Category: Food recalls & safety alerts

Latest food recalls, contamination warnings and safety alerts issued by the FDA and USDA. Stay informed about recalled food products, health risks and consumer safety guidelines.

Contaminated Oysters and Clams: What You Need to Know

My incredible oyster plate at Pearl Tavern.

Oysters and clams distributed in nine states are being recalled because they could make you violently ill, reports the Food and Drug Administration. The suspect products went to restaurants and food retailers in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington.

They may be contaminated with norovirus, which sickens millions each year.

Involved are oysters from Washington-based Drayton Harbor Oyster Co. and manila clams from the Lummi Indian Business Council from Feb. 13 to March 3. Given the time that’s past, those should not be on fresh fish counters any longer regardless of the recall.

It’s still unclear if the contaminated products were sent to other states, so avoid raw oysters and clams for a bit. They’re an acquired taste for some anyway.

I grew up near a clam bar in Brooklyn and watched my cousins compete in contests to see who could down the most. But I never ate them raw myself until years later when I moved to the Midwest and was anxious to find any dishes I had been familiar with in New York.

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Recall-0-rama: 5 recalls to know about

Food-related recalls seem to be everywhere at the start of 2026.

Eating Well magazine’s website has a roundup of five recent ones that involve everything from fried rice to dietary supplements. And more than 20,000 peanut butter items are being recalled in 40 states by a processor called Ventura Foods. LLC.

The five items reported on by Eating Well include:

  • Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken with Japanese-Style Fried Rice and Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice sold in Canada and the U.S.
  • Frozen meatballs sold by Aldi in 32-ounce packages.
  • Rosabella moringa powder capsules with impacted expiration dates through November 2027.
  • Two-pound packages of salmon sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club locations in seven states.
  •  Turmeric supplements in 30 states under the Qunol Extra Strength Turmeric (1,000-milligram) label.

For the peanut butter recall: “More than 20,000 single-serve peanut butter items and peanut butter-and-jelly combo packs are affected. Some were distributed by DYMA Brands, Inc., US Foods, Sysco Corporation, Gordon Food Service and Independent Marketing Alliance, among others,” People reports.

I’m feeling good about not liking peanut butter right now.

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Gold Star Food Recall: Over 2,000 Products Affected

A major food recall, this time from a distributor rather than a processor, is underway. More than 2,000 products are involved.

Minneapolis-based Gold Star Distribution Inc. has recalled food items, pet foods, beauty products and drugs that it distributes in three states, the Food and Drug Administration has announced.

First issued in December, the recall was recently classified as Class II by the FDA. Class II is used for products that “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” according to the FDA’s site.

Among the products recalled are Pringles, Nutella and Cheerios. The original recall was issued in December due to “the presence of rodent and avian contamination,” the company said. Products had been distributed in Minnesota, Indiana and North Dakota.

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Spring & Mulberry Expands Chocolate Recall Due to Salmonella

North Carolina-based Spring & Mulberry is expanding a chocolate recall first announced Jan. 12. The expansion, announced Jan. 14, 2026, was prompted by possible contamination of product with Salmonella.

“The affected products were available for purchase online and through select retail partners nationwide since Sept. 15, 2025,” the company said.

“The recalled products can be identified by brand name (Spring & Mulberry), with the following identifiers: flavor name, lot codes, and box color,” it explained.

The table below comes directly from the company recall announcement.

Home » Food recalls
Product NameLot NumberBox Color
Earl Grey#025258Purple
Lavender Rose#025259, #025260Light Blue
Mango Chili#025283Orange
Mint Leaf#025255Teal
Mixed Berry#025275, #025281, #025337Purple
Mulberry Fennel#025345Burgundy
Pacan Date#025261, #025265, #025267, #025268, #025339, #025343Yellow
Pure Dark Minis#025273Blue

No illnesses had been traced to the products at the time the recall was announced.

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Say it ain’t so Hostess, mold in your Ding Dongs?

Hostess snack cakes and I go way back, so I cringed when I saw this latest recall of Hostess Ding Dongs for mold contamination.

Once my favorites, Hostess HoHos are off my diet today, but I will never forget them.
Hostess shut down for a bit before an ownership change in recent years. Now, there’s a recall.

Mold?

“An investigation confirmed that a mechanical issue with a piece of equipment could create conditions that support mold growth in Ding Dongs before the listed expiration date, Hostess said in its recall statement,” reports the Today Show on its site.

I grew up in Brooklyn living off of Ring Dings, which are made by Hostess competitor Drake’s Cakes. Ding Dongs are a Ring Ding knock-off, for those of you into junk food family trees.

I’ve spent my adult life in the Midwest, where Drake’s do not distribute, so Hostess is my fallback favorite.

I normally opt for Hostess cupcakes, however, because those Ding Dongs really don’t hold a taste candle to the original Ring Dings, in my opinion. So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised mold is a secret ingredient.

Oddly enough, I was at a local Jewel supermarket yesterday and the Hostess rack was full of Ding Dongs but out of cupcakes! The mold issue seems to be confined to multipacks, not the two-packs.

Continue reading “Say it ain’t so Hostess, mold in your Ding Dongs?” →
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Listeria outbreak linked to Walmart, Kroger products

One of the recalled products — Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo 12.5 oz

A deadly listeria outbreak which already has killed three people has been linked to chicken products sold at Walmart and Kroger stores.

“FreshRealm, a large food producer with sites in California, Georgia and Indiana, is recalling products made before June 17,” reports the Associated Press. “The recall includes these products, which were sold in the refrigerated sections of retail stores: 

— 32.8-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 27 or earlier.

— 12.3-ounce trays of Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettucine Tender Pasta with Creamy Alfredo Sauce, White Meat Chicken, Broccoli and Shaved Parmesan Cheese with best-by dates of June 26 or earlier.

Continue reading “Listeria outbreak linked to Walmart, Kroger products” →
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Shame on you Boar’s Head

My dad loved Boar’s Head cold cuts. Glad he can’t see what’s happened to the brand lately.

Boar’s Head cold cuts were always my dad’s favorite. He was old-school when it came to food — he believed in the promise major brands made in those days, namely that they sold superior products. He would tell anyone who would listen at family parties that Boar’s Head was the best.

So I’m glad he’s not around today to see how the mighty have fallen. Not only did Boar’s Head have a major recall last year after a listeria outbreak was linked to products from a factory it runs in Virginia. But now a new report details sanitation issues at several other Boar’s Head plants, reports The Patch and other sources.

Continue reading “Shame on you Boar’s Head” →
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Cheese recall promoted by listeria spreads to salad kits

A listeria-related recall that started with cheese products has spread to salad kits including those cheeses, various media report.

“Salad products sold at Walmart, Costco and Winco were recalled Thursday amid a nationwide outbreak of listeria that has sickened at least 26 people and left two people dead,” reports Patch.com

“Ready Pac Foods voluntarily recalled a limited number of casesof four salad kits as a result of an expanded recall by Rizo-López Foods, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The kits contain cheese that could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause serious — and sometimes deadly — infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weak immune systems. Additionally, a listeria infection can cause women to miscarry or lead to stillbirths,” the report says.

Some of the recalled products are sold at Costco, Walmart and Cinco. Products sold at Trader Joe’s also ahve been impacted.

To read more details in the Food and drug Administration recall announcement, simply click here.

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Beware the apple sauce you give your children

Federal authorities are investigating apple sauce packets sold in 22 states that contain elevated levels of lead. the investigation centers around whether there pouches were intentionally contaminated, various sources report.

“The Food and Drug Administration is investigating elevated lead levels in apple cinnamon applesauce pouches sold under three brands — Weis, WanaBana, and Schnucks — and distributed by Amazon, Dollar Tree and other online retailers,” reports Patch.com.

“All three of the now-recalled applesauce brands were made at an Austrofood plant in Ecuador, where FDA officials announced last week they were focusing their investigation. The agency said health officials in Ecuador found that cinnamon from Austrofood’s supplier had higher levels of lead than the country allows. The company, Negasmart, is facing sanctions while officials there track down the source of the cinnamon, the FDA said,” Patch reports.

States where products have been recalled include California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

I never much liked apple sauce anyway, but here’s one more reason to put it aside for now.

Beware these brands, there’s been a recall for high levels of lead.
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Unexplained listeria outbreak spreading across country

A recent listeria outbreak linked to deli meats and cheeses has spread to several states with no apparent source found as of Friday, Nov. 11.

Beware deli meats, a listeria outbreak traced to a New York supermarket deli counter is sickening people.

Most of those who have become sick are in New York and have been found to shop at the same local supermarket, which has closed its deli counter because of the outbreak.

But other people in Illinois, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, California and New Jersey also have become ill and there appears no link as yet between them and the New York store.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” reports the Centers for Disease Control.

“In interviewing those sickened, CDC investigators found that five of the seven people in New York purchased sliced deli meat or cheese from at least one location of NetCost Market, a chain of stores selling international foods. However, that is not the only location of the illness, the CDC said, as people sickened in other states reported buying meats or cheeses from other delis,” CNN reports. A total of 16 people are known to have been infected so far.

Listeria is a nasty disease that is transmitted on food. One death already has been reported in this outbreak and another sickened person who was pregnant lost the baby she was carrying because of the listeria.

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