Your Weekly Guide To Recalls: 4 Foods Yanked From Stores March 24-31, 2025

Some pretty big food recalls happened in 2024, when issues related to listeria-contaminated dairy products and E. coli-containing carrots, resulted in products being removed. Based on recent occurrences, this troubling trend seems to be continuing this year. For instance, Lean Cuisine and Stouffer's frozen meals were pulled earlier this month because they may have been tainted by a wood-like material. While it's far too early to tell what 2025 might bring in terms of food safety, Mashed has compiled some of the recalls that occurred in late March to ensure you are fully informed.

Recalls can happen for all sorts of reasons, from the presence of inedible objects in food to the inclusion of unnamed allergens, which can cause significant health issues in some people. Undeclared allergens are a factor in three of the recent incidents we've compiled. They involve Tostitos tortilla chips, chicken salad sandwiches, and brioche bread. Additionally, different brands of liquid eggs were found to contain an inedible substance. While the frequency with which food recalls happen is enough to give consumers pause, keep in mind that these actions indicate that food safety inspections are working to identify potentially hazardous items.

The FDA requires food manufacturers to declare allergens such as wheat, shellfish, and milk, on product labels to help consumers make informed decisions. Mislabeling can lead to severe adverse reactions, so manufacturers must act when problems are discovered. That's precisely what happened with a recent batch of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips (manufactured by Frito-Lay) after it was found that some chips were flavored with nacho cheese, an ingredient not indicated on the label. As a result, Frito-Lay announced a recall on March 26. It affected 1,300 bags of chips throughout 13 states, including West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

Affected bags feature UPC 2840052848 and a "guaranteed fresh" date of May 20. In the event a consumer with a milk allergy or sensitivity has a recalled product in their home, they can contact Frito-Lay via an online form. You may also be able to return the product to the place of purchase, although no information on refunds or replacements has been provided by Frito-Lay. In the event that you don't have a milk allergy or sensitivity, Frito-Lay says that it's perfectly safe to consume this product. Fortunately, no allergic reactions have yet been linked to the undeclared allergen.

Although skyrocketing egg prices have eased somewhat over the last month or so, many people are still relying on substitutes like liquid eggs until retail prices become more reasonable. In this case, consumers are encouraged to check their refrigerators for Bob Evans and Egg Beaters brands, as both have been subject to a recent recall. On March 28, the USDA announced that Cargill Kitchen Solutions, the manufacturer of both brands, was recalling roughly 212,268 pounds of liquid eggs due to possible sodium hypochlorite contamination. These products were distributed to commercial food service providers in Iowa, Arizona, Illinois, California, Florida, and Colorado, and were available for sale to consumers in Texas and Ohio.

Recalled liquid eggs were sold in 32-ounce containers in Egg Beaters original, cage-free, liquid, and frozen formats as well as 32-ounce containers of Bob Evans Better'n Eggs Made with Real Egg Whites. Use-by dates include August 9 and 10, 2025, and March 7, 2026, for the frozen Egg Beaters. Affected products are stamped with code G1804 in ink on the top of the carton. Sodium hypochlorite is a common cleaning agent used for bleaching. However, a USDA investigation found that the contaminant only poses a minor risk in this case and was unlikely to seriously impact health. Nevertheless, the USDA and Cargill Kitchen Solutions encourages consumers and businesses to look out for recalled products and discard them if found. You can also return the product to place of purchase to inquire about a refund.

As reported by the FDA, Cromer Food Services, Inc. announced that an undeclared milk allergen prompted the recall of its Chicken Salad on White Sandwich. Packages feature UPC codes 31166 and 13172 and were distributed to vending machines and self-service retail markets in South Carolina and Georgia between December 26, 2024, and March 24, 2025. It's not clear how many sandwiches were involved, but Cromer Food Services emphasizes that all products bearing the aforementioned UPC codes are affected. 

This issue came to light during an inspection conducted by the FDA after it was found that the bread used to make the chicken salad sandwiches contained unlisted milk. Milk allergies can sometimes lead to severe health issues like anaphylaxis, which can cause the airways to become obstructed due to swelling. However, no adverse incidents have been reported. In the event you have questions about the recall, you can contact Cromer Food Services directly by calling 1-800-922-3174. 

Creating your own buttery brioche takes time and patience, so many consumers look elsewhere when they want to elevate burgers and sandwiches with this delectable bread. For consumers with food allergies and sensitivities in Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, you may want to think twice if you've been craving any brioche products recently. Per an announcement provided by the FDA, The Bakery Group issued a recall on March 25 involving its Dense Brioche Pullman bread loaves and Brioche HB Buns for containing undeclared soy, milk, and yellow FD&C#5, which can cause allergic issues like hives and rashes in some people. 

These products were distributed to Rodeo Goat Casa Linda, a beer and burger joint located in Dallas, and Ben E. Keith, a distributor of food and beverages in Fort Worth. Overall, 629 cases of bread loaves were recalled along with 104 cases of hamburger buns. Improper product labels were discovered by The State of Texas Health and Human Services, which noted that the labels failed to include all allergens contained within the recipes. Anyone with the recalled brioche can contact Ben E. Keith or The Bakery Group to learn more about  a refund.