The Costco Recalls Continue With A Possible Listeria Outbreak

Costco's Kirkland Signature American Vodka and H.K. Anderson peanut butter pretzels aren't the only things being pulled from Costco shelves. Three recall notices sent to members at the end of September warn of potential health issues, including a listeria scare.

The most recent recall notice went out on September 29, regarding the Kirkland Signature applewood-smoked Master Carve Half Ham. The producer, Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats, is recalling Lot #264-4 with a use/freeze-by date of January 20 for potential Listeria contamination. This is the only lot code currently being recalled; no others are affected. It was sold exclusively in Northern California and Western Nevada. It's imperative that any customers who have purchased Kirkland Signature ham with this specific lot code dispose of the ham safely.

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria that can begin to manifest symptoms as little as one day after exposure and as much as 70 days after exposure. Symptoms in young, healthy, and non-pregnant people include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, fever, muscle aches, and sometimes convulsions. In at-risk populations, Listeriosis can manifest as flu-like symptoms and can lead to meningitis, encephalitis, or sepsis. It is particularly dangerous to pregnant people, with 20% of cases resulting in fetal loss.

Listeriosis is most commonly contracted by consuming contaminated food. In 2022, an outbreak linked to contaminated deli meat and cheese led to 16 cases, 13 of which resulted in hospitalizations, one death, and one miscarriage.

Costco's first recall notice of September went out on September 21, to members who had purchased Rainbow Road Board Books. The publishing company, Make Believe Ideas Ltd., issued a recall of seven children's books due to reports that the plastic ring bindings had detached, making them a choking hazard. There have been three reports of detaching rings, but no reported injuries. 

Four of the seven books are included in the Rainbow Road Book Box sold at Costco: Things that Go!, Dinosaur's First Words, Unicorn's Colors, and Animal Counting. Customers who purchased this item between October 2022 and August 2023 can return it to Costco for a full refund or register at recallrtr.com/rr. The books have also been sold by Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble.

The second notice went out on September 28 to members who had purchased Orgain Organic Protein & Superfoods Powder in the Creamy Chocolate Fudge with Probiotics variety. This is a voluntary recall due to undeclared sesame, an allergen requiring disclosure. Anyone with a sesame allergen who purchased this protein powder with the lot numbers 3212 EL 14, 3213 EL 14, 3214 EL 14, and 3228 EL 14 can "return any unused product" to Costco for a full refund, according to the notice.