from hepatitis outbreaks to eat coli and even chunks of metal hiding in aluminum cans over the years Costco's food recalls have left many customers in shock and they're not as rare as we would like to think today we're diving into the 12 biggest food recalls in Costco's history make sure you stay tuned until the end because some of these recalls were quite recent and you may still have suspicious stock hiding in your freezer or cupboards at home before we take you through these trifling Tales make sure to subscribe cribe and hit the notification Bell so you never miss one of your favorite foodie videos let's take a trip back to 1998 when Costco experienced one of its most significant recalls involving their very own Kirkland Signature beef patties in 1998 a major issue arose with the Kirkland patties due to contamination with the ecoli bacteria as you may know eoli can cause severe foodborn illness and in this case it led to a woman in New York becoming seriously ill she was hospitalized after eating the beef patties at a family cookout which led to one of the largest recalls in Costco's history over 172,000 lounds of Frozen beef patties were recalled across 24 States a massive undertaking that was necessary to prevent more people from getting sick the recall process involved quickly getting the word out to Consumers pulling the patties from store shelves and providing clear instructions on what to do if you had purchased the affected patties in 2015 Costco had another encounter with coli which resulted in 19 people across seven states becoming ill the source of the infection was traced back to Costco's rotisserie chicken salads further investigation revealed that the celery and diced onions supplied by Taylor Farms were the culprits consequently 154,000 packs of Taylor Farms Pacific celery and onion diced blend were recalled and Costco wasn't the only retailer affected Taylor Farm supplied vegetables to various grocery stores that use them in package dinners sides and salads as a result stores like Walmart Sam's Club Starbucks Target and others also had to recall numerous products according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology tree nut allergies affect approximately .5 to 1% of the population in the United States while this might seem like a small percentage allergies to almonds cashews pistachios and walnuts are among the most common food allergies with reactions rain ing from mild to life-threatening that's why the 2021 recall of Torn Ranch organic dark chocolate blueberries was so significant The Accidental presence of almonds in The Delectable dark chocolate blueberries prompted an immediate recall as the Undeclared allergen posed a serious health risk even a single nut in the chocolate could have severe consequences for someone with a tree nut allergy fortunately the affected bags had only been distributed to Warehouse locations in Washington Oregon Idaho and Alaska and thanks to the Swift actions by both Torn Ranch and Costco no one was reportedly harmed due to The Accidental almonds in this product botulism is a potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by bacteria attacking the nerves and although rare it can contaminate low acid canned foods such as beets corn potatoes and beans proper packaging and sealing of metal cans are crucial to prevent the growth of this toxin so in 2021 when fobal Foods Incorporated had concerns regarding potential lapses in the ceiling process an immediate recall was initiated this extensive and voluntary recall encompassed three varieties of beans including two types of organic black beans and one chili bean product both products were distributed at Costco and other major retailers between February and April of that year customers were urged to return any cans from the affected lots for a full refund or replacement with a new safely sealed can breaded chicken patties are a staple in many American households perfect for quick weeknight dinners or even as a tasty snack these patties come in resealable 5B bags and are known for their delicious taste and easy preparation however in 2022 there was a significant issue with these popular chicken patties Foster Farms had to recall them because some bags were found to contain sharp plastic shards can you imagine biting into a chicken patty and finding a piece of plastic the recall was cl classified as a class one recall which is the most serious type of recall indicating that there's a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious health problems or even death in this case swallowing a sharp piece of plastic could cause major internal damage so the risk was considered extremely high Foster Farms in Costco responded quickly to the issue pulling affected products from the shelves and Advising customers to check their freezers if you had any of these chicken patties you were instructed to return them to the store immediately for a full refund thankfully the recall was handled efficiently and no injuries were reported Foster Farms took responsibility and worked with authorities to make sure all affected products removed from circulation they also provided detailed information to Consumers about how to identify the affected lots and what steps to take if they had any affected packages at home sometimes even foods with long shelf lives can spoil and that's exactly what happened in 2022 with many bags of Kirkland Signature shelled walnuts these large three-b bags of haved and shelled nuts are popular amongst Bakers and snack enthusiasts for being both delicious and healthy however customers who bought these walnuts in September and October of that year were disappointed to find their excitement turned sour after opening the bags the official recall notice stated we are recalling the Kirkland Signature shelled walnuts due to their stale taste and rancid smell while this wasn't necessar neily a health hazard serving a tray of rotten candied walnuts at your next family dinner isn't ideal and Bakers who rely on these nuts in their recipes could face even more significant issues especially small business owners who depend on high quality ingredients thankfully Costco responded by offering a full refund with no questions asked if you're a coffee lover then you may also be a fan of having ready to drink cold brew coffee on hand this cold brew comes in a 12pack of 11 o aluminum cans making it super convenient to grab a can from the fridge when you need a quick caffeine boost you can find these cases of cold brew at Costco as well as Amazon or other retailers like Target and Walmart but here's the kicker there was a bit of a scare with this product between November 2022 and February 2023 apparently some cans had metal bolts inside them yeah you heard that right full-sized metal bolts were clinking around in some of these cans of cold brew can you imagine popping open a can of coffee and finding that if the caffeine didn't wake you up that sure would when Costco discovered the issue they quickly issued a recall it was a pretty big deal because there were about 2.7 million cans which were potentially affected the good news is only three drinks were actually found to have bolts inside hopefully if you did come across a can with a huge bolt you would have pulled it out before swallowing but nevertheless Costco is not in the business of Taking Chances they wanted to make sure that everyone was safe which is why they pulled all the potentially affected cans from the shelves if you bought any Kirkland Signature Colombian cold brew during that time it's a good idea to check the lock codes and see if your cans are part of the recall or just shake the cans and see if you hear a bolt clinking around inside if you do have an affected Lot number you can return them to Costco for a full refund or just exchange them for a new case if you've ever tried Kirkland signatures organic strawberries then you know that they're a huge hit at Costco especially for anyone who loves making smoothies or pastries with berries but back in March 2023 a scary situation was stirred up when a hepatitis A outbreak was linked to the Kirkland Signature organic strawberries this liver disease can spread through contaminated food and can make you very ill in this case nine people got sick after eating these strawberries and although that's not a huge number the disease is serious enough that it raised alarms and Costco didn't want to take any chances they immediately pulled all the affected bags off the shelves across the in order to keep their loyal customers out of Harm's Way so if you tend to forget what's lurking in your freezer you may want to double check to see if you purchased any of these strawberries before the recall the good news is that the recall has since been lifted new batches of Kirkland Signature organic strawberries are back on the shelves and are once again safe to consume during the same time other Frozen Fruit Products were caught up in the same outbreak too Brands like wamit Valley fruit company's Raider farms organic Fresh Start smoothie blend and won's organic Daybreak blend had potentially contaminated strawberries these products were also pulled from the shelves so if you've got any of these Berry Brands hiding in your freezer it's worth checking them out as well street tacos anyone if you're a taco and seafood lover then chances are you've probably tried Costco's pescanova shrimp street tacos these tacos are a convenient frozen meal option that combines Seafood with Southwestern flavors making them a hit for busy week nights or quick lunches all you have to do is heat them up and you've got a tasty meal ready in no time but back in March and April of 23 there was a major recall on them and you'll probably never guess why pieces of plastic were found inside some of the taco bags and not just tiny bits some were up to 5 mm long imagine biting into your favorite shrimp taco and finding that yikes when Costco found out about the plastic contamination they didn't waste any time they immediately issued a recall for all tanova shrimp Street Taco bags sold between March 23rd and April 24th 2023 and if you bought any during that time they recommended checking your freezer and returning the product for a full refund if you still have a bag lurking in your freezer from last spring you might want to dig it out and take it back to Costco they've got a solid return policy and you can get your money back without any hassle for individuals with food allergies ingredients such as dairy peanuts and shellfish can lead to severe reactions from stomach issues and skin rash es to in severe cases even death it's crucial for these consumers to know precisely what they're consuming which is why an undisclosed allergen on a food label is a major concern sadly this kind of mistake happened with a well-loved Costco product elenos vanilla bean Greek yogurt packaged in 4 o containers and sold in packs of 12 was recalled in May 2023 customers expecting the usual creamy white yogurt were surprised to find a yellow tinged variation inside it turned out out that a packaging error had led to the lemon curd yogurt being mislabeled as vanilla bean the lemon curd flavor contains egg unlike the vanilla bean and the incorrect labels did not list egg as an ingredient and thanks to the prompt response from elenos the FDA and Costco no one was harmed by this potentially hazardous mixup While most food recalls are due to Public Health or safety concerns some happened for rather unusual reasons this was the case with the large voluntary recall of Kirkland Signature chocolate grapes in March 2023 these layered chocolate covered biscuits are a favorite among many Shoppers so when emails with a recall heading started filling inboxes there was immediate concern however the reason for the recall left many consumers puzzled according to Costco's website it has come to our attention that some Crepes may be discolored this is not a health or food safety issue customers seemed largely unfazed noting that the product often changes color with age anyway and many found humor in the seemingly trivial nature of the recall whether this recall was truly necessary is debatable but it was certainly considerate of Costco to offer refunds to those put off by the discolored Crepes most of us would likely assume that alcohol is typically protected from bacteria due to the antimicrobial properties of well alcohol however a surprising incident occurred in 2023 when Costco removed cases of its signature American Vodka from store shelves due to reports of an unpleasant taste and odor emanating from the bottles and explanation surfaced from an employee at Costco's regional office along with a list of affected batch numbers they clarified that the odd taste was due to hints of rum stemming from a container not being thoroughly cleaned after being used for rum and before being used to transport the Vodka although there were no health risks associated with the recall the altered taste was apparently quite noticeable and based on widespread consumer feedback online the cross-contamination rendered the Vodka nearly undrinkable thus many deemed it worth while to return to the warehouse for a replacement before their next happy hour well there you have it folks 12 of the biggest recalls in Costco's history which of these surprised you the most and were you or anyone you know affected by any of these recalls let us know in the comments below and don't forget to like And subscribe for more of your favorite foodie videos