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Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Massive Potato Recalls That Swept Across The US
Much like the versatility of potatoes, the reasons they've faced recalls over the years have been varied. The tuberous vegetable so often associated with Irish tragedy traces its roots back to the Americas, and from there it has become a staple in kitchens across the globe. As such, its integration into a plethora of cultural cuisines has allowed for popularity to grow and, as a result of widespread production, made potato-loaded goods rife with recalls. Enjoyed by people of all ages as part of a meal or a snack, fan favorite sides like mashed potatoes, potato salads, and hash browns have faced problems of minor and major concern. While some recalls involving branding issues and the slightest possibility of contact with bacteria have been exercised out of an abundance of caution, some instances have been linked to actual injury and death. Below you'll see how often bits of plastic, rubber, and even glass have been the ruin of supplies of pierogis and baby food, and why you won't find them on any list of unique toppings for baked potatoes. Read more: Mistakes You Should Avoid When Cooking Potatoes In An Air Fryer Considered the potato capital of the world, Idaho is home to both the best spuds for crispy homemade fries and to Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. Based outside Boise, the company is a global powerhouse in producing frozen potato products with its list of accounts including the likes of Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Popeye's, and Taco Bell. The considerable size amounted to a hash brown recall triggered in April 2025 having an enormous footprint. In fact, as cases of hash brown patties were counted by the thousands, the presence of plastic pieces in the food reached well overseas. In addition to product shipped to Arizona and Hawaii, Lamb Weston's recall stretched to Japan, Kuwait, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates as the matter was considered a Class II recall under the FDA's classification system. The nearly 35,000 cases of hash brown patties impacted by the 1 millimeter to 8 millimeter pieces of plastic amounted to over 730,000 pounds of food. Despite discovering the plastic on four separate product lines, only hash brown patties were included in the recall. In recent years, undeclared milk has been a repeated issue for Frito-Lay potato chips as products under the Lay's and Ruffles brands have been recalled. While a common cause had previously been reported, the December 2024 recall of Lay's Classic Potato Chips offered no such clarity, even as the FDA upgraded the recall to its most severe classification, "Class I." Unlike the lower classifications where exposure is deemed "not likely" or health consequences are considered "remote," the "Class I" rating conveys a "reasonable probability" of a reaction for those allergic to milk. Over 6,000 bags of chips were part of the recall of product distributed in Washington and Oregon. Previous recalls in 2019, 2020, and 2021 were explained by the Plano, Texas-based company as having resulted from the packaging of chips in bags intended to contain other flavors. The combined extent of the recalls impacted more than half the states in the country. Though varying in size and shape, as well as the kind of dough used to make them, the Russian-style pirozhki are quite similar to pierogi in their sweet and savory iterations. Additionally, they are equally susceptible to presenting an allergen risk as happened in August 2024. Based out of Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York, different flavors of M&P Food Production Ltd. pirozhki, vareniki, and blintzes were recalled after an inspection from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that the products' labels did not list the allergen risks from milk, sesame, and wheat. The extent of the recall stretched back to the previous August as the myriad cabbage, cheese, fruit, and potato products had been distributed over the course of a year and had freshness dates reaching ahead to August 2025. In addition to hitting retail stores in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, the pirozhki had also been distributed to stores in Northeasterners home away from home, Florida. A popular side dish for hamburgers and hot dogs alike, potato salad is often a crowdpleaser at summertime cookouts and picnics. Unfortunately for freedom fans in the Lone Star State, America's birthday had a bit of a letdown in 2024 when products were pulled off store shelves over a foreign contaminant. Unlike Hy-Vee's voluntary recall on the cusp of Independence Day, Reser's Fine Foods decision had nothing to do with a potential microbial risk, but rather concern over the potential presence of hard plastic. Two days before the holiday, the Beaverton, Oregon-based manufacturer of Hill Country Fare Mustard Potato Salad announced that the product was getting removed from H-E-B and Joe V's Smart Shop's throughout the state of Texas. While no injuries had been reported after the risk had been identified in the three pound containers, Reser's sought to keep it that way and encouraged consumers with questions to contact the company directly. Busy schedules often call for ready-made options, especially at breakfast time. However, residents across the southwest came upon a speed bump in their morning routine in May 2024 when over 10,000 boxes of Breakfast Potato Bakes were recalled due to a potential bacterial contamination. Produced by New Classic Cooking LLC's Avenel, New Jersey facility, the Veggies Made Great brand breakfast food may have come in contact with listeria monocytogenes. As a result, the broccoli cheddar option of the four varieties was recalled with a warning for consumers that symptoms could take more than two months to manifest. Advertised as "not your average hashbrown" and ready to eat within as little as six minutes from an air fryer, the baked not fried product left consumers on edge for weeks out of concern that they might have been exposed to the life-threatening pathogen. Still, there were no reports of exposure from shoppers in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Over the years, the popularity of some restaurants has warranted a retail expansion for fans to get a taste of their favorite eatery from the comfort of their kitchen table. In addition to grocery stores selling Olive Garden's Signature Italian Salad Dressing and Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix, which offered its own unexpected uses, customers could enjoy Bob Evan's Original Mashed Potatoes at home — that is when they weren't under recall as a result of a foreign contaminant. The 410 cases that were distributed to eight states from Wisconsin to Vermont each contained six units of two pound containers of mashed potatoes. That brought the sum total of the March 2024 recall to nearly 5,000 pounds after red plastic was reportedly discovered in the food. As a press release had not accompanied the recall, there was no explanation as to how the plastic may have wound up in the food or who was responsible for discovering the contaminant. Based out of Hanover, Pennsylvania, Utz Brands Inc. has expanded from a potato chip making business out of the founders' home to a nationwide snack company partnering with professional sports teams and leagues like the MLB. While New York's Mets and Yankees were in the midst of their winter break, a seasoning mistake resulted in 1,200 bags of chips, mostly distributed to New York City, getting pulled from stores over an allergen risk. The January 2024 recall had been prompted when Utz realized the bags of Wavy Original Potato Chips had been filled with the seasoning flavored variation. As a result, the packaging did not include a warning for those suffering from a milk allergy. Like other food allergies, symptoms impact the digestive and respiratory systems and, in the most severe cases, can prove life-threatening. The company advised any consumers who had purchased the chips in question to discard the product and reach out to the company for a refund. In America's heartland, Independence Day was front of mind for Hy-Vee Inc. when it made the decision to recall variations of its potato salad while awaiting test results. On July 1, 2022, the West Des Moines, Iowa-based company announced that it was presuming a positive microbial result in justifying the recall of all Hy-Vee Potato Salad and Mealtime Potato Salad that had been shipped throughout Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. While the results were expected to take seven to 10 days, Hy-Vee elected to assume the worst of the product that had expiration dates that extended through until August 4, 2022. The Friday announcement from the company specifically cited the holiday weekend traditionally celebrated with barbecue as it made clear that only the Hy-Vee and Mealtime potato salads were part of the recall. Other products like chicken salad, American macaroni salad, and spring pasta salad were still available at the time of the recall. When it comes to the spread of bacteria like listeria monocytogenes, prepared goods aren't the only products at risk. Whole foods are just as susceptible to contamination and in August 2020 red potatoes and citrus fruit were part of a recall that reached five states. Under the brand names Freshouse, Fresh From the Start, Natures Promise, and Wegmans, the Salisbury, North Carolina facility of Freshouse II issued a recall on retail and wholesale size bags of produce. The precautionary measure came about after routine testing discovered the bacteria at the facility where the potatoes, lemons, limes, and oranges were packaged. Bags from 1 pound in size to 50 pounds had been shipped to the Carolinas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia only to be recalled without any reports of illness. Understanding that even mild symptoms leave the infected with incapacitating symptoms, Freshouse acknowledged that it actively reevaluates efforts to maintain sanitary conditions in its facilities. The food-borne illness listeriosis has been behind a number of deadly outbreaks over the years after products tainted with the bacteria listeria monocytogenes made it to market. In December 2019, a source connection for potato salad and egg salad was cause enough for Trader Joe's to pull its products off store shelves in 29 states and Washington, D.C. Though the 6 ounce packages of egg salad and 20 ounce packages of potato salad were not part of any customer complaints of illness, the manufacture of those products had been tied to a facility under investigation as a potential source of bacteria following the death of at least one person. Almark Foods' Gainesville, George facility had produced pails of Broken Egg Whites provided to Trader Joe's that were believed to have been contaminated with the dangerous bacteria. Those most at risk included young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with compromised immune systems. As popular a combo as a burger and French fries is, the pairing is hardly the only way to enjoy a potato with a hands-on meal. Some restaurants and sandwich shops prefer to offer their customers potato chips, instead. So it was that businesses and snackers alike were impacted in July 2018 when Utz Quality Foods, LLC. issued a voluntary recall on one of the chip flavors after bags posing an allergen risk were shipped to 30 states and the nation's capital. A labeling error for the 2.875 ounce and 7.5 ounce bags of Carolina Style Barbeque Potato Chips alike had resulted when the product hit retail locations across the country without declaring the presence of soy. Though the reason for extra air in bags can be explained without a disclaimer, ingredients presenting health risks need to be listed. While mild reactions include itching and digestive issues for those suffering from the allergy, the most severe allergies can present as anaphylaxis where the victim may experience trouble breathing and a drop in blood pressure. Be it the brush, a water feature, or a sand trap, golfers are accustomed to dealing with their balls winding up where they don't want them while playing a round. The same can't be said for those away from the fairway — especially after heeding tips for the perfect hash browns. Unfortunately for fans of the crispy breakfast food, a harvesting issue had resulted in potatoes tainted with plastic and rubber used in the manufacture of golf balls. Days after McCain Foods USA, Inc. had announced the recall of Harris Teeter and Roundy's brand hash browns, the list was expanded to include Wegmans brand O'Brien hash browns distributed to its retail locations. All told, the recall stretched across the East Coast from Massachusetts down to Florida. While the Canadian-based company assured that food safety remained its "top priority," no explanation had been given at the time as to how the golf ball material had wound up with the potato crop, or how it had made it from the harvest all the way to the consumer. Parents, especially those living through their first experience with a child, have plenty to worry about in protecting their precious bundle of joy. Between the potential for allergies and colic alone, the last thing they need is something extra to fret over when it comes to their babies safety. That was exactly what happened in April 2015 though when a recall was triggered on nearly 2,000 pounds of baby food over the presence of glass. Produced in Amsterdam, New York, in December 2014, the problem with Beech-Nut Nutrition's Beech Nut Classics Sweet Potato & Chicken product was only discovered after the company had received a report of an oral injury. Evidently, a small piece of glass had been found in one of the 4 ounce glass jars and, though there had only been the one report, the safety concern was more than enough to justify recalling all the product that shared the same USDA inspection mark. Traveling from the new world to the old and back again, potato had joined cheese, fruit, meat, and other fillings in adding to the variety of pierogis. However, it was the ingredients that weren't listed that caused a problem for Kasia's Deli Inc. in November 2014 that led to a recall of over 2,000 pounds of the products. Trays of the Polana Potato and Bacon Pierogi were included on a list with beef and chicken pierogis that were shipped out without disclosing they contained eggs, milk, soy, and wheat. Manufactured at Kasia's Deli's Chicago, Illinois facility, the discovery of the unlisted allergens had been made by an investigator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) during one of the agency's routine inspections. Though no complaints of adverse reactions had been filed, the Polish-style dumplings were pulled from store shelves to eliminate the public health risk. Few things can ruin a meal as fast as discovering something in your food that isn't supposed to be there — a reality that applies to both dining out and eating at home. So it's understandable that complaints began pouring into Wegmans Food Markets in November 2011 after packages of mashed sweet potatoes were said to have included the unsavory addition of bits of white plastic. Between late September and early November, more than 2,600 of the 24 ounce packages of mashed spuds produced in Wheeling, Illinois had reached stores and, thereafter, homes of consumers across Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. As it happened, the use by date for the product was November 18, 2011, nearly an entire week before the Thanksgiving holiday that year, which fell on November 24. While the source of the plastic had been unknown and no injuries had been reported, customers had the option of returning the recalled sweet potatoes to any of the New York-based grocery store's locations. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. Read the original article on Food Republic.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PepsiCo Recalls That Affected Millions
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. The history of PepsiCo can be traced back to 1893, when a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham combined sugar, vanilla, and kola nuts -- purported to improve digestion -- to create Brad's Drink. The beverage was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and the company later merged with Loft, with the entity changing its name to the Pepsi-Cola Company. In 1965, the Pepsi-Cola Company merged with Frito-Lay, pushing into the food business. Over the following decades, the Pepsi-Cola Company -- which became PepsiCo -- acquired numerous brands, including Tropicana, Quaker Oats, and Mug Root Beer. Today, there is no doubt that PepsiCo is a global powerhouse. Customers consume over 1 billion PepsiCo products each day in more than 200 countries (via PepsiCo). Nevertheless, even industry giants sometimes make mistakes. Over the years, PepsiCo has faced several large-scale recalls that hit the headlines and left customers rushing to return potentially dangerous products. Interested in finding out more about some of PepsiCo's biggest blunders? Here's our roundup of the company's most notorious product recalls. Read more: Once Popular Ice Cream Flavors You Hardly Ever See Anymore Undeclared allergens are one of the most common reasons for product recalls. Even trace amounts of a certain ingredient can pose serious health issues for allergic individuals. This is precisely what happened at the end of 2024, when PepsiCo pulled Lay's Classic Potato Chips off the market. The company took action after a customer raised an alarm about the potential presence of milk -- one of the nine major food allergens, alongside fish, eggs, shellfish, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame -- in the chips. The Classic Potato Chips, which hit the market on November 3, had been distributed in Oregon and Washington. At the end of January, the FDA gave the Frito-Lay Classic Potato Chips recall a Class I rating, indicating the serious nature of the incident. A Class I recall involves "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death" (via the FDA). At the end of the day, 6,344 bags of the product were withdrawn from the market. Fortunately, no allergic reactions were linked to the product at the time. PepsiCo acquired Mug Root Beer from the New Century Beverage Company in 1986 as a replacement for its On-Tap Draft Style Root Beer. Despite its popularity, Mug Root Beer hasn't been immune to controversy. The creamy drink, known for its signature bulldog mascot named Dog, came under scrutiny in April 2024 after a labeling mishap. Aside from offering standard Mug Root Beer, PepsiCo also manufactures zero-sugar versions of the soft drink to cater to health-conscious consumers. In the April incident, some batches of sugar-free Mug Root Beer were accidentally labeled as the version containing sugar. The recall ultimately affected around 2,800 cases, equating to over 33,000 cans of the product. The soft drink was sold in 12-pack cases across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Notably, PepsiCo faced a very similar recall just two weeks earlier, when it had to pull 233 cases, or 5,592 cans, of Schweppes Ginger Ale. Just like Mug Root Beer, the product had been mislabeled. This time, however, PepsiCo's Zero Sugar Ginger Ale was found to contain the full-sugar version of the soft drink. This mishap was particularly concerning for diabetics or those watching their blood sugar levels who rely on accurate labeling when making dietary choices. Luckily, no illnesses were reported at the time of the recall. Dating all the way back to 1877, Quaker Oats is one of the most recognizable breakfast brands in the U.S. It certainly didn't hurt the company's business when it merged with PepsiCo in 2001, creating a $25 billion food and beverage empire. Today, the brand's products can be found in 70% of American households (via Quaker Oats). Unfortunately, experience and longevity don't always equate to mishap-free operations, as demonstrated in December 2023, when PepsiCo recalled its Quaker Oats granola bars, cereals, and snacks. More specifically, the company pulled more than 40 products, including Quaker Big Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip, Quaker Puffed Granola Apple Cinnamon Cereal, and Quaker Chocolatey Favorites Snack Mix. The recall was expanded to encompass even more products in January 2024. The products had been distributed throughout the U.S., as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, and Saipan. The reason for the recall was very serious -- a potential salmonella contamination. Salmonella is a pathogen that can lead to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. The bacteria can be particularly dangerous, even fatal, for children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immunity. The contamination was traced back to a factory in Danville, Illinois, with FDA investigators identifying serious lapses in sanitation. The plant was permanently closed by June 2024. Tostitos are a popular corn snack typically served with salsa, queso, or creamy guacamole. Produced by Frito-Lay -- one of the many brands under PepsiCo's umbrella -- the snack comes in a range of flavors, including multigrain, chile lime, and salsa verde. Frito-Lay also offers a range of dips, such as creamy spinach, chunky salsa, and nacho cheese. Unfortunately, in 2023, Frito-Lay's Tostitos Avocado Salsa Dip drew public attention for the presence of undeclared milk. The affected product came with two labels. While the front of the glass jar correctly identified the product as Tostitos Avocado Salsa, the back label featured the nutrition information of another product. The mislabeled jars failed to list milk as one of the ingredients in the salsa, creating a potentially dangerous situation for individuals allergic to dairy. Due to the seriousness of the blunder, the FDA gave the recall a Class I rating, the highest classification only allocated to products that may pose a high risk to consumers. The recall affected 94,668 pounds of the dip, which had been distributed nationwide. Luckily, no allergic reactions came to light at the time of the recall. While PepsiCo and Starbucks are not part of the same company, they have been collaborating since 1994 through the North American Coffee Partnership. This joint venture allows PepsiCo to produce and distribute Starbucks products, including bottled coffee beverages. In 2023, PepsiCo announced a recall of 25,200 cases -- or 302,400 bottles -- of one of these products due to concerns over potential glass contamination. Bottles of Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino weren't sold at Starbucks outlets, but could be purchased at several retail stores nationwide, including Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Safeway. The FDA assigned the recall a Class II rating, indicating that its consumption could result in "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences" where "the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." Although the source of the glass contamination was not disclosed to the public, it may have been linked to the manufacturing process of the glass bottles. One of the many Starbucks products manufactured by PepsiCo was the subject of a significant recall in August 2022. More specifically, the extra-strength, ready-to-drink coffee beverage, Starbucks French Vanilla Espresso Tripleshot, was pulled from shelves due to concerns that metal fragments may have accidentally made their way into the product during the manufacturing process. Coffee cans had been distributed in seven states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Overall, PepsiCo recalled 221 cases of the caffeinated Starbucks beverage, amounting to 2,652 individual cans. The risk of injury associated with consuming the product was very real, with metal posing the potential for both choking and dental damage. Fortunately, no adverse incidents had been reported at the time of the recall, which ended in November of that same year. In late 2021 and early 2022, PepsiCo started recalling another product under its North American Coffee Partnership with Starbucks. This time, the voluntary recall impacted its Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso drinks. The canned beverage came in packs of four 6.5-ounce cans. Sold in grocery stores, the coffee drink was flagged over concerns about a potential defect in the can seals. While packaging issues may not seem as dramatic as, say, metal or glass fragments, a compromised seal can expose a product to harmful bacteria. A faulty closure can lead to spoilage, posing a serious health risk to consumers. The recall affected three different product variants: Espresso & Cream, Espresso & Light Cream, and Espresso & Salted Caramel Cream. In total, more than 250,000 cases of the coffee beverage were pulled from grocery store shelves. The Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso cans were distributed nationwide, which compounded the scope of the problem. Frito-Lay offers a variety of dips that pair well with its Ruffles chips, including Lay's French Onion Dip and Lay's Smooth Ranch Dip. Notably, the products are sold under the Ruffles label in Canada. In May 2020, amid widespread disruptions caused by COVID-19, Frito-Lay recalled the dips sold in the U.S. and Canada due to concerns about potential spoilage and mold contamination. Luckily, no reports of adverse health effects were linked to either product at the time, with the recall carried out as a precautionary measure. Despite the absence of reported illnesses, the Frito-Lay dip recall was one of the biggest in PepsiCo's history. In total, the company had to pull a staggering 6,344,323 jars of the products. The recall was designated as Class II, suggesting a moderate risk level. More specifically, the dips could have led to temporary or easily resolved health issues, with an unlikely risk of severe consequences. Founded in 1986, Sabra Dipping Company specializes in Middle Eastern-style spreads, such as hummus and guacamole, as well as other ready-to-eat snacks. While PepsiCo acquired full ownership of the brand in 2024, Sabra was technically a joint venture between PepsiCo and the Strauss Group when this recall occurred in 2015 and 2016. Sabra Classic Hummus came under the microscope in 2015 after routine testing at a Michigan store in March revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. All in all, 30,000 cases of hummus products were withdrawn from the market nationwide in an attempt to prevent a listeriosis outbreak. The recall was later expanded in 2016 to cover 57 varieties of hummus. People exposed to listeria often suffer symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and headaches. Additionally, listeriosis (the illness contracted from the bacteria) can lead to serious complications in certain individuals, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system. Fortunately, no cases of the infection were associated with the product at the time. Introduced by Frito-Lay in 1991, SunChips were PepsiCo's response to a growing preference for healthy foods among consumers. The multigrain snack paired the appeal of chips with the perceived nutritional benefits of whole grains. The initial lineup of SunChips flavors included Original, Harvest Cheddar, French Onion, Chili Lime, Garden Salsa, and Sweet & Spicy BBQ. Over the years, SunChips launched other flavors such as Sweet Potato & Brown Sugar, Tomato, Basil & Cheese, and 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic. In 2013, PepsiCo recalled the 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic variety of SunChips due to concerns about potential contamination with metal fragments. More specifically, the contamination was traced back to wire mesh from a defective screen at Dakota Specialty Milling, which supplies flours and grain blends. In total, PepsiCo ended up recalling 13,812 cases of 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic SunChips from grocery stores nationwide. At the end of the day, the contaminated flour and grain resulted in additional recalls that covered products such as BelVita breakfast biscuits, Heartland granola cereals, and Wegmans bread. Peanut butter is a staple for many children, taking center stage in popular snacks such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As such, it's little surprise that the spread also appears in several grocery store snack products. One such offering is Grandma's Sandwich Creme Peanut Butter Cookies, a snack that offers a layer of smooth peanut butter nestled between two crunchy cookies. In 2012, Frito-Lay announced a nationwide recall of the aforementioned cookies due to the presence of two undeclared allergens: milk and eggs. Both ingredients appear on the FDA's list of the nine major food allergens, making it crucial that they are disclosed on product labels. While symptoms of food allergies can vary, they normally develop between a few minutes and up to two hours after consuming the allergen. They can include vomiting, diarrhea, wheezing, dizziness, hives, and rashes. At its most severe, an allergic reaction can even prove fatal. Fortunately, no known health incidents were associated with the consumption of the sandwich cookies at the time the recall was reported. Unlike the majority of product safety alerts, which are typically sparked by the likes of contamination, defects, or undeclared allergens, the recall of Slice in 1986 presented an entirely different scenario. The now-discontinued lemon lime PepsiCo soda was recalled after an anonymous threat of cyanide contamination. More specifically, PepsiCo pulled the product from supermarket shelves in New York City and Westchester County after the 911 emergency service received a call from a man who claimed that he had contaminated drinks with cyanide. Ingesting the toxin can lead to symptoms such as nausea, headache, and breathing difficulties, and it is often fatal. In a somewhat bizarre twist, the 911 caller pinpointed the specific lot number associated with the laced products. While the number didn't specifically correlate with any beverages, it was close enough to 66,000 plastic bottles of Lemon Lime Slice to spark a recall. No cases of cyanide poisoning were ever linked to the Slice soda. As a spokesperson for the state Health Department, Peter Slocum, said at the time, "We have no evidence of contamination yet. This may just be somebody who's getting a thrill out of watching everybody scramble around" (via UPI). The president of Pepsi Bottling Co. in New York, Charles Thomas, agreed with this assessment, stating, "This is a crank call that came through to the police department, but we're doing everything we can to take the product off the street." For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Potato Recalls That Affected Millions
Potatoes are the most commonly eaten vegetable in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The majority of those potatoes that are consumed are either in a fresh or frozen form, with a smaller amount of potatoes being consumed as potato chips or dehydrated potatoes. Potatoes are also a $100.9 billion industry, with more than 700,000 people working within the potato industry in the United States, per the National Potato Council. So, potatoes are big business, and when you're dealing with something so widespread and so commonly consumed as the mighty potato, chances are likely that you'll run into some mistakes every once in a while — and sometimes those mistakes lead to recalls. Potatoes are recalled for a variety of reasons: A potato product might contain an undeclared allergen, or foreign objects. Whatever the reason, potato recalls can end up impacting millions of people, as has been the case when you look at these widespread potato recalls from recent decades. Read more: Fast Food Chains That Serve The Highest And Lowest Quality French Fries In April 2025, brand Lamb Weston, an Idaho-based potato product supplier that sends its spuds to more than 100 countries, recalled nearly 35,000 cases of its frozen hash brown patties after plastic fragments were discovered in the food. The plastic bits measured from up to a third of an inch in length. Lamb Weston had distributed the affected hash browns to not just a handful of U.S. states, including Arizona and Hawaii, but also to a few other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Kuwait, and Japan. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assigned this recall a Class II risk, which means the organization feels that the recalled food poses a moderate risk to individuals who might eat it, with temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences possible, while severe health consequences are unlikely. Still, eating plastic can cause gastrointestinal issues, choking, or dental issues, it's not a risk you want to take. In December 2024, Lay's Classic potato chips were recalled due to containing undeclared milk, and that recall continued to impact consumers into early 2025, as the FDA watched the situation and decided to upgrade the recall to its highest risk class: Class I. A Class I recall risk means that eating the recalled product could very well cause not just serious health issues but even death. Of course, the recalled chips pose the biggest threat to those with a milk or dairy allergy. Common symptoms of an allergic reaction to milk include gastrointestinal distress, hives, wheezing, and, in worst case scenarios, anaphylaxis which can be fatal. While Lay's Classic Potato Chips don't typically contain milk, sometimes the chips can come into contact with other potato chips that do contain milk-based ingredients, like the brand's sour cream and onion potato chips. The recall impacted bags of chips distributed throughout Oregon and Washington. Veggies Made Great brand's Broccoli Cheddar Breakfast Potato Bakes (yes, that is a mouthful) are a take on a hash brown, but include extra protein and veggie goodness by adding in egg whites, broccoli, and carrots. The brand boasts that these frozen breakfast items do not contain popular allergens such as wheat, soy, or nuts, but, in one instance, they did contain something far more threatening: listeria. In 2024, Veggies Made Great voluntarily recalled more than 10,500 boxes of the potato bakes that had been distributed throughout Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada, as it was discovered that the items had been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria responsible for causing listeriosis. If you contract listeriosis, you could experience mild symptoms such as gastrointestinal distress for a few days, but you could also contract a more invasive form of the disease that affects the nervous system and can be fatal. Sure, while pirozhki and vareniki might not claim as much of the American potato market share as french fries, they're not immune from the occasional recall. In 2024, M&P Food Production recalled potato-filled vareniki (if you're not familiar with this Eastern European specialty, think of it as similar to pierogi, just by a different name) and potato-filled pirozhki (a baked or fried bun), alongside blintzes (filled pancakes), all due to undeclared allergens found throughout the producer's product lines. The recall impacted foods distributed to retail stores throughout Connecticut, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, and was due to the FDA's discovery of undeclared wheat, milk, and/or sesame within the products, even though the product packaging didn't state the presence of these ingredients. All of these allergens can cause severe allergic reactions, as well as death, depending on the reaction's severity. Milk allergies are considered one of the most common food allergies in both children and adults, and about 2.4 million people in the U.S. are allergic to wheat, while about 0.7 million people are allergic to sesame. If there was potato-based food that could be considered risky to your health, it could be potato salad. Potato salad provides the perfect environment for bacteria to grow, and more often than you'd hope, picnic-going and potluck-attending home cooks leave their potato salad sitting out in less than ideal temperatures, allowing bacteria to not just grow but thrive. In one well-documented case, the potato salad at a church potluck hospitalized nearly 30 people, with many needing to remain in the hospital for multiple days and one even dying due to botulism. In 2024, however, Southern grocery store chain H-E-B recalled its potato salad for a much less deadly but still serious reason: plastic contamination. While no injuries related to the plastic found in the chain's Hill Country Fare potato salad had been reported, and H-E-B removed all the potato salad from the shelf, the chain noted that it was still possible for consumers to find hard plastic in the salad, if they'd managed to buy it at one of the affected Texas locations before the recall. Even more plastic in your potatoes! This time, in March 2024, Bob Evans Farms recalled its Bob Evans mashed potatoes as the brand said it was possible that consumers could find small bits of red plastic in the refrigerated dish. The recall impacted nearly 2,500 packages of mashed potatoes that had been distributed across a wide geographic area, throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin. It's not uncommon for plastic to find its way into your food. According to a study entitled "Detection and prevention of foreign material in food: A Review" that was published in scholarly journal Heliyon, between 2003 and 2023, foreign material contamination has caused approximately 10% of all food recalls and the most common foreign material to cause these recalls is plastic (with other materials that could end up in your food including wood, metal, stones, and more). When are most individuals likely to pick up a tub of potato salad at the grocery store? A good guess would be around the July 4 holiday. Unfortunately, on July 1, 2022, Midwestern grocery store chain Hy-Vee announced that it was recalling 10 different versions of its potato salad that had been distributed over Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The reason? The given explanation was vague, but the FDA reported that Hy-Vee had discovered "a presumptive positive microbial result on the line that the potatoes were processed on." The key word is "presumptive" — getting the final tests results, the FDA further explained, would take at least a week, and with the potato salad-centric holiday coming up, Hy-Vee didn't want to take any risks. As such, the chain decided to voluntarily withdraw absolutely all of its potato salad from the store shelves. In March 2022, Cavendish Farms, a Canadian manufacturer, recalled more than 440 cases of frozen hash brown patties that had been distributed throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island at chain stores such as Price Rite and ShopRite. The hash browns were suspected of containing undeclared wheat, which could cause major issues for not only those with wheat allergies, but those with celiac disease as well. The wheat content had made its way into the hash browns after a third-party supplier had provided Cavendish Farms with a mislabeled ingredient that contained wheat without declaring the wheat's presence. While those with a wheat allergy could experience swelling, hives, itching, gastrointestinal distress, and fatal anaphylaxis after eating something exposed to wheat, those with celiac disease would experience a different yet still serious reaction, with even the smallest amount of wheat causing long-lasting damage to the intestines. Salmonella bacteria is a popular reason for various food recalls, as salmonella is the most common form of bacterial food poisoning in the U.S., and in 2021, Ballreich Snack Food Company recalled packages of its Bar-B-Q potato chips as it was suspected that the chips were contaminated with salmonella bacteria after the company's seasoning provider discovered the bacteria during a routine test. The chips had been sold at retailers and convenience stores throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Luckily, no one reported any illness in relation to the recall, but that doesn't necessarily mean that no illnesses occurred. Salmonella symptoms can be mistaken for a variety of illnesses, including just a simple stomach bug. Additionally, you can experience symptoms up to a few days after eating a contaminated food — and it's not like barbecue chips are the first thing you might think of when considering the places you could have contracted the bacteria. Most often, salmonella is associated with raw eggs and meat. Freshouse II provides retailers with produce under several brand names, including Nature's Promise, Fresh from the Start, and Wegmans — and, in 2020, the company recalled a bevy of produce due to listeria contamination, including oranges, lemons, limes, and red potatoes. The company was undergoing some routine testing and discovered Listeria monocytogenes on a piece of packing equipment. As such, the possibility of the listeria bacteria contaminating the produce that had been packed on that equipment was enough to prompt a recall. At the time of issuing the produce recall, no illnesses had been reported as connected to the produce that had been distributed around North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Freshouse II also noted that the company had stopped using the equipment that had tested positive for the bacteria, and had taken a closer look at its cleaning and sanitation measures. Typically, a recall can be traced back to one root cause: a certain form of bacteria, a singular foreign object, or a particular undeclared allergen. However, in 2018, Hy-Vee was sacked with a one-two punch when it issued a recall due to both the discovery of salmonella and listeria monocytogenes in some of the ingredients used in Hy-Vee's meat and potato products. The ingredient? McCain Foods' caramelized mushrooms and fire-roasted tomatoes. The impacted Hy-Vee potato products? Its fire-roasted tomato, spinach, and mozzarella twice-baked potatoes. While salmonella and listeria on their own can be deadly, no one wants to take the chance of combining the two and, as such, Hy-Vee recalled the potatoes over its entire eight-state footprint. While no illnesses had been reported related to the recalled potatoes, it's worth noting that it can take up to 70 days for a consumer to fall ill after exposure to listeria monocytogenes. Utz potato chips are a regional favorite. Based in Pennsylvania, the company went public relatively recently, in 2020, and, has since acquired another popular, possibly more widely known snack food brand: On The Border. Today, Utz potato chips can be found nearly all around the country. Unfortunately, though, that growing brand footprint means that, when a batch of potato chips needs to be recalled, it impacts a large number of states and people. In 2018, this was the case when Utz recalled Utz Carolina Style Barbecue Potato Chips because of undeclared soy in the chips. Utz said the packages were mislabeled and had been distributed to more than two dozen allergies come with a wide range of symptoms and, if someone with a soy allergy were to eat the mislabeled chips, they could experience everything from gastrointestinal distress to anaphylaxis to eczema to hives. Imagine you're having breakfast and you've cooked up some frozen hash browns. You start eating away and then you notice something strange. You pull something that's very much not a hash brown from your mouth and see that it's ... a golf ball? It's not out of the realm of possibility, surprisingly. In 2017, McCain Foods issued a recall for multiple brands of hash browns sold at a variety of chain stores throughout the country because plastic and rubber from golf balls had been found in the hash browns. The company theorized that the golf ball bits had been mixed in with the potatoes at the time of harvesting, and were never removed. At first, the recall only impacted Roundy's Brand and Harris Teeter hash browns sold in nine states, but, shortly after the first announcement, McCain Foods expanded the recall to include frozen hash browns also sold at Wegmans stores throughout six states. Finding golf ball parts in your potatoes is one thing. It poses a choking hazard and can definitely be dangerous if you swallow said parts, but it's not as scary as finding sewing needles in your potatoes, which is what happened in Canada in the fall of 2014. For several weeks, stories spread through the headlines as sewing needles were found allegedly planted in potatoes and french fries that could be traced back to Linkletter Farms and Cavendish Farms. Recalls were issued for the Linkletter Farms potatoes, but not for the Cavendish Farms potatoes, as those products never actually left the processing facility before the needles were discovered. In response, a police investigation began and the Prince Edward Island Potato Board offered a $50,000 reward to anyone who could help uncover who was placing the needles in the potatoes, a process that was theorized was occurring while the potatoes were still in the field. By January 2015, a reward of up to $100,000 was being offered, but no culprit was ever caught. In 2010, Strong America recalled Golden Smell-branded dried potatoes that had been imported from China. Dried or dehydrated potatoes, or potato flakes, can be reconstituted to make a version of mashed potatoes, but these flakes can also be used as a thickening agent in thin soups, or as a binding ingredient. A routine sampling discovered that the imported dried potatoes contained undeclared sulfites, which can naturally occur in some food, but that are also sometimes added to food as a preservative. While sulfites aren't one of the most common allergens, they can still cause reactions in sulfite-sensitive individuals, as well as in asthmatics. In fact, up to 5% of individuals with asthma also have a sulfite sensitivity, according to Cleveland Clinic. As for this recall, it's not necessarily an issue that sulfites were found in the potato flakes altogether — in fact, sulfites are fairly common in instant mashed potatoes. Rather, it's the fact that the sulfites weren't listed on the packaging, making them a hazard for some unknowing consumers. Once again, plastic finds its way into your potatoes. In 2011, chain store Wegmans recalled 4,000 pounds and more than 2,600 packages of mashed sweet potatoes, after reports arose that the items contained small pieces of white plastic. At the time of recall, the store said that four consumers had complained that they'd found the plastic in their spuds. This is not at all the only time that Wegmans has needed to recall some of its items due to plastic contamination, though. More recently, in 2024, the store recalled its Food You Feel Good About Fruit on the Bottom Lowfat Pina Colada Yogurt because pieces of blue plastic were mixed into the snack. Additionally in the last two years, Wegmans has also recalled chicken nuggets due to bone fragments being found in the product, braised beef meals due to white rubber pieces being found in the food, and frozen waffles and pancakes due to listeria concerns. In 2007, Campbell's pulled cans of its Baked Potato with Cheddar & Bacon Bits soup off the shelf because the brand feared that they could contain pieces of a hard plastic. The recall came after three people said they'd been eating the soup and then experienced minor mouth injuries due to that plastic. More than 72,000 cans of soup were impacted and they had been distributed across 24 states. Campbell's has dealt with a variety of recalls over the years and even in recent history. In 2017, the brand recalled more than 4,000 pounds of soup because people were complaining that they opened up cans of what they thought were chicken noodle soup, only to find Italian wedding soup. Most recently, three different Campbell's soups were recalled in April 2025 because the cilantro they contained had been contaminated with bits of wood and that wood could wind up, unfortunately, in consumer's mouths. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
USA Today
10-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Frito-Lay recall: What to know about the Tostitos tortilla chips pulled from shelves
Frito-Lay recall: What to know about the Tostitos tortilla chips pulled from shelves Frito-Lay issued a separate recall in December of more than 6,300 bags of Lay's Classic Potato Chips due to them possibly containing undeclared milk. A small batch of Frito-Lay chips was recalled in late March over an undeclared allergen. The American food company issued a voluntary recall last month for about 1,300 bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips that may contain undeclared milk. The 13-ounce bags in question may include nacho cheese tortilla chips, which could cause serious or life-threatening allergic reactions to those with high milk sensitivity. No allergic reactions related to this recall have been reported to date. The recalled products were distributed to retailers and online vendors across 13 states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. People would have been able to buy the recalled chips as early as March 7, 2025, according to the company. Frito-Lay told USA TODAY on March 26 that the voluntary recall does not impact any other Tostitos products. "Consumers can view the full press release on the Frito-Lay Contact Us page to see if their product is impacted by this recall," Frito-Lay said in a statement. "Unless a consumer has a dairy allergy or sensitivity to milk, this product is safe to consume." More: 22,000 pounds of Johnsonville Bratwurst recalled over possible plastic contamination A company spokesperson also said on Wednesday that the recalled chips should no longer be on shelves at this point. How to check if my Tostitos bag was recalled The recalled bags of chips will have a guaranteed fresh date of May 20, 2025, on the front of the bag and a specific manufacturing code. If a bag displays a manufacturing code where the "XX" (in the following image) is any number between 30-55, then it was recalled. Here are some of those numbers: Product Description: Tostito Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips Size: 13-ounce or 368.5 grames Universal product code: 28400 52848 Code Date: Must have both 'Guaranteed Fresh' date of May 20, 2025 Manufacturing Code: One of the following manufacturing codes where 'XX' is any number from 30 up to 55 — 47110650418 13:XX, 471106505 85 13:XX, 471106506 85 13:XX or 471106507 85 13:XX Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Anyone with questions can call Frito-Lay's customer support line at 800-352-4477 during office hours Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET. Frito-Lay recalled over 6,000 classic potato chips last year Frito-Lay issued a recall in December of more than 6,300 bags of Lay's Classic Potato Chips due to them possibly containing undeclared milk, thus posing a risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified the recall as "Class I," earlier this year, which is the most severe risk level as there was a "reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." The batch of chips was distributed in Washington and Oregon and was available for purchase as soon as Nov. 3, 2024, according to the alert. Contributing: Ahjané Forbes and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Frito-Lay chips recall upgraded to most dangerous classification over ‘life-threatening' risk
Frito-Lay's latest recall has an elevated risk status due to an undeclared ingredient in some corn chips that can cause a 'life-threatening' allergic reaction. On Saturday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified the recall of 13-ounce bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips as Class I. This type of recall is 'a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death,' according to the FDA. The FDA initially announced the recall of a limited number of these chips on April 2. The recall was initiated because the bags may mistakenly have been filled with nacho cheese tortilla chips, meaning they may contain an undeclared milk allergen. If someone who's allergic to milk eats these chips, their reactions could 'vary in severity from mild symptoms involving hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms,' the FDA states. Along with milk, the most common undeclared allergens are wheat, shellfish, eggs, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, and soybeans. The recalled product from Frito-Lay was distributed to a range of retailers across 13 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Chip bags were first sold on March 7, with less than 1,300 bags included in the recall. There have not been any reported allergic reactions due to the error. This isn't the first time that Frito-Lay recalled a product due to an undeclared allergen. In November, a limited number of Lay's Classic Potato Chips bags were recalled because they may have contained undeclared milk, which Frito-Lay learned 'after being alerted through a consumer contact.' The recalled product was sent to retail stores and distributors in Oregon and Washington, and it was available for purchase as early as November 3, 2024. Two months later, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) elevated this recall to a Class I recall. There have been a slew of food recalls issued throughout the last month. On Saturday, Johnsonville, LLC recalled approximately 22,672 pounds of its cheddar bratwurst product, according to an announcement shared by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recall was issued because the sausages may have been contaminated 'with foreign material, specifically hard plastic.' The recall was initiated after Johnsonville, LLC received complaints from two different customers reporting hard plastic found in their bratwurst. At the time of writing, there have been no reports of injuries due to the consumption of the sausage. Also this month, Trader Joe's issued a recall on its Hot Honey Mustard Dressing due to a 'labeling error.' The FDA stated that dressing bottles with a Use By Date of May 27, 2025, were incorrectly labeled with a nutrition sticker that did not accurately include an allergy warning for peanuts, soy, sesame, or wheat.
