A Costco Shopper Just Found Some Metal In Their Kirkland Protein Bar

One Costco customer allegedly found an unwelcome surprise when they bit into their chocolate chip cookie dough-flavored Kirkland Signature protein bar. Taking to Reddit to share the discovery with fellow shoppers, the member of the bulk retailer claimed to have bit down on a small metal gear wedged inside one of the snacks. Sharing an image of the gear against the backdrop of the protein bar, the Redditor wrote, "Wanted to alert this group that I bit into a piece of metal while eating a Kirkland brand chocolate chip cookie dough protein bar."

The social media post drew a number of reactions from other Costco members, with one person writing, "This is how recalls start. Please keep that wrapper and box." The post spawned a discussion in which other shoppers shared their experiences finding foreign objects in foods. For instance, one commenter shared that they found and reported ceramic pieces in their Kirkland cat food despite not seeing any active recalls for the product. Another shopper claimed to have found the same kind of gear in their Kirkland-brand nuts, writing, "I clarified that I wasn't here for a refund but the customer rep just kept saying we cannot refund that."

If you find a foreign body in your food, you are encouraged to report it. You can reach out to your state's Consumer Complaint Coordinator or call the main FDA emergency number at 866-300-4374. As Costco likely understands all too well, these issues are more common than you might think.

Of course, this isn't the first time shoppers have purportedly found foreign objects in their food, and it's unlikely to be the last. As Time notes, it may simply be a symptom of industrialized food production. Parts from machines can break off and find their way inside food products. But it's not just metal consumers have to worry about.

Costco had several major recalls in 2023 alone over foreign bodies in its Kirkland Signature brands. In October 2023, Costco recalled its Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie in Canada over concerns about wood pieces in the cookies. In March 2023, Costco recalled 2.3 million cans of Kirkland cold brew. The affected cans contained metal, with 13 states being affected. It's not just Costco, of course, but an industry-wide issue. For instance, reports found traces of heavy metals in many baby foods.

Still, food manufacturers are trying to improve how they keep food safe. In an interview with CBS, food expert Brian Buckley said, "They use a lot of magnets in large-scale food manufacturing to essentially try to catch the metal shavings at some point." Costco has yet to issue a recall for these particular protein bars.