12 Of The Worst Dairy Recalls To Ever Hit America

Americans have the second highest total dairy consumption globally, with more than 155 billion pounds enjoyed by citizens in 2022 alone, coming in behind only India, according to World Population Review. While most dairy products on shelves today are considered safe thanks to modern regulations and pasteurization, problems can unfortunately occur during the production process. When this happens, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or other regulatory bodies issue a recall.

Sometimes, the FDA or the company who manufactures or distributes the product finds the problems during routine testing. Ideally, this happens before the product is shipped out for consumption and prevents people from becoming sick. Other times, issues aren't discovered until a consumer becomes ill. Illnesses that result in food recalls are sometimes mild, but they have the potential to be serious or even lethal. Today, we discuss 12 of the worst dairy recalls to ever hit America, including the products involved, the incidents' implications, and the contaminants responsible.

Bacteria and foreign objects are common recall issues, but they aren't always to blame. In fact, a recall can sometimes happen because a product contains too much of a good thing — and that's exactly what happened with Ohio-based Reiter Dairy in March of 2003. During an investigation by the FDA, it was found that the brand's Topps Vitality Fat Free Chocolate Milk contained significantly more of vitamins A and D than what was on the label due to a manufacturing error. When the problem was discovered, the milk had already been shipped out and was available for purchase in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. 

The labeling on these half-gallon containers stated there was approximately 2,000 to 3,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A and 400 to 600 IU of vitamin D per quart. How much did it actually contain? Approximately 44,700 IU of vitamin A and 4,000 IU of vitamin D per quart — which isn't just excessive, but incredibly dangerous.

Excessive vitamin A consumption can cause symptoms like headache, digestive issues, dizziness, blurred vision, and more. Rarely, it can also cause death, especially in at-risk populations like young children who have a lower dose tolerance, according to a study in StatPearls. The primary problem with getting too much vitamin D is the risk of hypercalcemia, which is a buildup of calcium in your blood, according to the Mayo Clinic. Thankfully, the 150 gallons of chocolate milk were recalled before they could cause any serious harm or injury to consumers.

Meadow Gold Dairy has been in business since 1901 — when horse-drawn milk wagons were used to transport products. But, in June 2016, the company had to issue a voluntary recall of more than 10,000 products due to insufficient pasteurization. Products included the Old Style Whipping Cream, DairyPure Whipping Cream, and DairyPure Half and Half.

Pasteurization is a process where milk (or other products) are heated to a temperature that kills off most harmful pathogens before quickly cooling it back down. Unpasteurized milk, modernly also known as "raw milk," has a sordid history of causing problems that has led to the FDA warning consumers against consumption. This is because dangerous germs like Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter can easily be spread through raw milk. Thankfully, in this specific incident, Meadow Gold Dairy discovered the problem early and quickly acted to protect consumers through a voluntary recall. No illnesses or injuries were linked to the recall as a result.

In September of 2006, the dangers of raw or unpasteurized milk made headlines in California. A joint investigation by the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) discovered Organic Pastures to be the source of a dangerous E. Coli outbreak. The discovery was made using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), a type of genetic fingerprinting that identifies similar strains of bacteria. Once traced, the CDFA and CDHS found several infected cows at the Organic Pastures farm.

A statewide recall and quarantine order were issued to prevent further illnesses. The recall covered not only the company's unpasteurized milk, but also its raw cream and raw colostrum. Unfortunately, six children had already fallen ill with E. coli infection, and two had gone on to develop a rare but deadly complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Lawsuits were filed by Marler Clark Law Firm on behalf of the two children with HUS, who required extended hospital stays.

E. coli causes serious digestive symptoms and fatigue, with or without a low fever. Dairy products like those from Organic Pastures are one of the foods most likely to carry the E. Coli bacteria, along with raw or undercooked meat. 

In March of 1991, a strange incident led to Nestle, Inc. announcing a nationwide recall of its La Lechera sweetened condensed milk. A family of four, including two young children, became critically ill after consuming a meal containing the condensed milk. No, the milk hadn't gone bad (but yes, that's possible despite belief to the contrary). Instead, an investigation determined that the dairy product contained PCP.

Phencyclidine (PCP) is an illegal street drug that produces mind-altering effects. In large amounts, PCP can be fatal, especially for young children like the two involved who have lower dose thresholds.

Nobody knows how the sweetened condensed milk became contaminated with PCP and no other cans were reported as being affected, but a voluntary recall was issued regardless. Nestle spokesman Dick Curd said, "This voluntary action is being taken as a precaution in response to this one instance. Nestle has no evidence of any other illnesses anywhere in the country."

Raw, unpasteurized dairy products are frequently to blame for bacterial outbreaks leading to recalls — so much so that we may begin to sound like a broken record. This was once again the case when California-based Raw Farm had to recall its Raw Cheddar Cheese in February of 2024 due to it being linked to an E. Coli outbreak that affected 11 people in five states, including California, Colorado, New Jersey, Texas, and Utah. Two affected individuals went on to develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

The recalled products included all sizes of the Raw Farm Raw Cheddar Cheese blocks, including those with jalapeno added, and any associated shredded varieties. During the investigation, several other products from the Raw Farm brand were tested as a safety precaution, including its raw milk, raw butter, and raw kefir products. Thankfully, testing confirmed there were no detectable E. Coli bacteria in these other products processed at the company's site. 

Raw Farm has had several problems with its raw dairy products that required recalls. In December of 2024, there was a recall of its products because bird flu viruses were detected in the company's milk products, as well as at bottling and retail sites. This happened during an outbreak of the bird flu in dairy herds, shortly following the first human infections confirmed in California.

The bird flu, also known as H5N1 or the avian influenza virus, is an illness that can spread between animals and people. Although most cases in the United States have been mild so far, there's a possibility of severe illness and one person has even died as a result during this specific epidemic.

Although Raw Farm did issue a voluntary recall and has been cooperative with government regulatory agencies, the company has been very outspoken in that it believed these actions to be unnecessary. In a press release from Raw Farm, it stated: "There are no illnesses associated with H5N1 in our products, but rather this is a political issue. There are no food safety issues with our products or consumer safety... Our family business has faced many political challenges before and we are resilient."

Ricotta salata cheese is an Italian specialty cheese made from sheep's milk whey rather than cow's milk whey. It can be used in place of traditional ricotta in various dishes for a slightly saltier, tangier flavor — and most options on the market are safe to eat, thanks to pasteurization. Unfortunately, this cheese type was found to be the source of a Listeria outbreak that affected at least 22 people across 13 states between June and August of 2012. The implicated Frescolina Marte ricotta salata was imported from Italy by Fattorie Chiarappa and distributed by Forever Cheese, Inc. to numerous states. An expanded recall was issued in September of 2012.

Listeria is a foodborne bacterial illness causing fever, chills, digestive issues, and muscle aches. In some severe cases, the infection can spread to your nervous system, where it causes balance issues, seizures, headache, stiff neck, and confusion. 

Among those affected by the ricotta salata Listeria infection, 20 required hospitalization and at least one person died as a result. The death occurred in a premature baby who contracted Listeria from his mother while still in the womb and died within two weeks of birth. A lawsuit was filed on behalf of the mother and father of the infant.

Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. is a California-based food manufacturer owned by the Rizo brothers, Edwin and Tomas. In 2024, a joint investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA discovered the company's queso fresco and cotija cheeses to be the cause of a multi-year outbreak of Listeria infection across several states.

Initially, Rizo Lopez Foods issued a voluntary recall for one batch of its Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese. But, after new illnesses were reported, it issued a new recall for all its dairy products, regardless of the sell-by dates. Company operations were shut down and the company entered into a consent decree, which barred the company from reopening until certain requirements were met to ensure consumer safety.

Unfortunately, these measures came after several people suffered the consequences of Listeria infection. At least 26 people were affected by this outbreak. Of those, there were at least 23 hospitalizations, with two people succumbing to their illness. There was also one pregnancy loss associated with a connected illness.

In March of 2022, school milk cartons produced by Garelick Farms and Guida's Dairy gave children an unexpected (and unwanted) surprise: They were contaminated with food-grade sanitizer due to a manufacturing error. The contaminated milk was distributed to at least three schools in Boston, Massachusetts, and at least four in Camden, New Jersey.

The issue was discovered by the children and teachers during a normal lunch period. Students in Boston reported that the milk "smelled funny," according to interviews with CBS News. The Camden City School District released a statement on Facebook stating it was investigating "a possible contamination of milk today... We pulled all milk today and NO milk will be served until the investigation is completed. Emergency teams were dispatched to the school." Those emergency teams sent 37 students to the hospital and examined 15 others at the school. All students were subsequently discharged from the hospital. 

The dairy producers acted quickly to resolve the issue. In an interview with CBS, a spokesperson for Garelick Farms said, "We immediately took action to retrieve any potentially affected product and began testing this product to verify there is no food safety risk associated with this product."

Between January and June of 1985, a Listeria outbreak swept across Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California. The CDC launched an investigation as the death toll and overall number of illnesses continued to rise, finding that all initial cases were in pregnant Hispanics and appeared to be community-acquired. This helped narrow down possible sources and testing was done on Mexican-style cheeses from three manufacturers, leading to the discovery that Jalisco brand products were to blame.

In response, Jalisco issued a voluntary recall of the implicated cheese products. There were also public announcements made discussing the safety of these products and urging consumers to throw away any they may already have at home. The recall and announcements included other brands manufactured at the Jalisco plant, like Guadalajara, La Vaquita, and Jimenez.

Unfortunately, the aftermath of the Jalisco brand Listeria outbreak was devastating. At least 86 cases of illness were reported, including at least 29 deaths. Of these deaths, eight happened in unborn babies and 13 were stillbirths as a result of their mother's infections.

Schwan's Company had been around since the 1950s and was a true rags-to-riches success story. In the beginning, founder Marvin Schwan delivered homemade ice cream in rural Minnesota. From there, the company grew until it was once one of the largest ice cream makers in the world. Unfortunately, the company closed it's doors in late 2024 after rebranding as Yelloh.

Despite great success for many years, Schwan's Company's story was not without its issues. In 1994, the Minnesota Department of Health became aware of an outbreak of Salmonella infection. This caused the FDA to launch an investigation that subsequently determined Schwan's ice cream to be the culprit. As many as 593 confirmed cases across 41 states were linked to the Schwan's Salmonella outbreak, although investigators suspected as many as 224,000 were affected. Thankfully, no deaths were reported.

The likely cause of the Salmonella outbreak was that raw, unpasteurized eggs were hauled in tankers that weren't properly washed before transporting ice cream. (Eggs are frequently to blame for food recalls.) Schwan's took this matter seriously and went to great lengths to warn consumers about consumption. 

One of America's largest Salmonella outbreaks in history happened in 1985 when tainted raw milk entered the pasteurization system at a dairy processing plant. The plant was owned by Jewel Food Stores and was the location where Hillfarm Dairy products were manufactured. This contaminated raw milk mixed with the final pasteurized products and was then shipped out to consumers. Sadly, more than 17,000 people ended up becoming ill, and at least six died. 

The implicated products included Hillfarm Dairy Skim Milk, Hillfarm Dairy 2% Milk, and Bluebrook 2% Milk. A 5-month study was performed to confirm suspicions about the cause of the outbreak, however, it was still unknown exactly how the contamination was able to occur. 

A lawsuit was filed against Jewel Food Stores by the Illinois Attorney General's office following the event. The lawsuit claimed that store employees had inappropriately discarded remaining Salmonella-contaminated milk, thus potentially posing a health threat to the public and environment. However, the judge overseeing the case ruled in favor of the grocery chain.