Two Liquid Egg Brands Recalled Over Bleach Contamination Risk

New York Times

06-04-2025

Thousands of pounds of liquid egg substitutes sold under two popular brand names have been recalled because of the potential risk of contamination with a cleaning solution, federal safety regulators said.
Cargill Kitchen Solutions in Lake Odessa, Mich., recalled about 212,268 pounds of products under its Egg Beaters and Bob Evans labels because they may contain a cleaning solution with sodium hypochlorite, also known as bleach, the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on March 28.
The products were shipped for distribution in Ohio and Texas and for food service use in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Iowa.
'There is a possibility that the products were distributed nationwide,' the agency said.
Cargill Kitchen Solutions did not immediately respond to inquiries on Sunday but in a telephone recording about the recall, the company said it was voluntary.
'We have issued this recall out of an abundance of caution because some of the product may contain undeclared sodium hypochlorite,' the company said.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said it had received a tip about the products' potential contamination with bleach, sometimes labeled sodium hypochlorite.
'After conducting an investigation and thorough assessment of the contents of the cleaning solution, FSIS scientists concluded that use of this product should not cause adverse health consequences, or the risk is negligible, resulting in a Class III recall,' the agency said.
The agency also noted that the health risks for consumers were relatively low and that there had been no reports of adverse reactions. 'Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider,' the agency said.
It did warn customers not to consume the potentially contaminated products and to throw them away or return them to the store where they purchased them.
The liquid egg products were produced on March 12 and 13, 2025, and carry the label G1804 on their cartons, the agency said.
The recall came as consumers are looking to egg alternatives because of rising prices and shortages at supermarkets nationwide. The recall also comes as other products may have been contaminated with the bird flu amid outbreaks in poultry and cows across the United States.
Although egg prices have dropped recently, the anxiety about their cost continues, and many consumers have gotten creative at finding substitutes, such as liquid egg products.