8 Of The Largest Cooking Oil Recalls In History

Yahoo

28-04-2025

Whether you're a home cook or a professional chef, cooking oil is a staple in kitchens worldwide. For many, the vast assortment of cooking oil options at supermarkets makes it easy and exciting to try a variety of different options. However, behind many of these popular oil brands lies a startling history of recalls and lawsuits that have happened over the years. From packaging hazards to contagious outbreaks, major cooking oil brands have been faced with recalls that have made headlines for their far-reaching public impact on unassuming customers.
Like any recall, these instances highlight the potential risks that come with mass food manufacturing as well as the blind trust that customers put into food processing. In this article, we will discuss eight of the largest and most infamous cooking oil recalls that forever shaped the public's perception. After reading, you may think again before purchasing cooking oil from some of these popular brands.
Read more: 11 Foods You Might Want To Avoid Buying At Aldi
In 2011, ConAgra Foods found itself at the center of a major recall scandal and a class action lawsuit for falsely advertising several Wesson Oils products as "100% natural." On the contrary, the oils were actually made from genetically modified crops, making them far from natural.
The plaintiffs argued that this packaging was misleading customers into buying a product. This lawsuit highlighted the public's demand for more transparency in food labeling. Ultimately, the lawsuit was settled for $8 million, and ConAgra Foods voluntarily recalled all the mislabeled oil products. This case served as a turning point for the cooking oil industry as it became clear that the public would no longer tolerate misleading packaging at large.
While this recall directly hurt no one, it remains important due to its long-lasting effects on the industry. This settlement sent a clear message about the potential legal and financial consequences misleading consumers with food labels can have.
Just last year, Primal Kitchen faced a major recall after a packaging issue was flagged for their popular avocado oil product. Avocado oil is a kind of cooking oil that is often credited as a healthier alternative to many vegetable oils. Unfortunately, this product was identified by the FDA and recalled after a significant packing issue was discovered.
The Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil (750 milliliters) was recalled after it was discovered that the glass containers in which this oil was packaged in was prone to breakage, making the bottles potentially hazardous for customers. This manufacturer discovered this issue after seeing leaked avocado oil in the product's shipping containers.
The recall affected 2,060 cases of this avocado oil, making this situation an extreme loss for the Primal Kitchen brand. While no injuries were reported, this instance certainly scarred Primal Kitchen's reputation. With such a large loss of product, this recall will be difficult for Primal Kitchen fans to forget.
Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Market underwent a significant product recall in 2020 after testing revealed mold contamination. According to the FDA, the Natural Grocers Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil packaged in glass jars tested high for mold, which ignited a class II recall of 14,863 pounds of product.
In addition to being a common household ingredient in recipes and beauty routines, coconut oil is commonly used as a cooking oil. While some molds are perfectly healthy to digest, others can be dangerous. If a customer were to accidentally ingest mold from a contaminated jar, they could become ill with symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and shortness of breath.
Thankfully, no illness or injury was reported. This incident served as a reminder to companies and consumers to stay vigilant about food safety. Mold develops only in the right kind of conditions, and this problem can be better avoided with a more strict manufacturing and transporting process.
In 2015 and 2016, Deoleo USA faced two major scandals involving their olive oil brands Bertolli and Carapelli. The first recall happened in November of 2015 when Deoleo USA issued a voluntary recall of Bertolli and Carapelli olive oil products after discovering that a refining supplier issue was making the olive oil prematurely spoil.
The company stated, "Our investigation to date reveals that the oil has prematurely oxidized, causing potential off odor and taste, which presents a quality but not a health issue... We have identified the source of the problem with one of our refining suppliers and have taken immediate corrective action."
Unfortunately for Deoleo USA, in February 2016 both products were recalled again after trace amounts of pesticides were discovered in the olive oil. Having two major recalls happen so close to each other was an incredibly bad look for Deoleo USA, and this situation has certainly affected the reputation of the brand overall.
Mediterranean Food Inc. found themselves in a recall nightmare of their own after Salmonella was discovered in select jars of their Alqosh Sesame Oil. This brand, which specializes in bringing unique Mediterranean flavors to grocery shelves, was left to comply with a Class I recall from the FDA, which is only used if they think the products could cause severe health consequences or be potentially fatal.
The product tested positive for Salmonella by the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development, leading to 1,680 pounds of product being recalled. The CDC warns that Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and infection from days to weeks after exposure. Unfortunately, Salmonella can be deadly, especially for vulnerable groups. Due to how potentially dangerous this recall could have been, this instance altered the brand's image for Mediterranean Food Inc. customers.
In 2016, a recall for frying oil affected one of America's largest fast food chains, Burger King. Silver Source, made by Stratas Foods, LLC, is a massive food supplier that offers reasonably priced products to large restaurants or companies. At the time of this recall, Silver Source supplied liquid frying oil to Burger King.
Unfortunately, a major error in the packaging of this product led to a complete recall. According to the FDA, Stratas Foods was informed by their plastic manufacturer that a piece of plastic from the neck finish of their five-gallon containers could have fallen into a portion of shipped-out jugs. Plastic pieces in a jug would be considered foreign materials, which meant that 6,137 cases of these jugs needed to be recalled.
This recall showed that mistakes can easily be made at wide-scale food production operations like Stratas Foods, LLC, which supplies food giants like Burger King. While no injuries came from this, the large amount of product that had to be wasted makes this case somewhat infamous.
McEvoy Ranch is known for providing luxury and award-winning olive oil products, but that hasn't stopped the company from getting themselves into a few scandals either. A gallon of McEvoy's Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil costs $325, which is expensive, but some say is indicative of the product's quality. One happy reviewer stated: "We have been buying this olive oil for many years and it's the best olive oil we have ever had-we trust the makers and we know it's worth every amount we pay."
Unfortunately, this olive oil found itself in quite a controversy in 2018 after they had to issue a recall for 6,000 bottles of the product. The reason for the recall was because of a quality issue in the packaging, which was leaking and cracking due to inconsistent filling.
To lose so much of this savory and luxury product was surely a tragedy for the company, but an issue like this packaging error was too large to be potentially overlooked. In the end, McEvoy Ranch likely had to work hard to improve its reputation after this manufacturing disaster.
In 1993, a massive recall and scandal hit Rubino U.S.A. Inc., a prominent name in olive oil manufacturing. The FDA initiated the recall after it was discovered that the company was mislabeling a variety of olive oil products. This massive recall affected approximately 200,000 units of olive oil. The FDA discovered that several products were being diluted with canola oil or low-grade olive oil despite being advertised as having a high-grade olive oil.
In addition to being a huge loss of product, this recall was a massive violation of consumer trust. To mislabel a product as something it is not is intentionally misleading a customer, which is what prompted the FDA to intervene and issue this recall. This instance also helped ignite a larger conversation over the quality of different grades of olive oil and the responsibility of companies to correctly advertise that grade.
Overall, this situation stands amongst the others on this list as some of the largest cooking oil recalls in history. Only time will tell if another major slip-up joins this list of company scandals.
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