Latest news with #ConAgra
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trending in Texoma — Fast food extended hours to Memorial Day weekend box office record
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Whether it's happening on the other side of the country, somewhere else in Texas, or right in our communities, Digital Producer Mariana Vela takes a look at the stories currently generating the most interest on social media. Social Rundown: e.l.f. Cosmetics, robots boxing match, and Oregon man sails to Hawaii 'Southern Comfort' by Dolly Parton The country music icon has partnered with the ConAgra food brand company to bring her fans a taste of nostalgia with a 'Dolly Parton' frozen food line. The classics include shrimp and grits, chicken and dumplings, country-fried steak, and biscuit-batter peach cobbler for dessert. The food line will be available at Walmart and Target stores. McDonald's hours extended Perhaps not as late or 24-hour service as before COVID times, but McDonald's plans to extend hours this summer to help satisfy the public's late-night cravings. The fast food chain plans to expand its hours to midnight or later at most U.S. locations and aims to open up to 50,000 new locations in 2027. Box office Memorial Day weekend finalists First: Lilo & Stitch live action- $145.5 million Second: Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning- $63 million Third: Final Destination- Bloodlines- $19.7 million Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These Are Kroger's Biggest Food Recalls In History
Most major supermarkets have dealt with a food recall or two at some point — sometimes a whole slew of them — and Kroger is no exception. Some of the biggest food recalls in Kroger's history overlap with those of other major retailers due to the sheer scale of food corporations and their vast distribution reach. As one of the largest supermarket chains in the U.S., Kroger stays competitive with its private label brands. Yet even those brands are not immune from sloppy practices at suppliers' facilities where faulty equipment or packaging can lead to bacterial contamination, resulting in a rise of foodborne illness. Bacteria like salmonella, listeria, and E. coli can cause multiple symptoms ranging from mild to severe, typically presenting with gastrointestinal distress. In vulnerable groups, such as the very young, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, symptoms of foodborne illness can escalate, requiring medical attention. From one of the costliest food recalls in history to one of the largest by volume, several Kroger recalls have been linked to hundreds of illnesses and multiple deaths. Read more: 23 Grocery Store Dark Chocolate Bars, Ranked Worst To Best In one of the worst food recalls in U.S. history, Peter Pan Peanut Butter was part of an enormous and costly recall from ConAgra Foods Inc. in 2006-2007. At the time, Kroger carried Peter Pan peanut butter. The problem surfaced when a large number of salmonella illnesses caught the attention of authorities, sparking an investigation to determine the source of the bacteria. The outbreak was traced back to jars of peanut butter from both Walmart's Great Value brand and the Peter Pan brand. Testing jars at the plant as well as opened jars from consumers confirmed salmonella contamination. More than 700 people were affected, though authorities suspected the real number was likely in the thousands. Officials blamed poor practices at the ConAgra plant, citing broken sprinkler heads and a leaky roof that allowed excess moisture to support bacterial growth on raw peanuts during production. If that wasn't bad enough, it came out that ConAgra knew about its faulty processing plant and knowingly shipped potentially contaminated jars of peanut butter across the nation — though they claimed otherwise. ConAgra was hauled into court, pleaded guilty under a plea agreement admitting complicity, and paid one of the largest fines in a food safety case: $11.2 million. The company also shelled out another $275 million to upgrade its facilities. After doing its due diligence, Peter Pan peanut butter is now safe to eat. Kroger faced yet another high-profile peanut recall right on the heels of the previously mentioned ConAgra peanut blunder. While the supermarket chain wasn't directly involved, the massive recall from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) resulted in multiple deaths, arrests, and imprisonments. Kroger recalled a slew of peanut butter products, including assorted bakery cookies, Private Selection Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Variety Cookie Trays, and Private Selection layer iced cakes. In 2008, the CDC detected an identical salmonella strain in a group of 13 people across 12 states, which led to its discovery of a 46-state outbreak of salmonella infections. An investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health pinpointed King Nut's creamy peanut butter as the likely source. King Nut, produced by the PCA, had been distributed nationwide, and nearly 3,000 peanut-containing products, including pet products, had to be recalled. More than 700 people were infected with salmonella, a quarter of whom were hospitalized, and nine died. The PCA shut down after the outbreak, and the company went bankrupt. The FDA found that the PCA knowingly distributed contaminated product, using false certificates of analysis multiple times. As one of the biggest — and costliest — food recalls in history, PCA owner and president Stewart Parnell was found guilty on 67 felony counts, including conspiracy, fraud, and sale of adulterated food. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison followed by supervised parole. The judge held Parnell accountable for $100 to $200 million in losses and harming more than 250 people. In one of the biggest food recalls in Kroger's history, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey in 2011 under suspicion of salmonella contamination. Kroger sold this ground turkey under its own brand label in 1- and 3-pound trays of fresh ground turkey, as well as 1-pound trays of turkey patties. In total, there was one death, and more than 135 reported illnesses and 35 hospitalizations across 34 states. That particular strain of salmonella was highly resistant to treatment. Multiple samples of ground turkey from various retail locations tested positive for a multi-drug-resistant strain of salmonella. In time, investigators collected enough information for Cargill to shut down production, and the company recalled another 185,000 pounds of ground turkey. The entire fiasco of this Class I food recall cost Cargill millions of dollars per week, which led to a company-wide layoff of employees. In 2015, Karoun Dairies issued a voluntary recall of 15 different soft cheeses, including feta and string cheeses. After a number of illnesses with the same rare listeria fingerprint cropped up across the nation, an investigation was initiated to find the source of the multi-state outbreak. Those who fell ill reported eating a brand of cheese distributed by Karoun Dairies, and the results of the investigation determined its soft cheeses were the culprit. The brands involved included Karoun, Arz, Gopi, Queso Del Valle, Central Valley Creamery, and Yanni, which were sold at various retailers across multiple states. Kroger was among the stores forced to issue a recall due to Karoun Dairies' cheeses. The soft cheese in question came sealed in vacuum packs, jars, or pails. Karoun Dairies halted production of the affected cheeses until the recall was complete and the issue resolved. In total, there were 30 reported illnesses, 28 of which resulted in hospitalizations, across 10 states. The outbreak was linked to three deaths and one fetal death tied to the mother's illness. Kroger faced one of the biggest food recalls in history in 2016, a mess that impacted other major retailers like Walmart and Meijer. Numerous salad green brands and varieties were flagged for possible contamination from a Dole facility in Ohio after a multi-state listeria outbreak led investigators to the Dole processing plant. Kroger pulled bagged lettuce, cole slaw mix, salad greens, kale, and spinach — under brands like Dole and its private labels, Fresh Selection and Simple Truth — from store shelves in 23 states and parts of Canada. Kroger's private brands were packaged at the same Dole facility. This nationwide listeria outbreak resulted in 19 illnesses and hospitalizations across nine states and was linked to the death of one woman. Another woman slipped into a coma for over a month after eating listeria-contaminated Dole salad. She woke up paralyzed, and her family sued the company. The civil case was settled in 2017, but her current health status remains unknown. In 2016, SunOpta voluntarily recalled sunflower kernel products that were produced at its Minnesota facility due to potential listeria contamination. SunOpta, a supplier for various brands and retailers across 28 states, received a customer complaint about the issue. No illnesses were reported, but the company didn't take any chances — it quickly isolated which products might be affected and pulled them from circulation. As part of that recall, Kroger removed Sunflower Salad Toppers, Sunflower Kernels, Cranberry Delight Trail Mix, Broccoli Raisin Salads, Deli Broccoli Cranberry Salads, and Deli Superfood Salads from its shelves, all under its private label. Other stores caught up in the recall included City Market, Smith's, Dillons, and Bakers, to name a few. SunOpta took the necessary corrective actions to prevent further listeria exposure, resumed its operations, and increased testing activity of outgoing shipments. In 2018, an outbreak of a multi-drug-resistant salmonella strain, Newport, swept across 26 states, sickening a total of 246 people. This outbreak triggered a massive raw beef recall that hit packages of ground beef sold at Kroger stores nationwide. More than 12 million pounds of raw beef were yanked from circulation by the meat supplier, Arizona-based JBS Tolleson, Inc. The raw beef was flagged as a Class I risk for serious foodborne illness: in this case, salmonella. During the outbreak investigation, authorities expanded the recall product list to include an additional nearly 5.2 million pounds of raw beef. Health officials with the USDA urged anyone with JBS Tolleson raw beef products to toss them out or return them to Kroger stores for a full refund. Overall, the company recovered just under 167,000 pounds of raw beef. Authorities encouraged consumers to check their freezers to ensure the safety of their stored food. Townsend Farms is no stranger to recalls. In 2019 during regular laboratory testing, Townsend Farms' frozen berries were confirmed to be positive for hepatitis A. A handful of years prior in 2013, this company was linked to a multi-state hepatitis A outbreak that also involved frozen fruit — this outbreak sickened 162 people and 71 hospitalizations were reported. No illnesses were ever reported in connection with the 2019 recall, though hepatitis A has a long incubation period, and individuals may have become sick months later. The frozen fruit products had a two-year shelf life and customers were urged to check their freezers. Due to the confirmed hepatitis A test, Kroger pulled its Private Selection of triple berry medley and blackberries from its freezer sections in all of its stores nationwide. Other stores affected by this frozen fruit recall included Smith's, City Market, Pick 'n Save, Dillons, and many more. One of the biggest food recalls in Aldi's history is also one for Kroger's record books. In 2021, Fresh Express and Dole recalled bags of salad greens and related products amid a listeria scare. The multi-state outbreak sickened roughly 30 people and resulted in about two dozen hospitalizations and four deaths. It was linked to both Fresh Express and Dole salad products. Investigation into the outbreak, paired with random sample testing at Fresh Express' Illinois facility and Dole's plants in Arizona, Ohio, and California, discovered the presence of listeria lurking on harvesting and processing equipment. The salad products were sold in 19 states and distributed to various retailers under multiple brands. Kroger pulled an array of its own label's salad products from its shelves, such as kale Caesar, baby spinach, lettuce mixes, salad green mix, and coleslaw, in addition to Dole and Fresh Express products. Some other brands affected included Little Salad Bar and Simply Nature. Other major retailers caught up in the salad and listeria outbreak included Target, Walmart, Lidl, and BJ's. The faulty equipment was decommissioned and dismantled, and operations stalled until the facilities were treated, tested, and given a pass to resume production. The FDA and CDC investigated an outbreak of E. coli infections across multiple states, tracing the illnesses to organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms in California. There were a total of 48 illnesses across 19 states, resulting in 20 hospitalizations and one death. In response, Grimmway Farms recalled a variety of select carrot products classified as a high-risk Class I food hazard. The contaminated carrots had been shipped to various retailers across the nation, plus Puerto Rico, Canada, and other international markets. Major chains like Kroger, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Wegmans were impacted by the extensive Grimmway recall, which included brands like 365, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Nature's Promise, Bunny Luv, and Kroger's private label. Kroger carried various weights and multiple brands of bagged organic whole carrots, whole carrots, baby cut carrots, and peeled carrots. In 2024, another massive food recall swept across multiple states, hitting major retailers, restaurants, public institutions, and community facilities, involving a range of brands. Oklahoma-based company BrucePac recalled nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat products due to potential listeria concerns. Routine product testing showed positive results for the foodborne illness. It was determined that BrucePac's ready-to-eat chicken was the source of the issue, prompting the company to halt production and address the problem. No illnesses were ever confirmed in connection with this recall. The widespread poultry problem affected big-name stores like Kroger, Trader Joe's, Publix, Costco, and Aldi, along with hundreds of schools from pre-K to college. Kroger pulled an array of products from its shelves as a result of BrucePac's listeria concerns, including ready-to-eat chicken products like Kroger salad kits, Red's burritos, El Monterey enchiladas, Evol bowls, Home Chef tacos, and an assortment of branded frozen meals. In 2024, the FDA and CDC looked into a salmonella outbreak that took place in multiple states. The salmonella strain was linked to cucumber products grown in Mexico. The outbreak sickened 113 people across 23 states, resulting in 28 hospitalizations. No deaths occurred. As a result of the outbreak, SunFed recalled various sizes of whole, fresh cucumbers that were distributed to food service and retail outlets nationwide. Cucumbers were sold in bulk to major retailers like Kroger, Costco, Sprouts, Sam's Club, and Walmart, but also shipped to third-party product suppliers for use in salad kits, veggie bowls, sushi rolls, and party trays under various brand names. Kroger pulled a wide variety of products from its shelves, including sushi rolls, combos, platters, poke bowls, and chef specials. In addition to those products, Kroger had to recall vegetable trays, salad mixes, snack cups, and seasoned cucumber slices. Cucumbers are a versatile vegetable that can be used in a number of refreshing recipes, so it's not surprising that this food recall impacted such a wide variety of products -- personally, we're glad it's been dealt with. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. recalled frozen waffle products in connection with listeria concerns in 2024. The potentially affected products were distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada to a swath of major retail chains, under private labels and various brands. The issue was discovered during routine testing. Nearly every supermarket giant was impacted, including heavy hitters like Aldi, Dollar General, Publix, Target, HEB, Kroger, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and Walmart. Some of the brands affected included 365, Best Choice, Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Good & Gather, Great Value, Nature's Promise, and Wild Harvest. TreeHouse quickly expanded its recall to include frozen toaster waffles, Belgian waffles, and various pancake products under multiple brands. The wide range of frozen foods included every variety from blueberry to flax to chocolate chip. Kroger pulled its original and buttermilk pancakes, along with Kodiak and Simple Truth vanilla, chocolate, blueberry, and buttermilk pancakes and waffles. There were no reports of illness linked to this frozen food recall. Perdue Foods LLC recalled frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nuggets and tenders in 2024 due to the possibility of the products containing foreign material. Customer complaints alerted authorities to the possibility of metal wire embedded in chicken tenders, and foreign material was indeed identified in a number of consumer packages. Potentially affected items were distributed to major retailers nationwide, as well as sold online. After investigation, the company stated it was a thin strand of metal wire that inadvertently got into the production process. Perdue recalled just over 167,000 pounds of chicken as a result. In response to this giant chicken recall, Kroger pulled its Perdue packages from the freezer section, which included frozen breast tenders and Simply Smart chicken tenders. There were no confirmed reports of injury or further issues associated with this recall. If news of this recall has you a little shaken up, consider making some classic chicken tenders at home in lieu of frozen varieties. In 2025, Gerber Products Company announced a recall of teething sticks for babies and toddlers due to them being a choking hazard. The company also made the decision to discontinue all batches of Gerber Sooth 'N' Chew Teething Sticks going forward, which came in strawberry apple and banana flavors. These items were shipped nationwide to various distribution centers and retail stores, as well as being sold online. The wide scope of the recall stretched to 45 states and Puerto Rico. The company was alerted to the potential problem when customers complained about choking incidents. As a result of this recall, Kroger removed Gerber's teething sticks in both banana and strawberry apple flavors. The teething sticks had been distributed to Kroger stores across multiple regions, and customers were urged to get rid of the sticks immediately or return them to the store for a full refund. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
14 Of The Biggest Walmart Great Value Brand Recalls In History
From salmonella outbreaks to foreign material contamination, Walmart's Great Value label has seen its fair share of recalls since the store brand was launched in 1993. Because it's the nation's largest retailer, with 4,700 stores and 1.6 million associates in the U.S. alone, it's not surprising that a few of our favorite Great Value products are recalled on occasion, even with the company's dedication to value and safety. While it would be a mistake to assume that the Great Value brand is inferior to competitors, understanding the magnitude of potentially dangerous products on the shelves of your local Walmart is important so you can keep your family safe from harm. Some of the recalls we feature here affected just a few states, while others are spread across the nation — and some of these safety concerns are still active. So, if you're curious about the biggest Walmart Great Value brand recalls in history, read on. We included which products were involved, its impact to consumers, and what you should do if you still have these products in your pantry. Read more: Canned Foods You Should Never Buy At The Dollar Store One of Walmart's biggest Great Value brand recalls occurred in 2006 when the company issued the first peanut butter-related salmonella recall in U.S. history. The tainted jars were made in ConAgra's facility in Sylvester, Georgia. After the state health department and CDC noticed a significant increase in the reported number of salmonella illnesses, the agencies launched an investigation. They discovered that the outbreak was strongly associated with the consumption of Great Value peanut butter. The plant ceased production and recalled the product in February 2007, but not before the damage was done. In May of that year, an astonishing 628 people were sick with salmonella, with 20% of patients hospitalized. While cases of Salmonella quickly spread across 47 states, the highest concentration of sick consumers were in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri. Thankfully, the contaminated peanut butter didn't result in any deaths, yet it's still one of the biggest food recalls that will always haunt Walmart. In July of 2010, Walmart issued one of its biggest recalls ever, and this time it was for the company's Great Value chicken nuggets. This class III recall impacted a whopping 91,872 pounds of the product due to the possibility of containing foreign materials. Thanks to consumer complaints, the company found small pieces of blue plastic in the meat. The 1-pound, 13-ounce bags of fully cooked chicken nuggets were produced by Perdue Farms, Inc. out of Perry, Georgia, and came in a case of eight bags. Thankfully, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) didn't receive any reports of injury, and the product's class III rating is the lowest level for recalls, as consuming the product is unlikely to cause any significant health concerns. Rest assured this governmental organization routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that retailers, like Walmart, notify its customers of the issue and takes steps to ensure affected products are removed from shelves. This retail giant had another salmonella scare, this time in 2016. Walmart issued a recall for its Great Value original macaroni and cheese cups because the powdered milk ingredient used to season the product tested positive for salmonella. TreeHouse Foods Inc. produced 4 million pounds of contaminated powdered milk that was used in a variety of products, including Walmart's private label brand of mac and cheese cups. The good news is that no salmonella illnesses were reported by the FDA as a result of eating the affected product. However, a salmonella recall is nothing to sneeze at. While most individuals will likely recover from a salmonella infection without the need for antibiotics, seniors and infants are more likely to have a serious adverse reaction to the bacteria, such as severe diarrhea that may even require hospitalization. Plastic bits aren't the only thing consumers found in their Walmart poultry products. The company issued a recall for frozen Great Value chicken patties because they contained metal pieces. The recall was issued in March of 2017 after the manufacturer, OK Foods, received complaints from five concerned shoppers. This recall affected a total of 1 million pounds of chicken across several brands, including this retailer's store label. Following an investigation by the USDA, it was determined that the metal objects came from a conveyor belt at the Oklahoma-based processing plant. The recall affected 7.5-pound packages of Great Value fully cooked herb seasoned breaded chicken breast patties with rib meat. Walmart advised consumers to check the labels on packages purchased with the case code 201258 and best if used date of March 2018. Fortunately, the metal pieces didn't cause any injuries or illness, which is exactly what a recall is intended to do: protect consumers from these types of factory mishaps. Eggs always seem to be in the news for one reason or another, and in this case, they're the subject of one of the biggest recalls ever for Salmonella Braenderup. Walmart's Great Value label was one of five brands affected by the April 2017 outbreak, in which more than 206.7 million shelled eggs were recalled across 10 states, including Colorado, New York, and West Virginia. Rose Acre Farms provided the retail giant with its share of the eggs under the Great Value label and the producer's Hyde County, North Carolina, farm was the likely source of the contaminated products. Salmonella Braenderup ranks in the top 10 for most common types of bacterial infections affecting people in the U.S. It comes with symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. By June, 45 people were afflicted with salmonella and 11 were hospitalized, making it one of the worst egg recalls to hit America. Thankfully, the multistate outbreak was short-lived, ending after just two months. In 2019, a recall was issued for 6,444 pounds of Great Value ready-to-eat pork and turkey sausage patties due to possible salmonella contamination. The affected patties were produced by Georges Prepared Foods out of Caryville, Tennessee, and shipped to Walmart stores across the country. The retailer's 24.92-ounce and 35.6-ounce packages of original pork sausage patties and the 24.92-ounce packages of original breakfast turkey patties were all included in the recall. The manufacturer blamed its third-party cold storage facility for distributing the tainted meat products to Walmart's retail locations in error. Thankfully, the meat wasn't responsible for any reported illnesses. Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne pathogens reported by the FDA, and everyone is at risk of infection, because in addition to ready-to-eat meats, many kinds of food can become contaminated with this bacteria. Pancakes and waffles are a terrific way to start your day, in our opinion anyway, but who wants cable fragments in your breakfast? That's why Walmart recalled its Great Value buttermilk pancake and waffle mix in March of 2022. This foreign matter contamination sparked an investigation by the FDA when pieces of cable used in the manufacturing processing at the plant located in Tukwila, Washington, were found in the company's store-brand pancake and waffle mixes. The tainted products were distributed nationwide through Walmart's retail locations. Continental Mills told Consumer Reports, "food safety systems did detect the fragments, and out of an abundance of caution we took action to ensure the product was identified and pulled from store shelves." While no consumer complaints were reported, if you still have this product in your pantry, despite its one-year shelf life (no judgement here, we hoard the good stuff, too), throw it away immediately as it's too late to return it to the store for a refund. Americans love our ham; so much so that we gobble up an average of 51 pounds per person each year. But what happened to Great Value's ready-to-eat black forest ham back in May 2022? The FSIS urged Walmart to issue a public health alert for consumers in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio who may have purchased these 1-pound resealable plastic packages of under-processed meat. The retail giant informed its shoppers that this Great Value product should not be consumed because the affected ham may not have been fully cooked at the factory. The Swift Prepared Foods facility produced the packaged meat at its Council Bluffs, Iowa, facility before shipping it to Walmart stores in three states. There were no confirmed reports of any adverse reactions from customers due to the under cooked ham. Walmart was fortunate and really avoided a catastrophe with this meat-related recall. Hepatitis A is a viral infection that affects the liver and it's often transmitted by eating contaminated food, like Walmart's recalled frozen fruit from June of 2023. The retailer announced a recall of all products containing these organic strawberries grown in Baja California, Mexico. Store officials indicated that its affected products were packaged by Willamette Valley Fruit Co. out of Salem, Oregon, and included the 64-ounce package of sliced strawberries, the 64-ounce package of mixed fruit, and its 40-ounce antioxidant blend. The contaminated fruit was sold in 32 Walmart stores across the country from California to New York. Because these items were sold frozen and have a long shelf-life of up to two years, we suggest you check your freezer to ensure you don't have any hiding in there. While most people recover from the disease's mild to severe symptoms, a small number of people die from the disease each year. In this Great Value case, there were a reported 10 foodborne illnesses and four hospitalizations related to the hepatitis A strawberry recall. Interestingly, the virus was genetically identical to the strain that caused Walmart's 2022 strawberry-related outbreak. While listeria infections are rare in the U.S., Walmart's Great Value chicken-containing products were included in a recall of a whopping 11,765,285 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to listeria contamination. Three of the retailer's store brand products were affected by the recall in May of 2024, including 28-ounce packages of southwestern style chicken and pasta meal with a best used by date of August 16, 2025. Also included were 28-ounce containers of creamy chicken and pasta meal with best used dates of August 1, August 2, and September 3, 2025, as well as the 10-ounce box of chicken fettuccine alfredo that's set to expire on August 12, 2025. The FSIS performed routine testing of the finished products and confirmed they were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The packager, BrucePac in Durant, Oklahoma, produced the tainted products. While there are currently no confirmed reports of adverse reactions, the products haven't expired yet and consuming them could be detrimental to your health. We recommend tossing them in the trash or returning them to Walmart for a refund. Americans were also affected by a recall of Great Value apple juice in August of 2024. Walmart took an astounding 9,535 cases of the 8-ounce plastic apple juice bottles off its shelves because the product contained potentially harmful levels of inorganic arsenic above industry standards: 13.2 parts per billion (ppb) compared to the maximum allowed of 10 ppb. The juice was packaged by Florida-based distributor Refresco Beverages U.S. Inc. and affected Walmart stores in 27 states. This class II recall indicates exposure to the apple juice could cause temporary or medically reversible health conditions. While it is a naturally occurring substance, arsenic is a known carcinogen and is toxic to people of all ages. However, young children are particularly at risk for arsenic-related health problems because of their lower body weight and rapid metabolism. More than 80% of parents give their children 3 and younger fruit juice, like this Great Value product, and the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that "exposure to these metals early on can affect their whole life trajectory." A recall of Walmart's Great Value fruit cups affected nearly a million packages of food in September of 2024 that were found to contain an undeclared ingredient: FD&C red dye no. 3. The class III recall was one of the company's biggest, affecting 511,164 packages of the store's private label 4-ounce, 12-pack containers of diced yellow cling peaches, mandarin orange segments, and cherry mixed fruits variety packs. Another 341,567 packages of 4-ounce plastic cups of cherry mixed fruit were also included in the recall. Red dye No. 3 is a synthetic dye that gives foods a bright, cherry-red color, and has been under scrutiny since the 1980s. Studies show that exposure to high levels of the colorant caused cancer in laboratory rats. The FDA banned the use of red dye no. 3 in food in January 2025 in response to the Center for Science in the Public Interest's color additive petition of 2022. The FDA currently requires manufacturers to include the red coloring agent in its list of ingredients when added to food and has given companies a deadline of January 15, 2027, to reformulate its products — minus the banned substance. Unfortunately, 2024 was a big year for recalls at Walmart. The retailer's Great Value cinnamon rolls and cheese Danishes were also affected by foreign object contamination troubles in November, specifically pieces of plastic. The baked goods' producer, JM Smucker Company LLC., shipped 2,027 cases of affected cinnamon rolls and 1,602 cases of cheese Danishes to Walmart store locations nationwide that were later deemed unsafe to eat by the FDA. This voluntary, class II recall number F-0140-2025 specified that the products were marked with UPC numbers 078742201177 and 078742201160 and lot number L092525200 269X. An unsettling 43,548 16.5-ounce packages of these bakery items were reportedly exposed to the plastic bits at the manufacturer's Orrville, Ohio, plant. This is yet another example of the increasing number of foreign material contaminant recalls affecting brands like Great Value. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries as a result of the plastic pieces in these Walmart products. There was one more recall from Great Value at the end of 2024, this time for its chicken broth. The retailer issued a class II recall in December of that year due to poor packaging of the broth produced by TreeHouse Foods Inc. There were 2,023 cases of the 48-ounce chicken broth recalled because the suspected packaging issues might lead to product spoilage. The recall involved a total of 242 stores in nine states. As last reported, both Walmart and its supplier are still investigating what caused the manufacturing mishap. Even though there have been no reported illnesses blamed on the chicken broth to date, the product does have a shelf-life that lasts until March 25, 2026. We recommend checking your pantry for lot code 98F09234 or UPC number 007874206684, and if you find a potentially contaminated container of chicken broth, discard it right away, then consider restocking. We put Great Value's chicken broth up against Aldi's, and it came out tops in our book. Hungry for more? Sign up for the free Daily Meal newsletter for delicious recipes, cooking tips, kitchen hacks, and more, delivered straight to your inbox. Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
