FOOD NEWS
The Biggest Food Recalls Ever To Hit Costco
by ELLIE BARBEE
Organic Strawberries
In March 2023, the nationwide hepatitis A outbreak linked to strawberries caused the 4-pound bags of Kirkland Signature organic strawberries to be discontinued.
Nine people became sick at the time. Though fresh lots of the product are now available, many believe contaminated bags may still be lingering in the freezers of unaware consumers.
Breaded Chicken Patties
In 2022, people were told to discard all 5-pound bags of Foster Farms’ breaded chicken breast patties with rib meat they had recently purchased from Costco.
Hard, sharp plastic shards were potentially mixed into the patties, and they could have even caused death. People were refunded for their troubles, and no injuries were reported.
Shrimp Street Tacos
In 2023, people who bought Pescanova shrimp street taco mix between March and April went back to Costco for a refund. Slews of bags of the product were recalled.
That’s because plastic pieces reportedly estimated as being up to 5 millimeters in length could potentially be found in the bags, which, quite obviously, posed a serious hazard.
Colombian Cold Brew
Sold in a 12-pack of 11-ounce aluminum cans, Costco’s ready-to-drink Kirkland Signature Colombian cold brew coffee fell into the recall territory in 2023.
Affected cans totaled 2.7 million and included ones sold between November 5, 2022, and February 10, 2023. Apparently, a metal bolt might have found its way inside some of the cans.
Sirloin & Beef Patties
In 1998, a woman in New York had to be hospitalized with E. coli bacteria after consuming Kirkland Signature ground sirloin and loin of beef patties.
Costco recalled 172,000 pounds of the item across 24 states. However, at the time, multiple spokespeople said the bacteria could’ve been killed if the patties were cooked properly.