalls

• Contamination from a pathogen (i.e bacteria, virus)
• Foreign object
• Allergen
• Mislabeling/misleading claims
• Manufacturing defects

Why might food recalls trigger avoidance or restriction of foods?

Food recalls identify a specific food as being unsafe foods. For someone with ARFID and/or Contamination OCD this can increase anxiety and fears around their safety and risk of illness if they consume the food. This can lead to complete avoidance or restriction of that food, even if the food (outside of what is recalled) is still safe for consumers to eat.

What to do if you see a food recall:

• Avoid consuming media around this topic (if possible!)
• Avoid any compulsions done to reduce anxiety around the food recall (tip: compulsions are different than reasonable safety measures)

If you see a food recall..

• Reminder that the food (in general) is still safe to consume outside of the identified products. All recalled food will be removed from store shelves.
• If eating the food increases fear/anxiety
  • Can you find alternatives that feel safer? i.e same food but…
    • new brand
    • different shape
  • Can you prepare the food in a different way that increases it’s safety ( i.e cooking)

How do you know if its an actual threat vs. intrusive thought?

Check the source, not just the feeling.

• Real safety risks usually come with clear, external evidence — like a public health announcement or FDA bulletin. OCD, on the other hand, thrives on internal alarms: “But what if…” “How can I be 100% sure?”

Notice the urgency and repetitiveness.

• OCD often creates a sense of urgent, repetitive doubt.
• You might find yourself checking multiple sources, rereading labels over and over, or asking for reassurance repeatedly.
• ARFID may show up more as a hard “nope” or shutdown.
• A true safety issue? Usually has a clear resolution (i.e., discard item, get refund, done).

Ask: Is this new, or part of a longer pattern?

• If this kind of fear shows up frequently (across multiple foods or categories), or if you’ve had a long-standing relationship with food-related fear/avoidance, it might be less about this particular recall and more about an existing OCD/ARFID pattern getting triggered.

Use the “trusted advisor” question.

• What would someone you trust (a therapist, dietitian, or grounded loved one) say? Would they agree the risk is significant — or would they help you recognize when OCD or ARFID are driving the fear?

No matter what is driving the fear- YOU get to decide how you want to proceed with that fear. Increasing your awareness helps create agency to act on what you value most in a given moment.

Final Thoughts

OCD (particularly contamination OCD) can overlap with ARFID in a variety of ways. When it comes to food recalls, it might be hard to tease out what is OCD vs. what is ARFID. We hope this helps you differentiate between the two. Please know that whether it is OCD or ARFID, only you get to decide how you want to cope. While reducing compulsions is key for OCD, it is hard work that not everyone has the capacity or support for. With ARFID, leaning into accommodations will be a more compassionate and affirming approach. Share you favorite ARFID accommodations in the comments so others can get ideas! If you have OCD, please share any tips you have about reducing compulsions. We look forward to hearing your input!

-Allyson @bodyjustice.therapist www.eatingdisorderocdtherapy.com

Lauren @arfid.dietitian