Food recalls can drive brands into bankruptcy – or at least permanently drive some people away. These are the food recalls that seriously affected these major stores.
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00:00:00Food recalls can drive brands into bankruptcy, or at least prematurely drive some people
00:00:05away. These are the food recalls that seriously affected these major stores.
00:00:11Sandwiches with an extra helping of plastic, sausage with bones, and beef that tastes suspiciously
00:00:16like horse. Aldi has fans and customers all over the world, but they're not immune to
00:00:21having some bad products hit their shelves.
00:00:25In April 2017, Aldi recalled over 2,000 packages of Season's Choice Frozen Sweet Peas from
00:00:32stores in seven states. In a statement, Aldi said that it decided on the recall as a precaution
00:00:38and quickly removed the affected products from their store shelves.
00:00:41The cause of the recall was an outbreak of listeriosis, an infection caused by eating
00:00:46food contaminated by listeria bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
00:00:51or CDC, every year around 1,600 people contract listeriosis, with the most vulnerable groups
00:00:58being pregnant women, newborns, senior citizens, and those with compromised immune systems.
00:01:04While listeria is not as prevalent as other foodborne bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli,
00:01:10it is the deadliest. Of the 1,600 infected annually, 260 die from it. Fortunately, in
00:01:17the case of the Aldi's recall, there weren't any reports of anyone getting sick from the
00:01:21peas.
00:01:23In May 2023, Eastern Meat Solutions, Inc., which supplies pork products to Aldi and Walmart,
00:01:29recalled 40,763 pounds of pork that were not inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
00:01:36Food Safety and Inspection Service, or FSIS.
00:01:40"...every carcass is examined to ensure it is wholesome and safe for human consumption."
00:01:46The items that Aldi stocked — namely, Park Street Deli Sweet Chipotle Boneless Pork Ribs
00:01:51with Sauce and Park Street Deli Hawaiian-Style Boneless Pork Ribs with Sauce — originated
00:01:57from Ontario, Canada. The problem is that they entered the United States without being
00:02:01thoroughly inspected by the FSIS. Without these inspections, food items cannot be guaranteed
00:02:06safe for consumption. There were no reports of anyone getting sick from eating the pork
00:02:10products, but customers were nonetheless advised to return or throw away the items.
00:02:16In January 2024, in cooperation with its supplier, Salm Partners, Aldi recalled over 130,000
00:02:24pounds of turkey kielbasa. There was so much of it that the recall affected stores in 35
00:02:29states, totaling 2,972 Aldi stores nationwide. The reason for such a massive recall was bone
00:02:36fragments, which led to many unpleasant dining experiences and one minor oral injury.
00:02:42There are different reasons why bone particles could end up in your kielbasa. For instance,
00:02:46with so much work involved in the slaughter process, it's hard for butchers to avoid overlooking
00:02:51bits of bone. Another is that many factories separate the meat from the bones using machines,
00:02:56which are not always so accurate, and this inaccuracy sometimes leads to pulverized bone
00:03:01bits in cuts like ground beef or sausages. With that said, it's unclear, though, how
00:03:05exactly the bone fragments ended up in Aldi's Parkview Turkey Polska Kielbasa.
00:03:12In January 2024, Fratelli Beretta USA Inc. recalled its charcuterie meats, particularly
00:03:19packages that contained COPA. According to the USDA, the contaminated items had the Salmonella
00:03:24bacteria as a result of underprocessing. Aldi, which sells Fratelli Beretta's charcuterie
00:03:31meat products under its Appleton Farms Gourmet Deli Selection brand, recalled affected items
00:03:36from its stores in 39 states. In a report, the CDC concluded that the outbreak infected
00:03:41104 people from 33 states. 27 of those who fell ill were hospitalized, but fortunately
00:03:47there were no reported deaths.
00:03:49In October 2023, the CDC cautioned the public about eating pre-cut cantaloupe after a Salmonella
00:03:55outbreak affected 407 people. Of that number, 159 were hospitalized and six died. The agency,
00:04:03however, added that those statistics were likely underreported because there were victims
00:04:07who recovered from Salmonella without going to the hospital or getting tested.
00:04:11It's just been pure hell, devastating, unreal. I can't believe that a cantaloupe would make
00:04:16somebody that sick."
00:04:17The contaminated cantaloupes were distributed and sold in 44 states, leading to huge recalls
00:04:22involving many restaurants and retail chains. Aldi, for its part, issued a recall notice
00:04:27for its cantaloupe, cantaloupe chunk, and pineapple spear products in its stores in
00:04:32Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin. There are many ways that cantaloupe
00:04:38can get infected, as its nubby surface acts as an ideal environment for bacterial growth.
00:04:43When that tainted rind gets cut, the Salmonella could move to the inner flesh. This is one
00:04:49reason it's best to avoid pre-cut fruit.
00:04:52A month after the 2023 contaminated cantaloupes incident, the FDA warned the public to be
00:04:57wary of peaches, plums, and nectarines that carried the Listeria bacteria.
00:05:02"...many produce items will have Listeria of various sorts on it."
00:05:06The new outbreak resulted in 10 hospitalizations and one death in seven states. There was even
00:05:11a case of a woman going into early labor after contracting the illness.
00:05:16To contain the problem, HMC Farms, the supplier of the contaminated stone fruits, issued a
00:05:21recall affecting retailers, and Aldi disposed of their fruit stocks in 29 states.
00:05:27In a September 2023 statement, Kraft Heinz explained that it had received complaints
00:05:32from customers who had choked on the thin plastic film of its individually wrapped Kraft
00:05:37American Singles processed cheese slices. After an investigation, it was found that
00:05:43the issue was due to a manufacturing error, wherein tiny strips of plastic remained on
00:05:48the cheese slice even after removing the wrapper. Luckily, there were no deaths or
00:05:51serious injuries from the incident. Kraft Heinz also assured the public that it had
00:05:56repaired the broken wrapping machine, and checked others for similar errors. With the
00:06:00cheese slices being a popular grocery item that stocked nearly everywhere, Aldi was heavily
00:06:04affected by the recall. The grocery store chain had to remove the Kraft Heinz product
00:06:09from its stores in 38 states.
00:06:12Listeria is one persistent parasite. It not only caused outbreaks related to frozen peas
00:06:17peaches, plums, and nectarines, but in June 2023, it also led to pineapple contaminations.
00:06:24How pineapples transmit listeria is quite similar to how cantaloupe is contaminated.
00:06:29If the fruit is improperly handled, the bacteria clings and proliferates in the many nooks
00:06:34and crannies of its rough outer surface. And because a pineapple's rind is difficult to
00:06:39wash, unsuspecting victims tend to skip or hastily do this preventative health measure.
00:06:44The end result is the same. The bacteria transfers to the inner parts of the fruit
00:06:49during the cutting process. Aldi, in cooperation with its supplier, Sunopta, recalled its Season's
00:06:55Choice brand of frozen mixed fruit and tropical blend fruit in response to the outbreak, pulling
00:07:00out 38,909 cases from its stores in 27 states.
00:07:06In June of 2020, the CDC noticed a surge in salmonella infections linked to red onions,
00:07:12and warned the public to avoid eating onions of any type supplied by Thompson International
00:07:17Inc. The spread of the bacteria had already begun, however, and by October 2020, the infections
00:07:23had reached every U.S. state except Louisiana and Vermont. A total of 1,127 people felt
00:07:29ill from the salmonella strain, and 167 of those were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
00:07:36In response to the outbreak, Aldi recalled all red, white, yellow, and sweet onions under
00:07:41the Onions 52 brand, which was supplied by Thompson International Inc. The recall affected
00:07:47Aldi locations in 14 states, and other companies that also had to issue similar recalls included
00:07:52Walmart, Kroger, and Food Lion.
00:07:55In April 2019, hard, semi-transparent plastic became an unwelcome sandwich filling for many
00:08:02hungry customers. After receiving customer complaints about the unexpected ingredient,
00:08:07manufacturer J&J Snack Foods Corporation recalled 56,578 pounds of its Bremer Hot
00:08:14Stuffed Sandwiches from retailers nationwide. To put that into perspective, the serving
00:08:19size of a 6-inch roast beef sandwich at Subway is 224 grams. If we're to imagine the amount
00:08:25of recalled J&J sandwiches in terms of Subway subs, it would be around 115,465 roast beef
00:08:34sandwiches. Aldi, which stocks the products, recalled its suppliers Bremer Classic Pepperoni
00:08:40Pizza Hot Stuff Sandwiches and Bremer Classic Ham & Cheese Hot Stuff Sandwiches from stores
00:08:45in 29 states. FSIS later said that no one was harmed from the incident.
00:08:51In July 2018, at least 18 people started feeling sick after consuming ground beef from manufacturer
00:08:58Cargill Meat Solutions. Two months later, the USDA announced that one victim had died
00:09:03as a result of E. coli. According to the USDA, meat from the chuck portion of the carcasses
00:09:09had been contaminated with a strain of E. coli that could cause fever, diarrhea, vomiting,
00:09:14and kidney failure. It takes an average of 34 days after exposure for victims to fall
00:09:18ill, which means by the time authorities became aware of the situation, the beef products
00:09:23had already been distributed to locations all across the country.
00:09:27To contain the outbreak, Cargill recalled 132,000 pounds of its meat products, with
00:09:32Aldi asking its customers in 11 states to dispose of a couple of varieties of 80 percent
00:09:38lean ground beef patty products. The massive recall worked, and the CDC said that the outbreak
00:09:44was contained.
00:09:45As it turns out, metals ending up in processed foods is more common than we think. In May
00:09:502019, Aldi recalled its Kirkwood Buffalo Crispy Chicken Strips and Kirkwood Honey BBQ Crispy
00:09:57Chicken Strips, after supplier Tyson Foods revealed that 11,829,517 pounds of its frozen,
00:10:07ready-to-eat chicken products potentially contained metal. The FSIS received two complaints
00:10:13from customers who had bitten into the pieces of metal. Other consumer complaints followed,
00:10:18with three saying the extraneous material had caused oral injuries. The grievances forced
00:10:23authorities to classify the chicken strips as high health risks.
00:10:27There were so many of the chicken strips that Aldi recalled products available in 33
00:10:32states. This wasn't the first time that Tyson Foods had to recall contaminated meat in an
00:10:37enormous quantity. The company issued five different recalls throughout 2019 because
00:10:42pieces of metal, rubber, and plastic kept ending up in its products.
00:10:47In December 2021, Dole announced a recall of its Dole-branded salads, as well as Aldi's
00:10:53private label products, namely Little Salad Bar and Simply Nature Salad Kits. The reason
00:10:59was listeria, which was present in random samples taken from the company's Bessemer
00:11:04City, North Carolina, and Yuma, Arizona, processing facilities. As mentioned earlier, listeria
00:11:10is a bacteria that poses a danger to pregnant women, newborns, senior citizens, and the
00:11:15immune compromised. Eating affected foods can result in fever, chills, nausea, diarrhea,
00:11:21convulsions, vomiting, and even death.
00:11:24For the public's safety, Aldi removed the brand salads from its locations in nine states,
00:11:29while Dole notified other retailers in 17 states to recall products containing the lettuce.
00:11:34But that wasn't enough to stop the spread of the contamination. In January 2022, there
00:11:39was a second Dole recall, this time for salad kits made at their facilities in Springfield,
00:11:44Ohio, and Soledad, California. The recall included Aldi's Little Salad Bar brand, forcing
00:11:49the company to take down the items from stores in 22 states. In addition, Aldi removed said
00:11:55products available in Instacart's grocery delivery platform. Despite the bacteria becoming
00:12:00widespread, Aldi said there were no reports of serious illness related to their products.
00:12:06One could argue that this next recall was the biggest scandal in the company's history.
00:12:10It not only involved many Aldi stores, but also the entire European Union.
00:12:15Authorities in Ireland last month tested 27 beef patties, 37% of them testing positive
00:12:22for horse DNA.
00:12:24In January 2013, news rocked Europe when lab results confirmed that beef burger products
00:12:30sold in various EU member states actually contained horse meat. More chaos ensued as
00:12:36Aldi rushed to take down the products, while governments across the continent started investigations.
00:12:41That was just the beginning, however, and soon more Aldi products, like frozen beef
00:12:46lasagna and frozen spaghetti bolognese, were found to contain up to 100% horse meat. There
00:12:52was a lot of pointing fingers as to how the horse meat ended up in beef products. Aldi
00:12:58blamed its supplier, Fendus, for the contaminated meats. Fendus, in turn, blamed its meat supplier,
00:13:04and the list of blame went on and on. In the end, authorities arrested a Dutch wholesaler
00:13:09who allegedly sold 300 tons of horse meat and jailed three UK men who inflated their
00:13:14profits by passing off horse meat as beef, which is more expensive.
00:13:20Tainted meat isn't all that surprising, but applesauce pouches for kids? Let's just say
00:13:26this list of Sam's Club recalls is both varied and shocking.
00:13:31Back in 2011, nearly 55,000 pounds of raw Jenny O. Turkey Store turkey burgers were
00:13:37recalled after 12 customers were infected with Salmonella in 10 states. Three of these
00:13:43people were hospitalized. Salmonella is scary by default, but this outbreak proved to be
00:13:50particularly concerning, as the CDC reported that the burgers had tested positive for Salmonella
00:13:55hadar, a strain that has previously proven resistant to the most commonly prescribed
00:14:01antibiotics. This can make it particularly dangerous for those with already weakened
00:14:06immune systems, increasing the risk of hospitalization and unsuccessful treatment.
00:14:12There are few foods that aren't improved by the salty, silky-smooth goodness that is smoked
00:14:17salmon. However, in 2012, Sam's Club shoppers were encouraged to ditch their purchases when
00:14:23a routine lab test on a yet-to-be-distributed shipment of salmon revealed that it was contaminated
00:14:30with listeria.
00:14:31To be extra cautious, the companies responsible for producing the fish, multi-export foods,
00:14:39and Tampa Bay fisheries decided to pull shipments that had already hit shelves. This impacted
00:14:44Sam's Club locations in 42 states and Puerto Rico. The chain requested that customers bring
00:14:50their smoked salmon, which was sold under the brand name Paramount Reserve in November
00:14:55and December of that year, back to the store for a full refund as soon as possible.
00:15:02Unfortunately, no illnesses were linked to the recalled products, but it's always better
00:15:05to be safe than sorry.
00:15:08There's a long list of stories about what actually goes into chicken nuggets, some of
00:15:12them scarily accurate, others creatively false. However, one thing that rarely makes the list
00:15:19is plastic, except in 2014, when the material did somehow manage to make it into nuggets
00:15:25stuffed on Sam's Club's shelves. Tyson Foods recalled 75,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets
00:15:32in April of that year after receiving complaints that they contained tiny pieces of plastic.
00:15:38It's thought that a faulty product scraper had broken in the blending machine on two
00:15:42production dates, January 26th and February 16th, 2014, which in turn contaminated the
00:15:49nuggets with an unplanned and potentially dangerous extra ingredient. Unfortunately,
00:15:56several customers had already eaten the nuggets and suffered minor oral injuries.
00:16:01To avoid more incidents and the risk of legal action, five-pound bags of Tyson Fully Cooked
00:16:07White Meat Chicken Nuggets were recalled at Sam's Club stores nationwide. Tyson also pulled
00:16:12its 20-pound bulk packs of nuggets that it had shipped for institutional use in Indiana
00:16:18and Arkansas.
00:16:20Plastic isn't the only inedible material you have to worry about ending up in your food.
00:16:26In 2016, nearly 9,000 pounds of pre-cooked, vacuum-sealed ham was scrapped from Sam's
00:16:32Club stores after a customer found pieces of rubber in their ham. Fletcher's Fine Foods
00:16:38Classics Black Forest Brand Ham with Natural Juices was produced by 502 Boundary Boulevard
00:16:44in Washington before being packaged in Ontario, Canada and shipped to Sam's Club stores across
00:16:50the U.S. According to Fortune, the USDA claimed that anyone who purchased and consumed the
00:16:56meat risked encountering, quote, a health hazard situation where there is a remote possibility
00:17:02of adverse health consequences.
00:17:05This is due in no small part to the number of chemicals used in the production of rubber.
00:17:10As usual, anyone who'd purchased the ham was told to either return it to a Sam's Club
00:17:15store or take the low-effort route of just throwing it out. However, in the end, it seems
00:17:21only one customer was unlucky enough to stumble across the rubbery bonus ingredient in their
00:17:27ham.
00:17:28Another day, another panic that your food may contain plastic. In March 2018, it was
00:17:35canned chicken that sparked fears of contamination, with nearly 100,000 pounds recalled from Sam's
00:17:42Club stores after two different customers reported finding hard pieces in their food.
00:17:47If you have this in your pantry right now, throw it out or return it for a refund.
00:17:52The exact product pulled from shelves was the Member's Mark Premium Natural Chunk Chicken
00:17:57Breasts in Water, produced by Tony Downs Food Company in Minnesota. It's believed that the
00:18:03thermally processed chicken was contaminated in late November 2017. Luckily, complaints
00:18:09never escalated any further, and no illnesses were reported.
00:18:14A mass recall went down in July 2021, when Give & Go Prepared Foods Corp. warned that
00:18:20its muffins may be contaminated with listeria. Sam's Club was just one of several retailers
00:18:26hit by the recall, which affected a whopping 26 products in total, including Uncle Wally's
00:18:34Twin Muffins, sold at Sam's Club stores nationwide in blueberry, chocolate chip, and walnut varieties.
00:18:41Luckily, Give & Go Prepared Foods claimed that no illnesses had been reported as a result
00:18:47of chowing down on the muffins, and that the recall was just a precautionary move after
00:18:52the FDA found that the products were very possibly affected by listeria monocytogenes
00:18:58as part of its environmental monitoring program. Anyone who had the muffins stocked in their
00:19:03pantry was advised to dispose of the baked goods as a precaution, with the FDA officially
00:19:09wrapping up its recall not long after.
00:19:12Plastic returns to this list yet again, this time for a recall of Member's Mark Holiday
00:19:17Macarons that occurred in late 2022. Seasonal flavors of the iconic French cookie, such
00:19:24as vanilla, salted caramel, hot chocolate, cookies and cream, red velvet, and creme brulee,
00:19:30were affected. Around 148,800 units of the cookies were recalled from Sam's Club stores
00:19:37between December 2022 and January 2023. The blind desserts triggered the recall after
00:19:43discovering that there was a possibility that they could contain plastic particles.
00:19:48What makes this recall so tricky is the fact that the macarons have such a long shelf life
00:19:53and are supposed to be kept frozen. The macarons affected had sell-by dates running all the
00:19:58way through to December 2023, meaning there's always a good chance that some lurked in the
00:20:04depths of Sam's Club's customers' freezers and missed the recall notice entirely.
00:20:09Great Scott!
00:20:11Whether you're a PB&J addict or a straight-from-the-jar-with-a-spoon kind of person, a jar of peanut butter goes
00:20:18a long way in the kitchen. But only if the jar in question wasn't Jif Peanut Butter
00:20:24purchased at any Sam's Club or Walmart in mid-2022. In May of that year, over four dozen
00:20:31types of Jif Peanut Butter products, including Jif Creamy Smooth Peanut Butter and Jif Squeezeable
00:20:36Pouches, were recalled by the J.M. Smucker Company due to potential salmonella contamination.
00:20:43The CDC reported over 21 confirmed cases of illness and two hospitalizations linked to
00:20:49the outbreak, with around 80 percent of this number claiming to have eaten Jif before their
00:20:55sickness.
00:20:56Later that month, the recall expanded to other food brands that use J.M. Smucker-produced
00:21:00peanut butter in their products, including Garden Cut, Koblenz Chocolate Company, and
00:21:05Mary's Harvest Fresh Foods.
00:21:08Fast forward two years, and some customers are still angry about the peanut butter recall.
00:21:13In January 2024, Wayne and Mary Hinken filed a lawsuit against both J.M. Smucker Company
00:21:20and Sam's Club. Wayne Hinken demanded at least $75,000 in damages for negligence and liability,
00:21:29having allegedly contracted salmonella so badly in 2022 that he felt the effects for
00:21:35weeks. Supporting his case is the fact that in early 2023, the FDA reported that testing
00:21:41at J.M. Smucker's plant in Kentucky had consistently pointed to salmonella for months before the
00:21:47recall. However, this lawsuit was dismissed in April 2024.
00:21:53October 2023 saw a lead scare that impacted not only Sam's Club, but Amazon and Dollar
00:21:59Tree as well. A mass recall occurred after the state of North Carolina conducted an urgent
00:22:04investigation into why several children were experiencing elevated lead levels in their
00:22:10blood along with headaches, nausea, and fatigue, all potential signs of acute lead poisoning.
00:22:17The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services managed to pin down one possible
00:22:22source, which later tested positive for extremely high concentrations of lead, Wannabana apple
00:22:28cinnamon fruit puree pouches.
00:22:30How many of these applesauce pouches do you think he had eaten? They were a regular part
00:22:36of his diet."
00:22:37Considering the fact that even low levels of lead in the bloodstream can cause irreversible
00:22:41cognitive impairment, it should come as no surprise that the Food and Drug Administration
00:22:46insisted upon a recall of all pouches. Anyone who had previously purchased the Wannabana
00:22:52products was encouraged to return the kid-oriented snacks for a refund or exchange, while parents
00:22:58who suspected their children had been exposed to lead via the pouches were told to talk
00:23:02to their doctor about a blood test just in case.
00:23:05By December, there were 64 cases linked to the Wannabana pouches across 27 states, triggering
00:23:11an on-site investigation of the manufacturer's factory in Ecuador, making this one of the
00:23:16more dramatic recalls to hit Sam's Club's doors.
00:23:20Even pet food isn't off-limits from the odd recall. However, this one didn't occur because
00:23:25it made dogs and cats sick. Instead, two flavors of canned Member's Mark dog food, produced
00:23:31by MidAmerica Pet Food, were recalled in November 2023 after seven people were infected with
00:23:38Salmonella, beef and brown rice, and salmon and sweet potato, to be precise. With a majority
00:23:44of these seven people being infants, it's thought that the contaminated pet food infected
00:23:49those who touched the floor and pet bowls, or that the infants' caregivers passed it
00:23:54on by not washing their hands after feeding their dogs. Pets can also contract Salmonella
00:24:00and act as carriers, passing it on to both other animals and humans.
00:24:06Pets are much more prone to serious infections from Salmonella, and one was reportedly hospitalized
00:24:12due to the outbreak. Retailers other than Sam's Club were also hit by this recall, with
00:24:17some having more than two products pulled from their shelves. However, for those who
00:24:22do rely on Sam's Club's Member's Mark collection to feed their pets, this was likely a pretty
00:24:27scary time.
00:24:29From E. coli scares to strangely colored crepes, here are some of the most significant food
00:24:34recalls that customers at Costco will never forget.
00:24:38Many consumers look forward to a morning smoothie blended with berries from one of Kirkland's
00:24:43four-pound bags of organic strawberries. But in March 2023, customers at various Costco
00:24:48locations were cut off from their favorite product. As part of a current and ongoing
00:24:53nationwide Hepatitis A outbreak linked to strawberries, the giant bags of frozen fruit
00:24:58were pulled from Costco shelves. Nine people became sick, and concerns about potentially
00:25:03spreading the contagious liver disease prompted the product's removal.
00:25:07Who doesn't love a good shrimp taco? The combination of seafood and Southwestern flavors is so
00:25:12popular that it has been turned into a convenient frozen taco pack by Pescanova that is up for
00:25:18grabs at Costco Wholesale. But those who purchased their favorite frozen taco mix between March
00:25:23and April of 2023 found themselves headed back to the warehouse for a refund instead
00:25:28of whipping up the tasty meal on the stove.
00:25:31Pescanova Shrimp Street Taco Bags were recalled due to hazardous material in the contents.
00:25:36More specifically, plastic pieces reportedly estimated as being up to five millimeters
00:25:41in length could be found in the bags. So if you're doing a freezer raid and come across
00:25:45a bag purchased between the dates of March 23rd and April 24th of 2023, it's probably
00:25:51best to develop a new dinner plan.
00:25:54You know, this is, excuse me, a damn fine cup of coffee."
00:26:00Costco's Kirkland brand entered into the realm of ready-to-drink coffee with its Colombian
00:26:04cold brew. Sold in a 12-pack of 11-ounce aluminum cans, the product is ready to be placed in
00:26:09the fridge and popped open on the days you feel you need a quick burst of energy.
00:26:13In addition to Costco's shelves, you can also find cans of cold brew on Amazon or in the
00:26:18aisles of other retailers like Target and Walmart.
00:26:21But recently, a foreign object scare caused the popular chilled coffee drink to fall into
00:26:26recall territory. The affected cans totaled a staggering 2.7 million, and included those
00:26:32sold between November 5th, 2022 and February 10th, 2023. Apparently, there was a chance
00:26:39that a metal bolt might have found its way inside some of the cans.
00:26:43According to Costco's frequently asked questions regarding the recall, only three drinks out
00:26:47of the few million that were potentially affected were believed to contain the bolt.
00:26:52Either way, chances are high that you would hear it clanging inside the can, or feel it
00:26:56in your mouth before swallowing.
00:26:58Foster Farms, known for its free-range, ranch-raised chickens and turkeys, has frozen poultry products
00:27:04sprinkled in stores all across the U.S. One of those is Costco, which sells a resealable
00:27:09five-pound bag of the company's chicken breast patties with rib meat in its freezer section.
00:27:14Perfect for busy weeknight dinners, this bulk bag of 20 delicious-tasting patties is
00:27:20a staple for many chicken-loving American households.
00:27:23This chicken is delicious.
00:27:25Oh, thank you.
00:27:27But in 2022, the public was told to discard its recently purchased bags of Foster Farms
00:27:32chicken patties. Apparently, pieces of hard, sharp plastic shards were potentially mixed
00:27:38into the patties.
00:27:39The recall was assigned as a Class 1, meaning the risk of injury or death was considered
00:27:44medium to high for consumers if a plastic shard was accidentally swallowed. Thankfully,
00:27:49the recall was executed quickly and responsibly, people were refunded for their troubles, and
00:27:54no injuries were reported.
00:27:57Ideally, infected foods are detected and pulled off the shelves before anyone gets sick. But
00:28:02unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Sometimes it takes a person falling ill to
00:28:07find the fault.
00:28:09Back in 1998, a woman in New York became infected and ultimately hospitalized with E. coli bacteria
00:28:15after a family cookout. The cause was quickly linked to the Kirkland Beef Burgers that had
00:28:20been prepared for the meal.
00:28:22This occurrence forced Costco to rapidly hop on its emergency line, recalling a whopping
00:28:27172,000 pounds of frozen beef across 24 different states.
00:28:32However, multiple spokespeople commented on the incident. The representatives included
00:28:37Costco, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Meat Association, and the American
00:28:42Meat Institute. They said that even if E. coli is present in a piece of meat, it can
00:28:47always be killed if it is cooked to proper temperatures.
00:28:50For ground beef, the recommended temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. As an extra precautionary
00:28:56measure against any potential bacteria lingering within, be sure to always use a meat thermometer
00:29:01before consuming your hot-off-the-grill burgers, just to be safe.
00:29:06Sometimes even foods with an extended shelf life simply go bad. This was the case in 2022
00:29:11with plenty of Kirkland Signature Shelled Walnuts.
00:29:14The extra-large three-pound bags of halved and shelled nuts are perfect for dedicated
00:29:19bakers and snackers. They are normally a delicious, healthy, and great-tasting addition to anyone's
00:29:25diet. But people who purchased this staple in September and October of that year were
00:29:30in for a nasty letdown when they excitedly ripped open the bags with the intent of munching.
00:29:36The official recall notice said,
00:29:37"...we are recalling the Kirkland Signature Shelled Walnuts due to the stale taste and
00:29:42rancid smell."
00:29:43While not an issue likely to cause bodily harm, the idea of serving a tray of rotten,
00:29:49candied walnuts to your loved ones at your next family dinner isn't great. Nor would
00:29:53it be ideal for bakers who accidentally use the rancid nuts in a baked good. Such a mistake
00:29:58could have detrimental results for a small business relying on quality ingredients. So
00:30:03we commend Costco for offering a full refund in this case.
00:30:07There's a good reason companies and brands are required to disclose allergens in their
00:30:11products. For people with food allergies, ingredients such as dairy, peanuts, or shellfish
00:30:16can cause reactions like abdominal upset, skin rashes, and, in extreme cases, even death.
00:30:22Consumers with allergies need to know exactly what they are putting into their bodies, which
00:30:27is why an omission of an allergen on a food label is a serious problem. Unfortunately,
00:30:32one such oversight occurred with a popular Costco product.
00:30:36Elinos Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt, sold in 4-ounce containers in packs of 12, was recalled
00:30:41in May of 2023. People were prying off the tops, only to find they were filled with a
00:30:46yellow, tinged yogurt, as opposed to the standard white color the cups were meant to have. It
00:30:51was quickly determined that a packaging malfunction had occurred, and the company's Lemon Curd
00:30:56Yogurt had accidentally been placed into the cups labeled Vanilla Bean. The danger? The
00:31:01Lemon Curd Yogurt contains egg, whereas the Vanilla Bean does not. Therefore, the labels
00:31:06on the vanilla cups did not list eggs among the ingredients. Thankfully, no one appears
00:31:10to have been harmed over the potentially deadly mix-up, thanks to swift action taken by Elinos,
00:31:16the Food and Drug Administration, and Costco.
00:31:19While most food recalls happen for public health or safety concerns, others occur for
00:31:23reasons that are a bit bizarre. Such was the case for the large voluntary recall of Kirkland's
00:31:29signature chocolate crepes, in March 2023. The layered chocolate-covered biscuits are
00:31:33beloved by many consumers, so when emails with the heading reading,
00:31:37"'RECALL' BEGAN FLOODING INTO SHOPPERS' INBOXES," there was initial panic. However, when the
00:31:42reason was revealed, more than anything else, consumers were left scratching their heads.
00:31:46The important product information on Costco's website read,
00:31:49"'It has come to our attention that some crepes may be discolored. This is not a health or
00:31:54food safety issue.'"
00:31:56Meanwhile, customers seemed universally unconcerned. Most pointed out that the product tended to
00:32:01change color with age regardless, while others joked about the somewhat silly nature of the
00:32:05recall. How necessary this particular recall was, we aren't sure, but it was no doubt nice
00:32:11for people who found themselves turned off by the discolored crepes to have the option
00:32:15of a refund.
00:32:16"'CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE, CREPE!
00:32:22In 2015, there was a widespread outbreak of E. coli that caused 19 people across seven
00:32:28states to become ill. Backtracking linked the strain to Costco's rotisserie chicken
00:32:33salads, and after further investigation, the celery and diced onions were pinpointed as
00:32:37the culprits. Supplied by Taylor Farms, 154,000 packs of Pacific Celery and Onion Diced Blend
00:32:44were recalled. Costco was not the only retail store affected by the pullback, either. Taylor
00:32:49Farms was the supplier for many different grocery stores that add vegetables to products
00:32:54and recipes, such as packaged dinners, sides, and salads. So places like Walmart, Sam's
00:33:00Club, Starbucks, Target, and others were also forced to recall a number of their edible
00:33:05products.
00:33:06Although it was a major inconvenience for many, considering that E. coli can be a life-threatening
00:33:12Especially for the very young and the very old, an abundance of caution was necessary
00:33:17in this case.
00:33:18Since alcohol is naturally shielded from bacteria strains found in meats or infected vegetables,
00:33:24this next one comes as a bit of a surprise. In 2023, Costco yanked cases of its signature
00:33:29American vodka from warehouse shelves based on an apparent disgusting taste and smell
00:33:34coming from the bottles. Customers consistently noticed that something was off with the handles,
00:33:40A helpful explanation came from an employee at Costco's regional office. Alongside a list
00:33:44of affected batch numbers, they explained the reason for the strange taste, saying,
00:33:49The employee asserted that while there are no health risks related to the recall, the
00:34:00alcohol doesn't taste quite right as a result. Based on the feedback of consumers across
00:34:05the internet, the cross-contamination made the vodka hardly drinkable, so most felt it
00:34:09more than worth the trip back to the warehouse to replace it with a new handle before happy
00:34:13hour.
00:34:15Tree nut allergies affect around 0.5 to 1 percent of the country's population, according
00:34:20to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Though that may not sound
00:34:26like a huge percentage, allergies to almonds, cashews, pistachios, and walnuts, among others,
00:34:30are considered some of the more common food allergies. Reactions to them can be extreme
00:34:35to the point of life-threatening. That's why the 2021 recall of Torn Ranch Organic Dark
00:34:41Chocolate Blueberries, a product that was not supposed to contain tree nuts, was so
00:34:45important.
00:34:50The potential accidental presence of almonds in the delicious Dark Chocolate Blueberries,
00:34:55which are sold at Costco in 18-ounce bags, was cause for an immediate recall. The allergen
00:35:00was undeclared, and while finding a nut or two in a bag of chocolate berries would not
00:35:04be a big deal for the average consumer, for people with an allergy, it could have deadly
00:35:09consequences. Luckily, the affected bags had only been distributed to warehouse locations
00:35:14in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, and a quick response from both Torn Ranch
00:35:19and Costco potentially saved lives.
00:35:22Botulism, a potentially deadly sickness caused by a toxin brewed from bacteria that attacks
00:35:28the nerves, is admittedly rare, but still a risk when it comes to low-acid canned foods
00:35:33like beets, corn, potatoes, or beans. The proper packaging and sealing of metal cans
00:35:38is extremely important to prevent the growth of this toxin. So in 2021, when doubts plagued
00:35:43the company Faribault Foods, Inc. regarding potential improper steps taken during the
00:35:47sealing process, a recall was immediately issued.
00:35:51The huge voluntary recall included three different types of beans, two variants of organic black
00:35:56beans and one chili bean product, all of which were sold at Costco and other large
00:36:00retailers between February and April of that year. Customers were invited to bring any
00:36:06cans listed in the affected lots back to the store for a full refund or replacement with
00:36:11a healthy can of beans so that they could still make their favorite black bean recipes.
00:36:16Love Walmart but don't want to deal with food poisoning or bits of plastic in your meals?
00:36:21The chain's had a number of notorious recalls. Could your favorite packaged food be next?
00:36:26In 2006, Walmart recalled peanut butter due to a salmonella contamination. The outbreak
00:36:31resulted in 628 reported cases across 47 states. The CDC and state health departments identified
00:36:37peanut butter brands Peter Pan and Great Value, produced at ConAgra's Georgia facility, as
00:36:42the outbreak's origin. This led to a widespread recall and an $11.2 million settlement by
00:36:48marking the largest criminal fine in an American food safety case. The outbreak was attributed
00:36:52to facility issues, including a leaky roof, which allowed moisture to facilitate the growth
00:36:57of salmonella.
00:36:58In 2020, the Salinas, California-based produce company Tanimura & Antle issued a recall for
00:37:03nearly 4,000 cases of romaine lettuce due to potential contamination with the strain
00:37:08of E. coli. This affected products distributed to over 1,000 Walmart stores across the United
00:37:13While no deaths were reported, 12 people got sick, and five of them were hospitalized.
00:37:18The recall specifically targeted single heads of Tanimura & Antle-branded romaine lettuce
00:37:22in clear plastic bags with specific sell-by dates.
00:37:25Just two years earlier, following another E. coli scare involving romaine lettuce, Walmart
00:37:30implemented blockchain technology to trace leafy greens. The company aimed to quickly
00:37:34track produce from farm to store to improve food safety. The new technology required Walmart
00:37:39suppliers to trace their leafy greens back to the original farm within seconds, whereas
00:37:43before they were allowed days.
00:37:45As you're getting ready to eat breakfast this morning, you may want to listen up to this.
00:37:50In 2019, Walmart initiated a recall of more than 6,400 pounds of Great Value brand frozen
00:37:56meat produced by Georgia's Prepared Foods for possible salmonella contamination. The
00:38:00recall was issued after it was discovered that products meant for disposal due to positive
00:38:04salmonella tests were accidentally distributed across the country. The USDA urged consumers
00:38:09to either dispose of or return the affected products to the store.
00:38:12Fortunately, no illnesses were reported in connection with this incident, and this wasn't
00:38:16the only time that Walmart ran into trouble with its meat. Just three years later, the
00:38:20chain was affected by a 120,000-pound ground beef recall due to the risk of E. coli that
00:38:25also affected other stores such as Target and Wise Markets.
00:38:28In 2019, Perrigo issued a recall of Choice Advantage infant formula milk-based powder
00:38:33with iron, which is sold at Walmart. This was due to the potential contamination of
00:38:37a single lot with metal foreign matter identified through a customer complaint. No adverse events
00:38:42were reported, but the recall was launched as a precautionary measure. Consumers in possession
00:38:46of the product were instructed to cease use immediately and return it for a full refund.
00:38:51The recalled lot of this formula included over 23,000 containers.
00:38:55And it's not just Walmart that's had to deal with infant formula recalls. Since 2022, there
00:39:00have been multiple formula recalls across the country. Most of them have been due to
00:39:03bacterial contamination rather than the presence of a foreign object.
00:39:07In 2011, a significant Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to ground turkey resulted
00:39:12in 136 reported cases across 34 states, according to the CDC. This particular strain was resistant
00:39:19to several antibiotics, thereby potentially increasing the risk of hospitalization. Investigations
00:39:24pinpointed a production establishment as the source, leading to a massive recall of about
00:39:2836 million pounds of ground turkey products by Cargill. The recalled items included brands
00:39:33like Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms at Walmart. Among the reported cases, 37 people
00:39:38were hospitalized, and one death was reported.
00:39:40Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation expanded the recall by an additional 185,000 pounds
00:39:45of ground turkey products in September after further testing at their facility confirmed
00:39:50the presence of the outbreak strain, which was also found to be multi-drug resistant.
00:39:54In February 2024, Walmart recalled two of its market-side salad kits, Bacon Ranch Crunch
00:39:59and Southwest Chopped, due to a potential risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
00:40:05These recalls affected over 20 states. The CDC links this outbreak to two deaths and
00:40:0923 hospitalizations over nine years, with 26 people affected since 2014. Investigations
00:40:16revealed a connection between the illness and consumption of queso fresco and cotija
00:40:19cheeses. The outbreak is tied to a persistent strain of Listeria identified at the plant.
00:40:24They also say you should clean your fridge because Listeria can survive and spread to
00:40:28other foods.
00:40:30In October 2020, Walmart supplier Country Fresh expanded a voluntary recall to encompass
00:40:35a range of freshness-guaranteed cut-and-sliced fruit products, including apples, grapes,
00:40:40mangoes, pineapples, and cantaloupe, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
00:40:46This was a precautionary action following the detection of Listeria on equipment in
00:40:49proximity to the product packaging area when the FDA identified the contamination risk
00:40:54during an inspection. There were no reported illnesses associated with this recall.
00:40:59Affected products were packaged in different sizes of clamshell containers. Walmart removed
00:41:03the contaminated products from stores immediately. Consumers were advised to either discard the
00:41:08fresh fruit products or return them for a refund.
00:41:11In 2014, Walmart China recalled its popular Five Spice Donkey Meat for containing fox
00:41:16DNA, a much cheaper and less desirable product. This indicated a significant breach in food
00:41:21safety and authenticity standards. An individual associated with the supplier's factory was
00:41:26even detained due to fraud. Walmart responded to the controversy by offering refunds to
00:41:30customers who purchased the tainted product and collaborated with local food and industry
00:41:34agencies in Shandong province to investigate the supplier further.
00:41:38While donkey meat is a somewhat popular snack in parts of China, fox meat isn't. Unfortunately,
00:41:43this is hardly the first case of fraudulent meat on the market. According to the UK Food
00:41:47Standards Agency, about 10 percent of foods on the shelves are somehow tainted.
00:41:52In 2022, Walmart and Lily's Sweets initiated a recall for 18,855 cases of 7-ounce peppermint-flavored
00:41:59baking chips due to undeclared soy lecithin. This recall was specifically aimed at protecting
00:42:04individuals with severe allergies or sensitivities to soy.
00:42:08The baking chips are a limited holiday seasonal offering available exclusively at Walmart stores
00:42:13across the United States. The need for the recall was identified after consumers reported
00:42:17finding white candy pieces mixed with the peppermint chips. Lily's Sweets later revealed
00:42:22that it determined that the contamination occurred at a co-manufacturer. The white disc-shaped
00:42:26candy pieces mixed in with the peppermint contained soy lecithin and other ingredients
00:42:30not listed on the packaging.
00:42:33In 2010, Walmart was compelled to recall 91,872 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets after the
00:42:38discovery of small pieces of plastic within the product. The recall was a response to
00:42:42consumer complaints, but fortunately there were no reported injuries or illnesses.
00:42:47There is a remote possibility of adverse health consequences from eating this particular recall
00:42:52product."
00:42:53The affected product was the Great Value Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets produced by Purdue
00:42:57Farms packaged in 1-pound, 13-ounce bags. These bags were produced on June 9, 2010,
00:43:02and distributed in cases of eight to Walmart stores across the country. In addition to
00:43:06being a choking hazard, plastic is harmful when ingested, especially if it's heated.
00:43:11In 2021, Maple Island Inc. initiated a voluntary recall of three lots of Parents' Choice Rice
00:43:16Baby Cereal manufactured for Walmart due to potential arsenic contamination. This came
00:43:21after routine FDA sampling found levels of naturally occurring inorganic arsenic above
00:43:26the established guidance in samples from three production lots.
00:43:29Walmart has since removed the product from shelves and implemented a register block to
00:43:33halt further sales. The recall targeted specific 8-ounce lots sold after April 5, 2021. Despite
00:43:39tests on raw materials and finished products complying with FDA guidelines, the recall
00:43:44was issued as a precautionary measure to ensure consumer safety. The FDA acknowledges that
00:43:49trace elements like arsenic are common in the environment, including water, soil, and
00:43:53food, while also emphasizing the importance of minimizing exposure to toxins to protect
00:43:58infants' developing brains.
00:44:00In 2016, Walmart and Target recalled a variety of frozen vegetable products over potential
00:44:05Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This happened in the wake of similar alerts from
00:44:10Costco regarding its own frozen fruits and vegetables. The recall at Target involved
00:44:14specific market pantry items, while Walmart's recall affected more than 20 Great Value brand
00:44:19frozen vegetables, including green peas and mixed vegetable lots, which were sold from
00:44:23September 2015 to June 2016. The recalls were precautionary, as there were no reported cases
00:44:28of illness. Consumers possessing any of the recalled items were encouraged to return them
00:44:33for a full refund. According to the FDA, Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks in the United States
00:44:38have often been linked to fruits and vegetables, with dairy products and meats being the other
00:44:42biggest offenders.
00:44:44In December 2016, Treehouse Foods Inc. issued a secondary recall for various mac and cheese
00:44:48products that it produced, including Walmart's Great Value brand. This was due to potential
00:44:53salmonella contamination linked to powdered milk from Valley Milk Products, LLC. It was
00:44:57one of many secondary recalls following the FDA's discovery of salmonella and the latter
00:45:02company's powdered milk. The FDA ended up seizing £4 million from Valley Milk.
00:45:07Treehouse's nationwide recall affected one Walmart product, Great Value Macaroni & Cheese
00:45:11Original Cups. The companies advised consumers to throw away any products they had on hand
00:45:16or return them for a refund. Salmonella is associated with fever and gastrointestinal
00:45:20problems and can pose a high risk to older people, infants, and those with weakened immune
00:45:25systems.
00:45:26In 2022, Continental Mills recalled pancake and waffle mixes sold under Kroger and Walmart's
00:45:32Great Value brands due to the discovery of cable fragments in the products. While the
00:45:36Kroger mix was only distributed among select states, the Great Value mix was available
00:45:41in Walmart stores nationwide. There weren't any reported cases of anyone eating the contaminated
00:45:45product or being injured by it, and Continental Mills didn't explain how the mixes became
00:45:50contaminated. However, Consumer Reports Director of Food Safety Research and Testing, James
00:45:55E. Rogers, noted,
00:45:56"[Pieces of conveyor belts, plastic-coated cables, and other parts of machinery can contaminate
00:46:01food if they fail during the packaging and manufacturing process. Customers who purchased
00:46:05the potentially contaminated product were offered refunds."
00:46:08In 2021, a significant Salmonella-Orenberg outbreak was linked to fresh onions from Chihuahua,
00:46:14Mexico. The CDC reported that 892 people across 38 states and Puerto Rico got sick. The onions
00:46:21included ones imported by ProSource Produce, LLC, and Kehler Family Farms. They were then
00:46:25distributed to nationwide retailers, including Walmart. The store's recall involved onions
00:46:30from several stores in Oklahoma and Texas, where 36 percent of the people got sick.
00:46:35At the time, onions of many varieties were recalled nationwide. The FDA noted that the
00:46:39onions weren't just in stores, but in many food service products. Meanwhile, the CDC
00:46:43warned that the outbreak was especially severe. With an unusually high hospitalization rate,
00:46:48they urged people to thoroughly clean their onions before use.
00:46:52Have you ever bitten into something and felt like all of your teeth were going to fall
00:46:56out? You might just start feeling that way once you hear these terrifying tales from
00:46:59Trader Joe's history.
00:47:02Trader Joe's is renowned for its delicious cookies. From chocolatey-coated chocolate
00:47:06chip dunkers to the Speculoos biscuits used in its famous cookie butter, the chain makes
00:47:10sure that its customers always have ample reason to swing by the bakery. But customer
00:47:14enthusiasm may have been dampened when the company had to recall two of its cookies due
00:47:19to rocks. The idea of biting into a crispy chocolate chip cookie and nearly losing a
00:47:22tooth on a stray pebble is obviously not ideal. There were no injuries reported, and Trader
00:47:27Joe's assured its customers that it was alerted by the supplier rather than by an unfortunate
00:47:32member of the public.
00:47:33Still, it was probably a bit embarrassing for executives when less than a week later,
00:47:37the chain had to issue yet another voluntary recall due to rocks once again. This time,
00:47:41the offending product was the fully cooked falafel.
00:47:45In February 2024, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health
00:47:49alert regarding Trader Joe's frozen chicken, lentil, and caramelized onion pilaf. It features
00:47:54a mix of basmati rice, green lentils, caramelized onions, and chicken, with additional flavorings
00:47:59like golden raisins, dates, cumin, and cinnamon. Unfortunately, the batch that was called out
00:48:04by the FSIS also happened to have rocks in it.
00:48:07Food inspectors received multiple complaints from customers, one of whom suffered a dental
00:48:12Shoppers were advised to check the establishment number on their pilaf and throw out any that
00:48:15were part of the offending batch.
00:48:17I got it wrong.
00:48:19A hit of caffeine is an essential part of the morning routine for a lot of people, so
00:48:23it must have come as a real shock to Trader Joe's customers to learn in early 2023 that
00:48:28their cups of morning brew might not be safe to drink. In May of that year, the company
00:48:32issued a voluntary recall, as it had been notified by its supplier that certain jars
00:48:36of instant cold-brewed coffee might contain shards of glass.
00:48:39Yeah, right, it's, you know, it's a glass, it's a broken glass, you know, I mean, you
00:48:43know, it sells very well, as a matter of fact, you know.
00:48:46No injuries were reported, but some instant coffee drinkers may very well have reconsidered
00:48:50their preferences. The first cup of Joe in the morning obviously needs to be strong enough
00:48:54to wake you up, but not by cutting straight through you.
00:48:57There are a lot of so-called foreign objects that you can probably easily imagine sneaking
00:49:01their way into food, like a strand of hair or a small piece of grit, and it's not hard
00:49:05to imagine how glass could have ended up in jars of Trader Joe's instant coffee. The jars
00:49:09were made of glass, after all, and it only takes a single broken one to throw shards
00:49:13everywhere. But what about… metal?
00:49:16In the summer of 2023, Trader Joe's supplier Treehouse Foods recalled 13,000 cases of multigrain
00:49:21crackers with sunflower and flax seeds distributed around California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois,
00:49:27Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington due to fears that they contained pieces of metal.
00:49:31The information provided was sparse. Trader Joe's assured customers that no injuries had
00:49:36been reported and that all products had been removed from circulation, but the question
00:49:40still lingers. How did metal manage to hide itself in thin crackers?
00:49:44One of the most prominent examples of how Trader Joe's differentiates itself from competitors
00:49:49is in the ice cream department. Simply put, the chain keeps things original with its frozen
00:49:53treats, and customers keep coming back for more. But things got a little too original
00:49:57in 2017 when tiny metal fragments were found in the matcha green tea ice cream. This dessert
00:50:02had been a favorite of many shoppers for its sweet flavor and rich, velvety texture, but
00:50:07even diehard fans had to draw the line at metal.
00:50:10Trader Joe's removed the product from its freezers and issued an appeal to its customers
00:50:14to throw away any pints that they might already have at home. It assured everyone that no
00:50:18injuries were associated with the recall, though there was no explanation how the metal
00:50:22fragments came to light, nor did the chain explain how it got into the ice cream in the
00:50:26first place.
00:50:27Trader Joe's soft-baked snickerdoodles had it all — a soft, chewy texture, a dusting
00:50:31of cinnamon and sugar, and an affordable price. They were wheat-free, egg-free, soy-free,
00:50:37milk-free, and also free from tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame. And they somehow didn't taste
00:50:41like a vegan, gluten-free consolation prize. Instead, they tasted sublime. Unfortunately,
00:50:47a certain batch hit Trader Joe's shelves in 2022 that contained one extra, very unwelcome
00:50:52ingredient — hard plastic.
00:50:54One word.
00:50:55Yes, sir?
00:50:56Are you listening?
00:50:57Yes, I am.
00:50:58Plastics.
00:50:59Enjoy Life Natural Brands, which manufactured the cookies, issued the voluntary recall out
00:51:06of an abundance of caution. And soon afterwards, customers started to notice that these cookies
00:51:10had disappeared completely. Some of them took to Reddit to speculate that Trader Joe's was
00:51:14merely looking for a new manufacturer, while others pointed out that the same cookies were
00:51:18still being sold under the Enjoy Life Natural Brands packaging at other grocery stores.
00:51:23Then in early 2024, T.J.'s released a new Snickerdoodle product featuring a flat, rather
00:51:28than puffy shape, and a crinkly texture akin to a classic sugar cookie. It actually received
00:51:32rave reviews from shoppers, but for those who remember the original soft-baked Snickerdoodle,
00:51:37it wasn't so easy to move on.
00:51:39And I'd much rather head home, bake some Snickerdoodles with a few of my bros."
00:51:44In 2017, Trader Joe's was forced to recall several types of chicken and turkey salads
00:51:48because they may have contained both silica and glass. The FDA announced that Green Cuisine
00:51:53— the supplier of several ready-to-eat products sold under the Trader Joe's brand
00:51:57— had been alerted of the issue by customers. It recalled three products — white meat
00:52:01chicken salad with celery, carrots, and green onions, curried white chicken deli salad with
00:52:05toasted cashews, green onion, and a bit of honey, and turkey cranberry apple salad turkey
00:52:09breast meat with sweet dried cranberries, tangy green apples, pecans, and sage.
00:52:14The recalled batches were sold throughout 12 states, including California, Texas, and
00:52:19Overall, the company recalled over 65,000 pounds of the products, while the FDA's announcement
00:52:24urged customers to either throw away any previously purchased items that fit the description or
00:52:29return them to the store.
00:52:31Trader Joe's has fallen afoul of mislabeling on multiple occasions, including in March
00:52:352023, when it discovered that its lemon chicken and arugula salad sold in Idaho, Oregon, and
00:52:39Washington didn't contain crucial allergen information about the inclusion of wheat.
00:52:44Although the products featured the correct top label, the bottom label was the ingredient
00:52:47statement for the broccoli slaw and kale salad with white chicken meat, which did
00:52:51not contain wheat. As a result, customers with severe wheat allergies were at risk,
00:52:55and the FSIS issued a recall. Fortunately, no allergic reactions were reported. The FSIS
00:53:01urged customers who had purchased the mislabeled salads to throw them away or return them to
00:53:05the store immediately, even though people with wheat allergies would presumably have
00:53:09been okay to eat them.
00:53:11Considering that food processing facilities are such large-scale operations, it's surprising
00:53:15that things don't go wrong more often. That's a fact we're reminded of every time a company
00:53:19issues a food recall. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that one of the most common reasons
00:53:24for recalls is mislabeling, such as the time in 2023 when Trader Joe's Hatch Green Chile
00:53:28and Cheese Tamales were mistakenly packaged in black bean tamale bags. The former contained
00:53:33milk, while the latter did not.
00:53:35Under normal circumstances, this might not have caused much of a stir. No adverse health
00:53:39effects were reported, and the company immediately pulled the product from circulation. However,
00:53:43the news made headlines because it happened to be Trader Joe's sixth recall in less than
00:53:48six weeks. This prompted various outlets to trumpet the concern of formerly devoted T.J.
00:53:52shoppers, who had taken to social media to voice their mounting distress, over the company's
00:53:56competence, or lack thereof.
00:53:59Bone fragments is typically not a phrase you want to hear in connection with anything,
00:54:03especially food.
00:54:04"'Children, please send me your bones.'"
00:54:06Alas, in 2021, Trader Joe's released a statement explaining that some of their products might
00:54:11indeed be hiding pieces of bone. The offending product was the Chili Lime Chicken Burgers.
00:54:16Made with ground chicken, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and lime juice concentrate, they provided
00:54:21the perfect mix of flavors without detracting from all the fixings. When the company received
00:54:25complaints about these burgers' accidental ingredient, nearly 100,000 pounds of the product
00:54:30were recalled.
00:54:31It was certainly a large quantity, but shoppers had every reason to believe that once the
00:54:34usual safety checks were administered, these burgers would be back in stores for the long
00:54:39Sadly, though, Trader Joe's discontinued them sometime later without much fanfare. There's
00:54:43no evidence that connects this decision with the 2021 recall, but customers were still
00:54:48left hanging.
00:54:50When manufacturers discover that their products might be contaminated with bacterium, they
00:54:54tend to take swift action. In 2018, Trader Joe's was faced with this exact health emergency,
00:54:59as one of its suppliers recalled a whopping 795,261 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry
00:55:05products that contained potentially contaminated onions. The chain's carnitas and salsa verde
00:55:10burritos were immediately pulled from shelves, with customers urged to throw them away if
00:55:14they had any at home. Luckily, no illnesses were reported in connection with the recall.
00:55:19Recalls often provide an unusual glimpse into the secretive supply chains that fuel our
00:55:23food consumption. Manufacturers are rarely household names, and when one of them announces
00:55:27a recall, the list of grocery stores it comes into contact with can be surprisingly long.
00:55:32One such incident arose in February 2024, when the FDA announced a far-reaching recall
00:55:37of dairy products made by Rizo Lopez Foods due to listeria contamination. It involved
00:55:42over a hundred products sold under a number of familiar brands, including Trader Joe's,
00:55:46Dole, Whole Foods 365, Safeway, Costco, and HEB. The recall affected stores across the
00:55:52U.S. and into Canada, and included products like Whole Foods 365's Ricotta Cheese, Trader
00:55:57Joe's Chicken Enchiladas Verdes, Dole's Chopped Avocado Ranch Kit, and Costco's Chicken Street
00:56:02Taco Kit.
00:56:03When it turns out that the food on our supermarket shelves might contain insects, we can't help
00:56:07but react with uncontrollable horror. So when Trader Joe's announced in 2023 that its broccoli
00:56:15cheddar soup might have this very issue, it unsurprisingly made headlines. The company's
00:56:19plight wasn't exactly helped by the fact that the official name of the product was Unexpected
00:56:24Broccoli Cheddar Soup. According to the FDA, the voluntary recall affected nearly 11,000
00:56:30pieces of the soup that were distributed throughout Florida, Illinois, California,
00:56:33Texas, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The insects were hiding in the broccoli florets.
00:56:39No adverse effects were reported from the incident, although that surely doesn't account
00:56:42for the emotional consequences of this unexpected surprise.
00:56:46Severe illnesses, E. coli outbreaks, and death — Whole Foods has built a reputation as
00:56:51the nation's premier health food store, but some of its products have done more harm than
00:56:56good.
00:56:58From June to August 2008, Nebraska Beef recalled an astonishing 6.6 million pounds of beef
00:57:04due to contamination with E. coli. As a result, in August 2008, Whole Foods issued a voluntary
00:57:10recall of fresh ground beef in stores across 23 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.
00:57:17However, this recall soon expanded to include four more states. In a letter from the global
00:57:21vice president of procurement, Whole Foods shared that its own tests found no sign of
00:57:26E. coli in any of its beef products. Though no illnesses were directly linked to Whole
00:57:31Foods, the recall hurt the company's reputation as a premier spot for safe, clean meat. In
00:57:36response, the chain vowed to strengthen its process for selecting beef suppliers.
00:57:40Where's the beef?
00:57:43One of the most infamous food recalls of all time concerns the humble peanut and the now-defunct
00:57:48Peanut Corporation of America, or PCA. From 2008 to 2009, peanut butter and other peanut
00:57:53products from the PCA caused a massive salmonella outbreak that resulted in the deaths of nine
00:57:59people and more than 714 sick individuals across the country. In January 2009, PCA issued
00:58:06several recalls, eventually recalling all products from two plants dating back two years.
00:58:11The recall was so widespread that the FDA recommended consumers hold off on eating any
00:58:16foods containing peanut butter or paste. Whole Foods, along with many companies, issued its
00:58:21own recalls, listing cookies, energy bars, and ice cream among the potentially affected
00:58:27products. In historic court proceedings, PCA owner and president Stuart Parnell was found
00:58:32guilty of several federal charges, including conspiracy and fraud. The 2014 decision came
00:58:38after it was revealed that Parnell knowingly shipped out salmonella-tainted products, making
00:58:42it the first time a company executive faced a federal felony conviction in a food poisoning
00:58:47case. While no illnesses were linked to Whole Foods specifically, the company suffered major
00:58:52damages, and consumers remained wary of all peanut butter for some time to come.
00:58:58In July 2014, Wawona Packing Company issued a fruit recall after detecting the presence
00:59:03of Listeria monocytogenes in lots of peaches, nectarines, plums, and other stone fruits.
00:59:09While grocery stores and markets rushed to pull recalled fruit from their shelves, Whole
00:59:14Foods also issued its own recall of made-in-store items containing the contaminated fruit. Whole
00:59:19Foods stores in all states except Washington, Florida, and Oregon were subject to the recall.
00:59:24However, stores in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada were hit the hardest, as these
00:59:29regions sold the majority of the recalled made-in-store products. Despite the large-scale
00:59:33nature of these recalls, no illnesses were ever definitively connected to Wawona Packing's
00:59:38stone fruit.
00:59:40Only one year after the mass recall of Listeria-contaminated stone fruit products, Whole Foods was hit with
00:59:45another recall. This time, the store's line of ready-to-eat foods fell victim. In February
00:59:502015, Whole Foods recalled about 33,191 pounds of food that contained an undeclared ingredient.
00:59:58The culprit here was none other than the peanut, a common allergen that can cause hives, swelling,
01:00:03digestive issues, and troubled breathing in people who are allergic.
01:00:08The recall affected stores in 12 states and Washington, D.C. The problem came to light
01:00:13when a Whole Foods spice supplier discovered that cumin used in some of the store's products
01:00:17had potentially been tainted with peanuts. The contaminated cumin may have found its
01:00:22way into various ready-to-eat items. Thankfully, there were no reported allergic reactions
01:00:26associated with the recalled products.
01:00:29In January 2016, the new year brought exciting products to Whole Foods, but it also brought
01:00:35another food recall. Citing a misbranding error, the chain recalled frozen pizzas from
01:00:40stores in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
01:00:45New York. It was no small quantity either, as the company ended up recalling 73,898 pounds
01:00:51of pizza in total.
01:00:53The error in question concerned the type of meat used in two different versions of frozen
01:00:57pepperoni pizza. Though the labels on the products listed uncured beef pepperoni, the
01:01:02pizzas were actually made with uncured pork pepperoni. The packaging didn't mention pork
01:01:06at all. While this error may not be as bad as recalls involving salmonella or listeria,
01:01:11consuming unwanted pork can cause harm to those with allergies or intolerances to pork.
01:01:16Fortunately, there were no reported cases of anyone falling ill.
01:01:21Raw milk cheese can be deliciously tender and rich in flavor, but it also comes with
01:01:25serious risks. Cheese made with raw milk is more likely to harbor listeria monocytogenes
01:01:30since it does not undergo pasteurization, a process of heating foods at certain temperatures
01:01:35to kill bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
01:01:38This nightmare became a reality for the New York-based Volto Creamery in 2017, when its
01:01:43cheeses were discovered to be the source of a listeria outbreak. In March, the creamery
01:01:48recalled all of its raw milk cheese, but the damage was already done.
01:01:52The contaminated cheese had been shipped to stores nationwide, including several Whole
01:01:56Foods locations. The natural foods company quickly pulled the cheese from nine stores
01:02:00in the Northeastern U.S., soon expanding the recall to include another eight stores
01:02:04in the same region. While Whole Foods reported no illnesses associated with cheese purchased
01:02:09from its stores, other Volto Creamery customers weren't as fortunate. The outbreak resulted
01:02:14in two deaths, and eight people fell ill and were hospitalized, including one newborn.
01:02:19In 2024, Volto Creamery and its owner, Johannes Volto, pleaded guilty to misdemeanors concerning
01:02:25the distribution of the tainted cheese over state lines.
01:02:29In November 2019, Manpacking Company Inc. announced a mass recall of vegetables sold
01:02:34in the U.S. and Canada due to a possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The vegetable
01:02:40supplier, acquired by Del Monte Fresh Produce the previous year, is based in Salinas, California.
01:02:46However, the recall reached far beyond the Golden State, as the afflicted vegetables
01:02:50were sold at Whole Foods and various other stores nationwide.
01:02:54In response, Whole Foods recalled various foods prepared with Manpacking Produce. The
01:02:58long list included fresh salads and prepared in-store meals. Individual items from the
01:03:03stores Hot and Salad Bars were also part of the recall, including raw and cooked vegetables.
01:03:08The recall wasn't limited to one region or state, as stores nationwide had received and
01:03:13used Manpacking vegetables. All things considered, it's extremely fortunate that no illnesses
01:03:18were reported in connection to the recalls.
01:03:21In April 2020, right at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whole Foods faced another challenging
01:03:27This time around, no supplier or manufacturer was at fault. Only Whole Foods was to blame
01:03:32for its failure to mention an ingredient in a ready-to-eat product. Minestrone soup, made
01:03:37with vegetables, beans, pasta, and spices, also contains milk, a common allergen. If
01:03:41someone with a milk allergy accidentally consumes milk, they may experience digestive problems,
01:03:46hives, and difficulty breathing. In all, stores in 32 U.S. states were affected by the recall.
01:03:52Thankfully, no adverse reactions were reported from the mislabeled soup.
01:03:56Hey, Frankie! Make me a bowl of minestrone!
01:04:01It seems that cheese recalls are a common theme at Whole Foods, for in July 2021, the
01:04:05grocery store was notified of another listeria scare, this time concerning two types of cheddar
01:04:10from the Cahill brand. The suspects, Whiskey Cheddar and Cheddar with Porter, were sold
01:04:15in 44 stores across the U.S., spanning 22 different states.
01:04:19Whole Foods initiated the recall after the distributor's routine testing detected the
01:04:24Cahill, a longstanding cheese producer based in Limerick, Ireland, launched its own recall,
01:04:29also pulling several additional cheese varieties in the process. In an internal investigation,
01:04:33Cahill was able to narrow down the source of the contamination to one piece of equipment
01:04:37in its facilities. The company announced that after removing the afflicted equipment, all
01:04:42tests of its products came back free of listeria. Luckily, there were no reported cases of illness
01:04:47linked to the recalls. Today, Cahill's cheeses are once again available at Whole Foods stores
01:04:52in the U.S.
01:04:54In April 2022, Van Law Food Products, Inc. launched a recall of its organic, creamy Caesar
01:04:59dressing sold under the Whole Foods 365 name. The dressing, a flavorful mix of classic Caesar
01:05:04ingredients plus additions like shiitake mushrooms, also contained some unexpected components
01:05:09— soy and wheat. These add-ins were not declared on the product's packaging, creating
01:05:14a potentially disastrous risk for those with soy or wheat allergies.
01:05:19With over 100 dressing stores in 11 states nationwide, the recall initially only impacted
01:05:23bottles of dressing with a November best-by date. However, in September of the same year,
01:05:27Van Law Food Products expanded the recall to include bottles with September through
01:05:31June 2023 best-by dates. This second phase of the recall affected 26 states, and the
01:05:37error was attributed to a mix-up with another product's back label.
01:05:40Despite the significant recall, there were no reported illnesses or complications from
01:05:44the undisclosed allergens. Today, the dressing has returned to Whole Foods stores with all
01:05:48its ingredients clearly labeled.
01:05:51Not too long after Whole Foods' Caesar dressing mishap, the company found itself facing yet
01:05:55another allergen-related recall. In November 2023, Raw Seafoods, Inc. alerted the public
01:06:01to the presence of undeclared milk and sesame in its lightly seasoned Atlantic Salmon Burgers.
01:06:07Although Raw Seafoods is based in Fall River, Massachusetts, the burgers were sold at Whole
01:06:11Foods stores all over the country. The issue came to light when a vendor noticed sesame
01:06:15seeds in the burgers, prompting an investigation. The burgers were processed and prepared with
01:06:20a long list of ingredients including panko breadcrumbs, flour, parsley, and lemon juice.
01:06:25However, while the product label listed soy, fish, and wheat, it failed to declare all
01:06:30possible allergens, posing a serious risk to consumers with sesame or milk allergies.
01:06:36As news of the Rizzo Lopez recalls was dying down in April 2024, Whole Foods found itself
01:06:41entangled in another recall. This time around, organic walnuts from Gibson Farms were linked
01:06:46to an outbreak of E. coli. The tainted walnuts were sold primarily in bulk bins at natural
01:06:51food stores and co-ops in at least 19 states. The walnuts were available in the salad bars
01:06:56at 10 Whole Foods stores. In all, there were 13 reported illnesses from the walnuts, including
01:07:01seven hospitalizations, all located in California and Washington.
01:07:05"...Walnuts bad. Got it."
01:07:07While no Whole Foods stores were linked to any E. coli-related illnesses, the recall
01:07:11has joined a long list of many in the company's recent history. Whole Foods still has a lot
01:07:16of work to do to ensure its products are safe for customers to enjoy.
01:07:20Low prices, members-only deals, and a whole heap of E. coli. Yes, it seems that customers
01:07:26at BJ's sometimes get a whole lot more than they bargained for.
01:07:31Trouble hit BJ's frozen food section in late December 2023, when Filofactory Inc. issued
01:07:36a recall on mini quiches it sells under the BJ's brand name of Wellesley Farms. Filofactory,
01:07:41a manufacturer based in Northvale, New Jersey, cooperated with the FDA to voluntarily recall
01:07:46Wellesley Farms assorted mini quiches due to a possible foreign material being present
01:07:50in the product. The foreign contaminant in question was aluminum. BJ's issued a public
01:07:55recall notice for the quiches on January 19, 2024. The notice specified that the aluminum
01:08:01tainted hors d'oeuvres were sold in stores between December 19 and December 28, 2023.
01:08:06The fact that this happened during peak holiday season was surely lost on no one.
01:08:10God bless us, everyone.
01:08:13The origin of the mistake was subsequently narrowed down to distribution centers in Connecticut
01:08:17and Florida. Although the FDA noted that Wellesley Farms assorted mini quiches were distributed
01:08:22to retail stores in Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and South
01:08:26Carolina, BJ's recall notice states that only stores in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and
01:08:31Orlando, Florida were affected. When the recall broke in January, the public was warned not
01:08:35to consume the product, as the recall status was ongoing. The FDA terminated the recall
01:08:40on April 3, 2024. Wellesley Farms assorted mini quiches are currently sold in BJ's stores.
01:08:47In 1997, BJ's Wholesale Club became an independently owned company, but this milestone was temporarily
01:08:52dampened by a recall on the store's sugar-free assorted cookies. The late 1990s and early
01:08:572000s saw a surge in the popularity of sugar-free desserts, but a recall was initiated when
01:09:02the label on BJ's trendy sugar-free cookies failed to disclose that the product potentially
01:09:07contained peanuts, oat, and soy-based ingredients.
01:09:10BJ's sugar-free assorted cookies were made by Century Cookies, a division of Boca Foods
01:09:15based in Harrison, New Jersey. The cookies were sold in two-pound boxes and distributed
01:09:19to BJ's locations throughout the East Coast region. The recall affected all boxes of BJ's
01:09:24sugar-free assorted cookies sold between May 1, 1997 and July 10, 1997, about 9,500 boxes
01:09:31in total. The FDA gave BJ's sugar-free cookie recall a Class I designation, the most serious
01:09:37recall level. This is reserved for situations in which there is a reasonable likelihood
01:09:41that use or exposure of the product could cause serious health problems or death. Notably,
01:09:46food recalls related to undeclared allergens were on the rise in the late 90s. In 1999,
01:09:52the FDA recorded that 36 percent of its annual food recalls were due to undeclared allergens,
01:09:57with candy and bakery items accounting for more than half of those cases.
01:10:01In the summer of 1999, a boy in Monroe County, New York became ill from eating hamburger
01:10:06meat purchased from BJ's Wholesale Club. The meat was found to be contaminated with E. coli
01:10:11O157, one of the deadliest forms of food poisoning, especially when contracted by children,
01:10:16the elderly, or anyone who's immunocompromised. BJ's procured the meat from New Hampshire meat
01:10:21distributor Jack Pack Foods. In response, Jack Pack Foods voluntarily recalled 250,000 pounds
01:10:27of frozen patties and ground beef. Then, in May 2002, a disturbing rise in E. coli cases began
01:10:33cropping up in New York State. The health department from one of the affected counties
01:10:37notified the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The department's
01:10:41investigation pointed toward 90 percent lean ground beef purchased from BJ's Wholesale Club
01:10:45as the source of these illnesses. Test samples provided by the families of two young girls who
01:10:50fell ill confirmed the presence of E. coli O157H7. BJ's launched a discreet recall on July 16 of that
01:10:57year, mailing letters to customers who had bought the tainted beef at a New York location between
01:11:01May 8 and May 13. By the late 2000s, the chain's ground beef woes were starting to seem like a
01:11:07recurring problem.
01:11:08We have a news alert for you on a major ground beef recall,
01:11:11an E. coli scare is prompting the recall of ground beef sold at BJ's stores in eight states.
01:11:16In October 2009, Fairbanks Farms out of Asheville, New York recalled approximately 545,699 pounds of
01:11:23fresh ground beef products due to the likelihood of E. coli contamination. BJ's was one of several
01:11:28grocery retailers that sold the tainted meat. Fairbanks Farms' voluntary recall didn't come
01:11:33in time, however. Two deaths linked to E. coli O157H7 were reported, one in New York and one
01:11:39in New Hampshire. Less than a year later, in September 2010, BJ's was forced to reckon with
01:11:44yet another potential E. coli outbreak, this time for its 90 percent lean frozen ground beef.
01:11:49The beef came from Cargill Meat Solutions.
01:11:52BJ's shoppers who had grown accustomed to buying Glucerna and Premier Protein shakes by the case
01:11:57got a rude awakening in July 2022, when BJ's posted a product recall that affected these
01:12:02and other brands. The protein shakes were sold under different banners, but both were manufactured
01:12:07by Lion's Magnus LLC. The company voluntarily issued the recall due to a possible contamination
01:12:12by chronobacter. Unfortunately, protein shakes weren't the only BJ's items that may have carried
01:12:17this pathogen. Varied flavors of Lion's Ready Care, Lion's Barista Style, Perk, Aloha, Intelligentsia,
01:12:24Kate Farms, Oatly, MRE, Imperial Dairy, and various plant-based nutritional drinks were
01:12:29also named in the recall, which affected all BJ's wholesale club locations, and things only
01:12:34escalated from there. In August 2022, the FDA expanded the Lion's Magnus recall due to suspicion
01:12:40that bacteria known to cause botulism was present in the company's supply. After the recall, the FDA
01:12:46inspected a Lion's Magnus processing facility in Wisconsin and uncovered major food safety
01:12:51violations, including failure to seal its products according to federal regulations.
01:12:55Approximately 35 million Lion's Magnus-produced units were recalled,
01:12:59with about 19 million having already been purchased by unknowing customers.
01:13:04Quaker Oats, a once-seemingly indestructible force in the packaged food business,
01:13:08has found itself in hot water recently — and not the kind you make oatmeal with.
01:13:12In December 2023, BJ's notified customers that the Quaker Oats company had recalled
01:13:17select granola bars and cereals due to possible salmonella contamination. BJ's notice indicated
01:13:22that Chewy Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, Chocolate Chip
01:13:26Chewy Dips Granola Bars, and Quaker Natural Granola were affected by the recall.
01:13:31These are no ordinary oats. They're Quaker Oats.
01:13:34The notice specified that the potential contamination may have affected the
01:13:38recalled products sold in all BJ's locations between January 1 and December 15, 2023,
01:13:43almost a full year's worth. All remaining units in BJ's possession were promptly destroyed,
01:13:48and customers were instructed to contact Quaker Consumer Relations for reimbursement.
01:13:52In January 2024, Quaker expanded its recall to include more than 60 products,
01:13:58all due to the threat of salmonella. The affected products were sold at various grocery stores in
01:14:02all 50 states and three territories — Guam, Puerto Rico, and Saipan — in the northern
01:14:07Mariana Islands. In April 2024, Quaker reported financial losses of 5 percent and annual revenue
01:14:13dipped to $3.1 billion. That same month, a Quaker Oats plant in Illinois closed for good.
01:14:20Trouble arose in 2016 when BJ's discovered that Chitario Mortadella containing pistachios was
01:14:25being sold at some of its stores. Yet, those pistachios were not a listed ingredient on the
01:14:30mortadella packaging used at BJ's Delicatessen. The company issued a voluntary recall due to
01:14:35the undisclosed allergen, narrowing down the potentially impacted stores to Delaware,
01:14:39Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. What's worse,
01:14:45BJ's locations selling the pistachio-laced mortadella were slicing all deli meat on
01:14:50the same slicer, potentially constituting a hotbed for cross-contamination. This forced BJ's
01:14:55to not only recall the Chitario Mortadella, but all the other deli meat from affected stores as well.
01:15:00BJ's worked closely with the FDA to issue the recall, which impacted deli meats sold
01:15:05in select states from January 20 to February 3, 2016. The link between pistachios and mortadella
01:15:11was no coincidence, though. In some regions of Italy, mortadella studded with sliced pistachios
01:15:16is the recipe of choice. Chitario, an Italian deli company dating back to 1870,
01:15:21sells versions of mortadella with and without pistachios.
01:15:24Welcome back. A food company in Georgia is now recalling some of its sausage links because
01:15:29they may be contaminated with plastic.
01:15:32You expect sausage meat to undergo grinding and mixing at the processing plant,
01:15:36but Perdue tossed in some unwanted extras in the spring of 2017. Consumer complaints
01:15:41arose after bits of blue plastic were found inside Perdue Harvestland Organic Italian
01:15:46Chicken Sausage, which was sold at northeast locations of BJ's Wholesale Club. Perdue
01:15:50Farms stated that the blue plastic came from a pair of safety goggles that somehow found
01:15:55their way into the mixture before the sausages were stuffed. Perdue, a giant in meat manufacturing,
01:16:00recalled all sausage products that were processed on the line containing the errant
01:16:03safety goggles, adding up to over 1,424 ounce units, equivalent to roughly 2,148 pounds.
01:16:10No one was hurt by the factory error, but it's safe to say that BJ's shoppers didn't
01:16:14look at Perdue sausage quite the same way again. Perdue continues to produce Italian
01:16:18Chicken Sausage, but BJ's no longer appears to keep that version in stock.
01:16:22Still, it seems that this wasn't the end of this peculiar problem.
01:16:26In recent years, Perdue has issued more than one recall on account of a disturbing but
01:16:30apparently recurring issue — plastic from shattered safety goggles showing up in its
01:16:35meat products. Yes, it seems this contaminant wasn't only found in the company's chicken
01:16:39sausage links. Perhaps unsurprisingly, BJ's has endured the fallout over this a couple of times.
01:16:44In August 2022, a customer report surfaced detailing the discovery of small pieces of
01:16:50clear plastic and blue dye in Perdue brand gluten-free chicken breast tenders. In an
01:16:54abundance of caution, Perdue quickly ceased production of these tenders.
01:16:59Closer analysis of the issue zeroed in on Perdue's 42-ounce bags of frozen,
01:17:03breaded chicken breast tenders produced on July 12, 2022, and subsequently sold at BJ's
01:17:08wholesale club locations nationwide. Since Perdue was quick to stop selling the problematic tenders,
01:17:13the USDA put out a public health alert rather than a full-scale recall, but BJ's didn't want
01:17:18to play it safe. The grocery chain acknowledged that it had sold the questionable product from
01:17:22July 18 to August 18, 2022, a time frame that happened to shortly follow the Perdue factory
01:17:27incident. On August 19, 2022, BJ sent out a food safety action letter to club members who purchased
01:17:33the item in an effort to promote transparency over the problem.
01:17:37There's never a good time to issue a food recall, but the difficulties faced by the world
01:17:41during the summer of 2020 made BJ's frozen shrimp recall feel especially problematic.
01:17:46Cotter Exports, a food manufacturing company based in India, voluntarily recalled its frozen,
01:17:52pre-cooked shrimp after FDA testing of the product came back positive for salmonella.
01:17:56Cotter Exports sells pre-cooked shrimp to numerous grocery store chains,
01:17:59which then sells the product under a variety of brand names.
01:18:02The frozen shrimp brands that were affected by the recall were Aquastar Reserve,
01:18:06Sensi, Fresh Market, Kirkland, Unistartops, and BJ's house brand, Wellesley Farms.
01:18:12The Class 2 recall was initiated in July 2020 and terminated in December 2021.
01:18:17No illnesses were reported. The FDA reported that a total of 406,080 pounds of Cotter Exports
01:18:23shrimp were recalled as a result of the salmonella threat, which had likely been
01:18:27caused by cross-contamination at the manufacturing facility. This would not be the last of the FDA's
01:18:32issues with Cotter Exports shrimp, however. On two separate occasions in 2024, Cotter Exports
01:18:37shrimp was banned from entering the U.S. after illegal antibiotics were found in the product.
01:18:43In July 2015, Arthur Schumann Inc. of Fairfield, New Jersey recalled its grated parmesan because
01:18:48it had not disclosed the inclusion of egg lysozyme, an enzyme derived from egg whites,
01:18:53on the label. The mislabeling of Bella Rosa cheese prompted the FDA to issue a Class 1
01:18:57recall in 13 states, as the undeclared allergen posed a significant health threat to consumers
01:19:02with an egg allergy or egg sensitivity. Although the recall wasn't nationwide, it was huge.
01:19:0730,200 pounds of grated parmesan were mislabeled by Arthur Schumann Inc.
01:19:11The presence of egg lysozyme in Bella Rosa grated parmesan was uncovered during a routine quality
01:19:16assurance audit. Luckily, no illnesses were reported as a result of the mislabeling,
01:19:21and Bella Rosa and BJ's have since parted ways. BJ's grated parmesan duties are now
01:19:25divided between its house brand, Wellesley Farms, and Kraft.
01:19:29In the past few years, food recalls have become more common, and a number of big ones have
01:19:33occurred at Meijer. From peanut products to Polish sausage, here are some of the biggest.
01:19:39One of the most recent large food recalls at Meijer involved Johnsonville's Polish Kielbasa.
01:19:45The particular product was a 12-ounce package of turkey sausage. Meijer announced the recall
01:19:49on March 8, 2024, but the sausages hit the shelves at Meijer and other stores between
01:19:54January and February of 2024 across 11 states. The affected states with Meijer locations were
01:20:00Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. And around the country, the recall affected 4,721 cases
01:20:06containing 35,430 pounds of meat that Johnsonville had sent out to various retailers, including Meijer.
01:20:13Check your fridge this morning.
01:20:15So what was wrong with these sausages? Two customers bought a pack and found
01:20:19black rubber in their kielbasa. While there weren't any confirmed reports of injuries
01:20:24from the foreign object, Johnsonville suggested that anyone who had bought the sausages should
01:20:28just throw them away. Meijer offered a full refund for anyone who wanted to
01:20:32return the sausages to the store. Meijer was involved in a big recall related
01:20:36to possible foreign objects in banquet chicken strips meals on September 3, 2023.
01:20:42The meals consist of frozen chicken strips with whole kernel corn and macaroni and cheese.
01:20:47This recall was instigated by Conagra Brands, who manufactured the product on June 20,
01:20:51July 11, and July 17 of 2023, affecting a total of 245,366 pounds of chicken strips.
01:21:00Conagra decided to recall all of the meals in those lots after a customer injured their mouth
01:21:05while chewing a chicken strip and biting down on a piece of plastic. Nobody else complained
01:21:09of an injury or finding plastic, but Conagra decided to operate with caution. The manufacturer
01:21:15and Meijer asked anyone who had bought one of the recalled meals to either throw them away
01:21:19or return them to the store. Meijer offered a full refund for customers if they brought them back.
01:21:25A big charcuterie tray recall on January 30, 2023, occurred with a store-brand product,
01:21:31Frederick's by Meijer Spanish Style Charcuterie Sampler Tray. The affected products had a
01:21:35sell-by date of April 15, 2023. While the only affected product at Meijer was the charcuterie
01:21:41tray, the recall affected 53,000 pounds of cold cuts nationwide. Elsewhere, the recall extended
01:21:47to a variety of other deli meat products and charcuterie trays. Danielle International,
01:21:51who provided the trays with sausage products, recalled these meats due to possible contamination
01:21:56with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall was based on the fact the company found Listeria
01:22:01in some products during a routine inspection. Nobody had actually reported a Listeria illness
01:22:06from consuming the charcuterie when the company sounded the recall alarm.
01:22:11Another January 2023 recall found Meijer removing 25 different lots of Armour Vienna sausages from
01:22:18its shelves. The recall counted a total of 295,089 cases of sausages Conagra brands had
01:22:24sent out to retailers, weighing a whopping 2.58 million pounds. Conagra recalled the sausages
01:22:30due to a concern that a packaging defect could lead to a spoiled product. Even more worrisome
01:22:35was the fact that the spoilage couldn't necessarily be seen or smelled. It would be
01:22:40easy to consume the products and become sick without realizing you had eaten bad sausages.
01:22:45I think I'm sick."
01:22:46On September 16, 2022, Meijer announced a recall on one flavor of the microwavable
01:22:51Healthy Choice Power Bowls from the freezer section of the store, Korean-style beef.
01:22:56There was just one lot of Power Bowls affected by the in-factory mix-up,
01:23:00but it came out to 4,770 cases for a total of 22,000 pounds of product nationwide. Instead
01:23:08of Korean-style beef Power Bowls, some boxes contained Healthy Choice Italian Chicken Sausage
01:23:13and Peppers Bowls instead. In addition to this mix-up being a disappointment for your taste buds,
01:23:18the Chicken Sausage Bowl contained milk. The main concern was that people allergic to milk
01:23:23would think the product was safe to eat since the labels didn't list milk as an ingredient.
01:23:28An even earlier labeling mix-up happened with P.F. Chang's Beef & Broccoli,
01:23:33which Meijer recalled on July 31, 2022. This was another recall instituted by Conagra,
01:23:39and it affected 119,581 pounds of food at various retailers, including Meijer.
01:23:45The recall product was a 22-ounce frozen family-sized package with
01:23:49eight servings of P.F. Chang's popular Beef & Broccoli dish.
01:23:53Like the Healthy Choice Power Bowl mix-up, there was a different meal inside the box
01:23:57than what the label indicated. Instead of getting broccoli and beef, you would have
01:24:00found orange chicken. A major problem with the mislabeling was that P.F. Chang's orange
01:24:04chicken contains eggs, which wasn't listed as an allergen on the Beef & Broccoli packaging.
01:24:10One large recall that only happened at Meijer occurred on March 9,
01:24:132020, when the chain discovered a labeling error with Meijer Mixed Nuts with Peanuts
01:24:17and Sea Salt. The affected bags had three different sell-by dates in July, September,
01:24:21and October of that year. The problem with the Mixed Nuts was that they contained an
01:24:25ingredient that wasn't listed on the bag — Brazil nuts. Nut allergies aren't necessarily
01:24:30all-encompassing, so there was a risk that someone not allergic to the mix of nuts listed
01:24:35in the bag may have a life-threatening allergy to Brazil nuts.
01:24:38I think you have food allergies."
01:24:40Thus, a formal recall was essential to ensure nobody with a Brazil nut allergy
01:24:45accidentally ate from this bag of nuts.
01:24:47On November 21, 2019, the U.S. found itself in the middle of a huge recall of romaine lettuce
01:24:53related to an E. coli outbreak. At Meijer, the recall affected everything from its pre-made
01:24:58salads and bowls to its romaine lettuce selection and salad bars. When all was said and done,
01:25:03more than 75,000 pounds of lettuce products were recalled in various establishments across the U.S.
01:25:08The deadly outbreak of E. coli connected to romaine lettuce
01:25:12raged from the end of September until the end of December. While nobody died from the outbreak,
01:25:16the CDC reported that 85 of the 167 people infected with the bacteria across 27 states
01:25:23ended up in the hospital. 15 of those experienced kidney failure from the bacterial infection.
01:25:29Meijer announced on April 9, 2019, that it was recalling one-pound packages of Meijer ground
01:25:34beef. The recall included nine different types with a sell-by date of April 10.
01:25:38Even though the sell-by date was only a day out, the recall affected 40,000 pounds of ground beef
01:25:45in Meijer stores, including some that had already been sold. JBS Plainwell Inc. instigated the
01:25:50recall because customers had complained about finding hard pieces of green plastic mixed in
01:25:55with the ground beef. While there weren't any reports of injury, a recall was the most logical
01:25:59step. Luckily, it only affected Meijer stores in Michigan and Wisconsin. Things took a while
01:26:04to get rolling, however, since the USDA found out about the issue on April 5. But the recall
01:26:10didn't take place until four days later.
01:26:12Now, if you think you have any of this recalled beef at home,
01:26:15throw it away or return it for a refund.
01:26:18Meijer has had a lot of flour recalls over the years, but the biggest one occurred on June 3,
01:26:232016. Five types of gold metal flour in different sizes were part of the recall,
01:26:27due to possible E. coli contamination. Overall, the recall affected other General Mills flour
01:26:33brands Meijer didn't carry, as well as bread mixes, brownie and cake mixes, muffin mixes,
01:26:38pancake and biscuit mixes, and even some meat and poultry products that used flour.
01:26:42Flour is involved in a lot of recalls because the raw grains can sometimes pick up bacteria
01:26:47in the field that aren't killed in the grinding and bleaching process. Thankfully, nobody died
01:26:52from the E. coli in this flour, but the CDC reported that 63 people in 24 states got sick,
01:26:57and 17 of those ended up in the hospital. All things considered, it was also fortunate that
01:27:02only one of the hospital patients ended up with kidney failure. All the illnesses happened
01:27:06between December 15 of the previous year and September 20, 2016.
01:27:11Once Meijer realized it had problematic flour on its shelves, it issued a recall. It also asked
01:27:16customers to stop using the affected product and offered a full refund upon return.
01:27:21Meijer recalled its Barber & Meijer-branded frozen stuffed chicken breasts from its stores
01:27:26on July 13, 2015, because they were making people ill. Among the affected products,
01:27:31the store listed nine varieties and sizes to ensure all affected stuffed chicken products
01:27:36were discarded. The recall extended to products made from February 17 to May 20. In total,
01:27:42Barber Foods recalled 1.7 million pounds of frozen stuffed chicken products from retailers
01:27:47around the U.S. The worry was that some of the Barber & Meijer frozen stuffed chicken breasts
01:27:52might be infected with salmonella enteritis. Because the products were sold raw, handling
01:27:56the infected chicken or undercooking it could lead to illness. The recall went out after some
01:28:01people got sick around June 24. The CDC traced the frozen chicken products to 15 illnesses in
01:28:07seven states. While no one died, four people ended up in the hospital. It turned out that
01:28:12those who were hospitalized were resistant to treatment by two types of antibiotics.
01:28:16Meijer asked its customers to toss any recalled stuffed chicken breasts that were still in their
01:28:21freezers, or to take them back to the store for a full refund.
01:28:25On April 8, 2015, Meijer joined stores around the U.S. who had to pull Sabra Classic Hummus
01:28:31from its shelves. Meijer sold several sizes of the product, as well as a dual-pack that
01:28:35contained both the Classic and Garlic flavor.
01:28:38"'Hey Sabra, I go gaga for your garlic."
01:28:43Around the country, 30,000 cases of hummus had to be removed from the shelves at various
01:28:47retailers due to the recall. The decision to recall such a large volume took place after
01:28:52inspectors at Sabra Dipping Company found Listeria monocytogenes in the area of the
01:28:57factory where the hummus was made. Even though nobody had gotten sick from the hummus yet,
01:29:01the company went ahead and instigated a recall to save off any potential illnesses.