Dairy lovers should check the refrigerator for cream cheese that was sold at Aldi or pre-sliced Tillamook cheese sold at Costco which have both been recalled independently and pulled from shelves.
On June 1, the Oregon-based dairy co-op alerted Costco members who had purchased its twin-pack of Tillamook cheese slices because the company said it “identified a very small quantity of gray and black plastic pieces” that may be present in a limited quantity of its Monterey Jack Cheese.
The affected products, which had a “Best If Used By” date of October 22, 2024, were sold at Costco locations in the Northwest region and came in a 32 oz. package with Tillamook Monterey Jack and Tillamook Colby Jack cheese slices bearing item number 651195.
Any customers who purchased the product between May 9 and May 31, 2024, received a written letter advising them to “please refrain from consuming it and return the package to your local Costco for a full refund.
“In an abundance of caution and as part of our commitment to product quality and safety at the highest levels, we are voluntarily taking action to remove this product from the marketplace,” the letter stated. “If you have already consumed the product without issue, you do not need to take any action, as the likely presence of the foreign plastic material is very minimal.”
Wisconsin-based dairy company Schreiber Foods Inc. has recalled more cream cheese products as part of an ongoing recall due to potential salmonella contamination.
As of the time of publication, the cream cheese maker has recalled 836,721 units of cream cheese products, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration incident report initiated on May 3.
Several major food retailers, including Hy Vee, Kroger, and Aldi, distributed and sold the affected cream cheeses.
The recalled products were distributed in California, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. The products were also shipped to Puerto Rico.
A total of eight cream cheese spreads made for various supermarkets and sold under different names are impacted by the recall including Dunkin, Dutch Farms, Happy Farms, Fareway, and Essential Everyday.
Click here for the complete FDA list of product UPC codes, best by dates and specific label information for the hundreds of products impacted.
A representative for Aldi and Schreiber Foods did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Customers who may have purchased the products have been urged by Schreiber Foods to “discard it immediately or return it to their local store for a full refund.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and symptoms typically begin six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.
Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days. But some — especially children younger than five years and adults 65 years and older, or people with weakened immune systems — may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization, the CDC states.
