Costco had to recall 80,000 pounds of butter due to a labeling error

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forced Costco to remove 79,200 pounds of butter from its Texas stores due to a labeling error.

The recall focuses on the 16-ounce packages of salted and unsalted Kirkland Signature Sweet Cream Butter.

The FDA confirmed in its Nov. 7 notice that some product labels may be missing the “contains milk” statement.

The government agency this month classified the recall as Class II – a situation in which a product may cause temporary or reversible health problems.

This is one of many product issues Costco has had this year, including the salmon packaging recall last month.

The first recall was issued on October 11 by Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC

Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC initially recalled all affected butter products on October 11th.

Approximately 1,300 cases of Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter and 900 cases of Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter have been recalled.

All were manufactured and distributed by Texas-based Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC.

It currently applies to unsalted butter packs with best before dates of February 22nd and 23rd, 2025 and March 22nd and 23rd, 2025.

This recall also applies to affected packages of salted butter with a best-before date of February 23, 2025 and March 29, 2025.

The FDA advised buyers who purchased a recalled product not to give it to other people or pets.

They also noted that stores often offer shoppers a full refund if the product was not used before the recall.

The FDA has explained what Costco customers can do if they purchased the affected Kirkland packages of unsalted or salted butter.

The recalled products included boxes of Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter and Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter

The Centers for Disease Control stated on its website that milk “can cause the most serious allergic reactions in the United States.”

Milk allergies are common and at least two percent of children in the United States have them.

People who are allergic to milk may experience reactions such as hives, vomiting, diarrhea or itching if taken daily.

You could also experience more serious allergic reactions such as anaphylactic shock, which can lead to death.

Carol D’Lima, a food technologist with the FDA’s Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling, insisted that shoppers should pay attention to the label every time they purchase a product.

“If you are unsure whether a food contains an ingredient to which you are sensitive, do not purchase it or first contact the manufacturer or retailer listed on the food product label to determine what it contains,” said Carol D. Lima, food technologist at the FDA’s Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling, explained in 2023.

Although this recall was necessary, some social media users shared how “stupid” they found it.

Anyone who suffers from a milk allergy and takes the ingredient may suffer from mild reactions such as hives or vomiting

“Instead of wasting 80,000 pounds of butter, why don’t they print stickers that say ‘contains milk’ and save perfectly good food?” “So wasteful,” one X user wrote.

Another X user tweeted, “Costco had to recall 80,000 pounds of butter for the stupidest reason.”

Some X users felt the recall was the right thing to do, despite the controversy behind the decision.

“But if the butter were mislabeled, consumers would literally be spreading misinformation – on their toast, bagels, pancakes, baked potatoes and muffins – it’s too horrible to contemplate,” one X user wrote.