The Biggest Food Recalls That Shook Whole Foods To Its Core

Ground beef Severe illnesses, e-coli outbreaks, and death.  Whole Foods has built a reputation as the   nation's premiere health food store, but some  of its products have done more harm than good. From June to August 2008, Nebraska Beef  recalled an astonishing 6.6 million pounds   of beef due to contamination with E. coli. As  a result, in August 2008 Whole Foods issued a   voluntary recall of fresh ground beef in  stores across 23 U.S. states, Washington,   D.C., and Canada. However, this  recall soon expanded to include   four more states. In a letter from the  Global Vice President of Procurement,   Whole Foods shared that its own tests found no  sign of E. coli in any of its beef products. Though no illnesses were directly  linked to Whole Foods, the recall   hurt the company's reputation as a premier  spot for safe, clean meat. In response,   the chain vowed to strengthen its  process for selecting beef suppliers. "Where's the beef?" Peanut products One of the most infamous food recalls  of all time concerns the humble peanut   and the now-defunct Peanut Corporation  of America, or PCA. From 2008 to 2009,   peanut butter and other peanut products from the  PCA caused a massive salmonella outbreak that   resulted in the deaths of nine people and more  than 714 sick individuals across the country. In January 2009, PCA issued several recalls,  eventually recalling all products from two plants,   dating back two years. The recall was so  widespread that the FDA recommended consumers   hold off on eating any foods containing  peanut butter or paste. Whole Foods,   along with many companies, issued  its own recalls, listing cookies,   energy bars, and ice cream among  the potentially affected products. In historic court proceedings, PCA owner  and president Stewart Parnell was found   guilty of several federal charges, including  conspiracy and fraud. The 2014 decision came   after it was revealed that Parnell knowingly  shipped out salmonella-tainted products,   making it the first time a company executive  faced a federal felony conviction in a food   poisoning case. While no illnesses were linked  to Whole Foods specifically, the company suffered   major damages, and consumers remained wary  of all peanut butter for some time to come. Stone fruit In July 2014, Wawona Packing Co. issued a fruit  recall after detecting the presence of Listeria   monocytogenes in lots of peaches, nectarines,  plums, and other stone fruits. While grocery   stores and markets rushed to pull recalled  fruit from their shelves, Whole Foods also   issued its own recall of made-in-store  items containing the contaminated fruit. Whole Foods stores in all states  except Washington, Florida,   and Oregon were subject to the recall.  However, stores in Arizona, California,   Hawaii, and Nevada were hit the hardest,  as these regions sold the majority of the   recalled made-in-store products. Despite  the large-scale nature of these recalls,   no illnesses were ever definitively  connected to Wawona Packing stone fruit. Ready-to-eat food products Only one year after the mass recall of  Listeria-contaminated stone fruit products,   Whole Foods was hit with another recall. This  time, the store's line of ready-to-eat foods fell   victim. In February 2015, Whole Foods recalled  about 33,191 pounds of food that contained an   undeclared ingredient. The culprit here was none  other than the peanut, a common allergen that can   cause hives, swelling, digestive issues, and  troubled breathing in people who are allergic. "I have peanut allergy." The recall affected stores  in 12 states and Washington,   D.C. The problem came to light when a Whole  Foods spice supplier discovered that cumin   used in some of the store's products had  potentially been tainted with peanuts.   The contaminated cumin may have found its way  into various ready-to-eat items. Thankfully,   there were no reported allergic reactions  associated with the recalled products. Frozen pizza In January 2016, the new year brought exciting  products to Whole Foods, but it also brought   another food recall. Citing a misbranding error,  the chain recalled frozen pizzas from stores in   Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey,  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. It was   no small quantity, either, as the company ended  up recalling 73,898 pounds of pizza in total. The error in question concerned the type  of meat used in two different versions of   frozen pepperoni pizza. Though the labels on  the products listed uncured beef pepperoni,   the pizzas were actually made with uncured pork  pepperoni. The packaging didn't mention pork at   all. While this error may not be as bad as  recalls involving salmonella or Listeria,   consuming unwanted pork can cause harm to  those with allergies or intolerances to pork.   Fortunately, there were no reported  cases of anyone falling ill. Vulto Creamery cheese Raw milk cheese can be deliciously tender and rich  in flavor, but it also comes with serious risks.   Cheese made with raw milk is more likely to harbor  Listeria monocytogenes since it does not undergo   pasteurization, a process of heating foods at  certain temperatures to kill bacteria and other   harmful microorganisms. This nightmare became a  reality for the New York-based Vulto Creamery in   2017, when its cheeses were discovered to be  the source of a Listeria outbreak. In March,   the creamery recalled all of its raw milk  cheese, but the damage was already done. The contaminated cheese had been shipped  to stores nationwide, including several   Whole Foods locations. The natural foods company  quickly pulled the cheese from nine stores in the   Northeastern U.S., soon expanding the recall  to include another eight stores in the same   region. While Whole Foods reported no illnesses  associated with cheese purchased from its stores,   other Vulto Creamery customers weren't  as fortunate. The outbreak resulted in   two deaths, and eight people fell ill and were  hospitalized, including one newborn. In 2024,   Vulto Creamery and its owner, Johannes  Vulto, pleaded guilty to misdemeanors   concerning the distribution of the  tainted cheese over state lines. Various vegetables In November 2019, Mann Packing Co., Inc.  announced a mass recall of vegetables sold   in the U.S. and Canada due to a possible  contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.   The vegetable supplier, acquired by Del  Monte Fresh Produce the previous year,   is based in Salinas, California. However, the  recall reached far beyond the Golden State,   as the afflicted vegetables were sold at Whole  Foods, and various other stores nationwide. In response, Whole Foods recalled  various foods prepared with Mann   Packing produce. The long list included  fresh salads and prepared-in-store meals.   Individual items from the store's hot and  salad bars were also part of the recall,   including raw and cooked vegetables. The  recall wasn't limited to one region or state,   as stores nationwide had received and used  Mann Packing vegetables. All things considered,   it's extremely fortunate that no illnesses  were reported in connection to the recalls. Minestrone soup In April 2020, right at the onset of  the COVID-19 pandemic, Whole Foods faced   another challenging recall. This time around,  no supplier or manufacturer was at fault — only   Whole Foods was to blame for its failure  to mention an ingredient in a ready-to-eat   product. Minestrone Soup, made with vegetables,  beans, pasta, and spices, also contains milk,   a common allergen. If someone with a milk allergy  accidentally consumes milk, they may experience   digestive problems, hives, and difficulty  breathing. In all, stores in 32 U.S. states were   affected by the recall. Thankfully, no adverse  reactions were reported from the mislabeled soup. "Hey, Frankie! Make me a bowl of minestrone." Cahill Cheddar Cheeses It seems that cheese recalls are a common  theme at Whole Foods, for in July 2021,   the grocery store was notified of another Listeria  scare, this time concerning two types of cheddar   from the Cahill brand. The suspects,  Whiskey Cheddar and Cheddar with Porter,   were sold in 44 stores across the  U.S., spanning 22 different states. Whole Foods initiated the recall after the  distributor's routine testing detected the   bacteria. Cahill, a long-standing cheese  producer based in Limerick, Ireland,   launched its own recall, also pulling several  additional cheese varieties in the process. In   an internal investigation, Cahill was able to  narrow down the source of the contamination to   one piece of equipment in its facilities.  The company announced that after removing   the afflicted equipment, all tests of its  products came back free of Listeria. Luckily,   there were no reported cases of illness  linked to the recalls. Today, Cahill's   cheeses are once again available  at Whole Foods stores in the U.S. 365 Organic Creamy Caesar Dressing In April 2022, Van Law Food Products, Inc.  launched a recall of its Organic Creamy Caesar   Dressing, sold under the Whole Foods 365 name.  The dressing, a flavorful mix of classic Caesar   ingredients plus additions like shiitake  mushrooms, also contained some unexpected   components: soy and wheat. These add-ins  were not declared on the product's packaging,   creating a potentially disastrous risk  for those with soy or wheat allergies. Affecting stores in 11 states nationwide,  the recall initially only impacted bottles   of dressing with a November best-by date.  However, in September of the same year,   Van Law Food Products expanded the recall to  include bottles with September through June   2023 best-by dates. This second phase of the  recall affected 26 states, and the error was   attributed to a mix-up with another product's  back label. Despite the significant recall,   there were no reported illnesses or complications  from the undisclosed allergens. Today,   the dressing has returned to Whole Foods stores  with all its ingredients clearly labeled. Lightly Seasoned Atlantic Salmon Burgers Not too long after Whole  Foods' Caesar dressing mishap,   the company found itself facing yet another  allergen-related recall. In November 2023,   Raw SeaFoods, Inc. alerted the public to the  presence of undeclared milk and sesame in   its Lightly Seasoned Atlantic Salmon Burgers.  Although Raw SeaFoods is based in Fall River,   Massachusetts, the burgers were sold at  Whole Foods stores all over the country. The issue came to light when a vendor  noticed sesame seeds in the burgers,   prompting an investigation. The burgers  were processed and prepared with a long   list of ingredients, including panko breadcrumbs,  flour, parsley, and lemon juice. However, while   the product label listed soy, fish, and wheat,  it failed to declare all possible allergens,   posing a serious risk to consumers with sesame or  milk allergies. As of August 2024, no illnesses   have publicly surfaced from the recall, but the  burgers have yet to return to Whole Foods stores. Ricotta cheese Perhaps one of the largest recalls in  recent memory concerns the California-based   dairy company Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. In  February 2024, the FDA and CDC announced   an investigation into the source of a  widespread Listeria outbreak that had   been ongoing for years. The culprit was cheese,  sour cream, and yogurt from Rizo Lopez Foods,   sold under many different brand names at  grocery stores nationwide and in Canada. The 2024 recalls included whole milk and part  skim ricotta cheese sold under Whole Foods' 365   label. While soft queso fresco and cotija cheeses  were the main subject of the recalls, many salad   and taco kits, dressings, and other prepared foods  were also found to be contaminated with Listeria. In April 2024, the CDC declared the outbreak to  be over. However, the damage was already done:   26 people from 11 states became sick after  consuming Rizo Lopez products. Among the   reported illnesses, 23 people were hospitalized  and two died. The CDC admitted that there were   likely many more people who never reported their  illnesses, so the true number of cases is unknown. Walnuts As news of the Rizo Lopez recalls was dying  down in April 2024, Whole Foods found itself   entangled in another recall. This time around,  organic walnuts from Gibson Farms were linked   to an outbreak of E. coli. The tainted walnuts  were sold primarily in bulk bins at natural food   stores and co-ops in at least 19 states.  The walnuts were available in the salad   bars at 10 Whole Foods stores. In all, there  were 13 reported illnesses from the walnuts,   including seven hospitalizations, all  located in California and Washington. "Walnuts bad. Got it." While no Whole Foods stores were linked to any  E. coli-related illnesses, the recall has joined   a long list of many in the company's recent  history. 2023 was a tumultuous year for the   natural foods store, with the company seemingly  unable to catch a break amid 21 product recalls.   Though compared to 2023's numbers, 2024's  recall numbers are minimal. However, Whole   Foods still has a lot of work to do to ensure  its products are safe for customers to enjoy.