Cracker Recalls That Affected Millions

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16 hours ago

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Crackers have been around since time immemorial, albeit not in the same snackable form as we know them today. Dating back to ancient civilizations, crackers of that time were most likely flatbreads made from flour and water. The first modern crackers were introduced in 1792, which he later sold as Crown Pilot Crackers, a product that was only discontinued in 2008.
While the recipes for commercially sold crackers vary, these bite-sized treats are characterized by a crispy texture and a savory flavor profile. However, regardless of their shape or flavor, crackers are not immune to mishaps. From mislabeling to contamination with foreign materials, even popular cracker brands like Ritz and Goldfish have been pulled off the shelves to protect consumers from injury, illness, or allergic reactions. On one occasion, crackers have even been withdrawn from the market after a trademark dispute.
Curious about some of the biggest recalls in cracker history? Take a look at our roundup of the most significant safety scares that involved this popular snack! And if crackers aren't your thing, why not check out our article on some of the biggest chocolate recalls that affected millions.
Read more: 6 Nuts To Stop Eating And 8 To Choose Instead
Despite their evocative name, oyster crackers don't contain any shellfish. Instead, the small crackers got their name because they were often eaten alongside oyster stews and clam chowders. Today, the wheat-based crackers are still commonly enjoyed with soups and stews, as well as other warm and filling dishes like savory chili. Unfortunately, in February 2025, oyster crackers became the center of a food safety recall when Ohio-based Shearer's Foods pulled them from grocery store shelves due to fears of metal contamination.
In total, over 15,000 cases of the crackers were recalled under a range of brand names, including Market Pantry, Great Value, Giant Eagle, and Vista. The products had been shipped to Walmart, Target, and Giant Eagle stores in 24 states. The FDA gave the Shearer's Foods oyster cracker recall a Class II designation, which applies to products that "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." It's unclear how the stainless steel wire metal fragments ended up in the crackers.
TreeHouse Foods specializes in the manufacturing of private label foods and beverages. The company's products include coffee, pretzels, cookies, cheeses, powdered beverages, broths, stocks, and, of course, crackers. In August 2023, TreeHouse Foods' crackers faced negative publicity after fragments of metal were found in Trader Joe's-branded crackers with sunflower and flaxseeds. In total, the recall affected more than 13,000 cases — or close to 200,000 pounds — of the product. Luckily, no injuries were linked to the vegan snack at the time.
Trader Joe's isn't new to recalls, with two other product withdrawals taking place just a month before the Multigrain Crackers with sunflower and flaxseeds incident. In July 2023 Trader Joe's recalled its Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies over concerns that the biscuits may contain rocks. The other recall that took place that same month involved Trader Joe's Broccoli Cheddar Soup due to the possibility that it may contain insects. To learn more about the chain's recalls, take a look at our article on the biggest recalls in Trader Joe's history.
Featuring a range of cute animal shapes, Publix GreenWise Animal Crackers are a fun snack for both adults and kids. Considering how innocuous the product appeared, the 2022 announcement that it might be harboring an undeclared allergen took many consumers by surprise. More specifically, Toufayan Bakery's Publix GreenWise Animal Crackers were flagged due to the possibility that they contained coconut, an undeclared allergen that could have triggered severe health issues in sensitive individuals. Tree nuts are one of the FDA's nine major allergens, alongside milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
The mislabeled 8-ounce pouches of Publix GreenWise Animal Crackers had been sold at Publix Supermarkets in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. While it's not exactly clear how the coconut may have ended up in the product, the contamination was attributed to a "temporary breakdown in the production and packaging processes."
Despite their advertised flavor profile, Back to Nature Cheddalicious Cheese Flavored Crackers contain no actual cheese or dairy-based ingredients. Instead, these crunchy bites are completely vegan, relying on plant-based ingredients to replicate the cheddar flavor so beloved by consumers. The crackers are also free of GMOs, artificial colors, artificial flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils.
In 2022, Back to Nature Cheddalicious Cheese Flavored Crackers came under scrutiny after they failed to deliver on their dairy-free promise. More precisely, it was discovered that certain batches of the crackers contained both undeclared milk and eggs. The mislabeled products had been shipped to Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Luckily, no adverse health issues were linked to the products at the time, with the recall issued "out of an abundance of caution."
Undeclared allergens are one of the most common reasons for food being pulled off supermarket shelves in the U.S. Whether it's peanuts, wheat, milk, or soybeans, even trace amounts of some ingredients can have disastrous consequences for individuals suffering from severe food allergies. This is why proper and transparent labeling is so critical.
One case of mislabeling that could have proven fatal took place in 2021, when Simple Mills, a brand known for its gluten-free and nutrition-conscious snacks, announced a recall of its Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers. The issue arose when boxes of the product were mislabled and accidentally filled with Farmhouse Cheddar Almond Flour Crackers, which contain milk. Simple Mills was alerted about the mix-up by a consumer who discovered the blunder. Fortunately, only one individual reported experiencing mild symptoms after eating the mislabeled product.
Introduced by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) — today a subsidiary of Mondelēz Global — in 1934, Ritz crackers were marketed as a budget-friendly luxury snack during the Great Depression. It wasn't long before the buttery, slightly flaky biscuits became a hit with consumers, taking the spot as the top selling cracker globally by the end of the 1930s. Building on this success, today Ritz offers a wide range of cracker flavors and format choices like hot honey, zesty herb, and sour cream and onion.
One of the Ritz variants is the Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches, which combines two buttery crackers with a cheese filling. In 2020, the popular product drew public attention after Mondelēz Global was forced to pull it off the shelves due to the possible presence of an undeclared allergen. The issue arose due to mispackaging. More specifically, some boxes labeled as Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches actually contained Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers. Peanut butter is a known allergen that can trigger potentially life-threatening reactions in those sensitive to the ingredient. No adverse health issues had been linked to the product at the time — perhaps because the packaging featured a label warning that the so-called cheese crackers "may contain peanuts."
Launched by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), now under the umbrella of Mondelēz Global, in 1955, Cheese Nips Baked Snack Crackers were invented to compete with Sunshine Biscuits' Cheez-It crackers, which had been on the market since 1921. Known for their crunchy texture and rich cheddar flavor, the Nabisco snack did reasonably well until 2019, when it became the subject of a nationwide recall.
Mondelēz Global issued the product recall due to fears of possible plastic contamination. To be more precise, it was discovered that some of the Cheese Nips may have been tainted with "food-grade yellow plastic pieces" that had dislodged from the dough scraper used in their manufacturing process. No injuries or adverse health effects had been connected to the product at the time of the recall. If you would like to find out more about some of this company's other blunders, take a look at our roundup of Nabisco recalls that affected millions.
The founder of Pepperidge Farm, Margaret Rudkin, was a force to be reckoned with. Not only did she teach herself to bake nutritious, preservative-free bread after her son started to develop food allergies, but she turned what she learned into a thriving business. She also authored a 1963 "Pepperidge Farm Cookbook" and was the first woman to serve on the board of directors of the Campbell Soup Company after it acquired Pepperidge Farm in 1961. Rudkin was also the business mind behind the launch of Goldfish Crackers in the U.S. in 1962, after she discovered them on her vacation in Switzerland.
Today Pepperidge Farm's Goldfish Crackers come in a range of flavor variants. Unfortunately, four of these had to be recalled in 2018 due to potential contamination with salmonella. The pulled flavors included Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavor Blasted Sour Cream & Onion, Goldfish Baked with Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar, and Goldfish Mix Xtra Cheddar + Pretzel. Pepperidge Farm issued the recall after learning that the whey powder, which was used to season the crackers, may have been contaminated when it was manufactured at Associated Milk Producers.
One suspect ingredient can taint a range of products — including ones made by completely different companies. That is precisely what happened in 2018, when Mondelēz Global joined Pepperidge Farm in issuing a recall after being alerted to the possible salmonella contamination in the whey powder supplied by Associated Milk Producers. The suspect ingredient was used to season a range of the company's Ritz Bitz and Ritz Cracker Sandwiches. The precautionary recall took place in the U.S., as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Salmonella can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. While healthy adults usually recover without complications, the impact of the bacterial infection can be much more serious for certain individuals. For instance, children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at a particular risk, with the pathogen possibly even leading to hospitalization and death.
May Flower International is a distributor of Asian food products, including snacks, pickles, sauces, seasoning, flour and rice noodles, and frozen food. In 2018, the New York-based company recalled 4.4-ounce packages of 3+2 Soda Crackers due to the risk that they could contain undeclared milk. Just like their name suggests, 3+2 Soda Crackers consist of three layers of soda crackers separated by two layers of filling.
Once imported to the U.S., the 3+2 Soda Crackers were distributed nationally, making the recall more complex, as the mislabeled products could be found in grocery stores across a wide area. The presence of milk — an ingredient not listed on the packaging — was discovered after routine testing by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors. While there were no reports of any consumers being sickened by the crackers at the time, the product could have had disastrous consequences for individuals allergic to dairy. Just some of the symptoms of a milk allergy include vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. In the worst case scenario, a severe allergic reaction to the product can even lead to anaphylactic shock.
Mars Chocolate North America — which merged into Mars Wrigley Confectionery in 2017 — is best known for its Mars chocolate bars. The popular caramel, nougat, and milk chocolate confection was launched in 1932 in the U.K, and has since become a staple grocery item around the globe. The 2016 recall had nothing to do with Mars Bars, instead centering on cracker-based snacks, including Combos Cheddar Cheese Pretzel, Cheddar Cheese Cracker, Pizzeria Pretzel, Sweet and Salty Caramel Pretzel, Pepperoni Cracker, and Buffalo Pretzel.
The products were pulled off the shelves due to potential contamination with peanuts, a known allergen that can trigger potentially life-threatening reactions in sensitive individuals. Mars Chocolate North America raised the alarm after one of its suppliers, Grain Craft, issued a recall of the wheat flour used in the products, warning that it was likely to contain traces of peanuts. The products had been distributed nationwide, as well as in the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Antigua, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Unlike most other recalls, which involve product contamination or undeclared allergens, the 1998 Nabisco recall of the company's Cheese Nips CatDog crackers centered around a legal issue. Manufactured as a part of the promotion of Nickelodeon's animated TV show "CatDog," the snack featured fish-shaped Cheese Nips crackers, which Pepperidge Farm claimed looked too much like its trademarked Goldfish Crackers.
Pepperidge Farm initiated a lawsuit over this similarity, claiming that Nabisco infringed on its trademark fish-shaped cracker brand. The judge sided with Pepperidge Farm, ordering Nabisco to stop production and recall any Cheese Nips CatDog crackers that may have already found their way onto grocery store shelves. The judge also instructed Pepperidge Farm to post a $3.55 million bond to safeguard Nabisco against any potential losses if the decision was overturned. While the ruling threw a wrench into Nickelodeon's promotional plan with Nabisco, the network continued its "CatDog" advertising with other partners, including Kraft Foods and Burger King.
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